ESRB and you.

[Orezroivas]

Dear escapist goers, lurkers, and trolls, I need some assistance and thought I could stir up some kind of discussion in the process. I have to do a presentation in class and I decided on doing it over the ESRB system in the manner of teaching people how to use it and how to read it. One of my questions is if any of you know of good unbiased websites other than the ESRB site that write about the content of the video game.

The question for discussion is how many you actually use the ESRB, or software rating systems in general, when purchasing a game, for yourself or child(yours or otherwise)? Do you think that rating systems are a joke or do you think they should be enforced? Your thoughts?

 

[azncutthroat]

Rating systems are reference guidelines, not gradings like the USDA/FDA. The ESRB in particular is an self-regulatory organization for the video game industry. Therefore, the ratings should not be enforced by law, unless the government can step up to the plate and actually regulate the video game industry (godforbid).

 

[Tony2077]

i tend to lean toward m and t rated games more action better stories well sometimes

 

[PunkyMcGee]

i think if parents paid more atention to the esrb video games would be respected and unerstoud that us 20-sometings do infact play them and are the actual target audeaunce

 

[BolognaBaloney]

People need to understand that gaming is no longer the past-time of 9 year olds. We now have very adult games, with very mature themes, the ESRB was designed to avoid confusion between games for children and adults. If parents so much as looked at the game that they were buying children, we could avoid half of the negative press that gaming is subjected to.

 

[dmase]

They are better then a government controlled guidline. As an independent organization that aren't affected by politics and would probably take a lot for them to out right ban a game. Some games deserved to banned but at the point the only way to get that game is gonna be online and will only be seen by people who the game is supposed to appeal to thus harming no one. If a kid wants a realistic columbine fps in the first place then he was gonna already do something stupid.(example of what could be a banned game)

Also add in there the the gta scandel and explain that it wasn't the esrb's fault and could be blamed on Rockstar rather then the ESRB.

 

[dududf]

ESRB are guidelines.

Nothing more, nothing less. If my parent decides that it's alright for my to move my mouse over a moving 3d picture of what appears to be a Nazi Zombies head and click then that''s perfectly fine.

 

[Omikron009]

I don't pay attention to ESRB ratings and I never have. If I want or like a game, I don't care if it's rated mature and I'm only 16. I'll find a way to obtain it (usually involving a somewhat embarassing trip with a parent). I can't wait until next year when I can buy M rated games without any hassle. Although I look young, so I'll have to get some photo ID.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

People need to understand that gaming is no longer the past-time of 9 year olds. We now have very adult games, with very mature themes, the ESRB was designed to avoid confusion between games for children and adults. If parents so much as looked at the game that they were buying children, we could avoid half of the negative press that gaming is subjected to.

This pretty much.

I mean, the idea of the ESRB is great, but it is indeed the execution of it that is lax.

The main problem is that parents nowadays seem to be too lazy or either don't care enough about their children to wonder if maybe Left 4 Dead 2 could be a little too violent for their 10 year old.

Sadly, games have become the TV of modern parenting. Plop yer little rugrat down in front of the console, stick a controller in his hand and be free to go about your busy schedule.

 

[Timbydude]

I think it's an important tool so that parents have some idea of what their kids are playing. As has been mentioned, a ton of games on the market now are intended solely for adults or very "mature" children.

At the same time, I feel like the rating system creates a slight problem just because of how loosely it's enforced. You tell a kid he can't have something, and then he wants it more. Thus, some children are more tempted to play a game with questionable content just because of the mystery and rebellion associated with playing it. Modern Warfare 2 carries an M rating, yet I would wager that *at the very least*, 35% of people playing the game are below the age of 17.

As an adult, I don't really look at the ratings. Society has desensitized me enough (for better or worse) that very rarely do I encounter something in a game which irks me.