I don't like the ESRB

[Redfefnir]

I have little respect for the ESRB. Seriously, Halo received an "M" rating, yet Grand Theft Auto IV did, too. Something's not right with that picture.

I think the main idea for making Halo rated M was mostly because of XBL. Because you, me, he, she, they, them, and us, all know what kind of potty-mouthed racial 'pricks-because-I-can' idiots.

I think rating a game T for Teen then within the first 15 seconds of starting multiplayer you've already heard more explecatives then the first 15 minutes of Scarface is wrong. I know that ESRB has a "We have no ratings for online, we arn't responsible." but come on. Use some common sense

 

[jboking]

ESRB is really starting to piss me off. i see plenty of games that are fine for me that i cant play cuz of like a bikini or alcohol happining to be in like, one freakin part of the game!!! a great example is halo, cuz its the most contrivercial. because

I can understand if you are just too lazy to write out the word "because," but at least be consistent damn it!

cortana is naked for like, 5 seconds at a time on the screen and theirs(there is) cursing(is that not something everyone deals with like, EVERY DAY???) its rated M!! it barely even has any violence(assuming a game that is centered around killing others isn't violent. *Facepalm*), much lower than manhunt or even LFD for that matter!!! and wtf is up with banning games? thats so stupid!! are we NOT protected under the (second?) constitution(Do you mean Amendment? Do you mean first?) to print/ read (make and play) freely?
thats my rant- lets hear yours!!!

p.s. cortanas 'private areas' are barely even visible so wtf??

Halo is violent, it earned the M rating. Just because Manhunt is more violent doesn't make Halo any less violent. Of course, I'm nearly 19. I don't have any strong feelings about a game getting the M rating.

Also, please at least try to use proper grammar and spelling(it's in the rules). I would understand if you are just making the occasional small mistake, but this is just ridiculous.

 

[Antari]

The ESRB system is good for reference if you have no contact with games or your kids what so ever.

But as a useful deterant? Totally useless, infact directly counter-productive. It has in most cases only increased the want for them to get the game if it has a higher rating.

No rating system is a replacement for intelligent and involved parenting.

 

[wolfgamesstudios]

The ESRB is not perfect, but it's a necessary evil. Think about it: this VOLUNTARY organization decides to stop, then the government will step in. Do we really want Hillary Clinton rating our games?

good point...

 

[Projo]

Referring to the OP's example of Halo, you play as a dying breed on the verge of leading a mass genocide on not one, or two, but three, or even more, races purely because of religious ideals. Shit's crazy man.

Hell, I don't think ESRB is strict enough. While I don't want to see their ratings become law and regulate gaming, I don't like kids having access to all these games. I don't mean that from a protective point of view, but from a jealous one. When I was young, I had to work my way up. There was no starting with the most violent and hardcore game out there, I had to hook up my NES and play some Ms. Pac-man. I couldn't jump right into Pitfall, or god-forbid, Metroid. It was a learning process. I don't think children are ready for gaming, because they come to expect so much from it. It becomes part of them when they can just start with some high tier games from childbirth, because they come to enjoy them, and then end up holding games to a higher standard than say, learning their Bill of Rights. They need to start with shitty games, that way they can shut up and learn to enjoy other things in life.

Also, there's no law saying you can't play M rated games. Just have your mom buy it for you or come in with you. I remember when I was young, picking up Doom and Quake, I just had my dad come in with me. Hell, my little sister had me shrug my shoulders and smirk at the cashier when she bought Oblivion, that was good enough for her.

 

[appleblush]

ESRB is absolutely neccessary. The alternative is not letting violent games get released at all. It doesn't even really prevent anything since more young kids can get the game pretty easily. Parents buy it for them, older siblings.

Really, I can't be too hard on ya, because you sound like a 13-year-old kid who complains about everything because they're oh so independent. Really, the fact that you rant like that, proves that you probably aren't mature enough for an M rated game.

 

[Pifflestick]

Speaking as a kid who had relativly cool parents concerning videogames I can't give any real insight into this post (Dungeon Keeper 2 at 10, Max Payne at 13.) But really the ESRB has to be here so that the 'politically correct' parents don't start up with all that "Would someone PLEASE think of the children!" Of course, there are still the dumbass 'politically correct' parents who don't pay attention to the ESRB rating and then have a hissy fit when they see the game, and those people can kiss the fattest part of my ass.

 

[SilentHunter7]

I think there should be a rating between "T" and "M," like what they added between "E" and "T." The reasoning being that I think a lot of violent games are rated "M" because they're marginally worse than something the ESRB thinks a 13-year-old can handle.

Care to have any ideas on what to call this new rating?

MT: Mature Teen ?
YA: Young Adult?
T-16?

Personally, I'm in favor of such a rating. The violence in games like Halo, Mass Effect, and Splinter Cell, while probably beyond a T rating, is much, much more tame than the dismemberment and gore you see in games like Gears and God of War, and I don't think it's something your average High School Junior can't handle.

 

[BrownGaijin]

Are you talking about this amendment?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Because the second amendment says:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

I would do some research before you bring out the Bill of Rights, you're only making yourself look bad. Also neither right is really helping out your case. At most the first one states that you can complain about it all you want (so long as you do not infringe on another citizen's rights).

As for why you can't play M rated games, you are being rather vague about WHO is keeping you from playing M rated games. If it's your parents, well guess what buddy, they're just trying to place rules, boundaries and limitations on you in hopes that you will be a better person from it, just like the majority of parents out there. Here's something else that might surprise you: everyone grows up, and if you're lucky enough one day you will be old enough to play those games. You can argue that you might not, but either way I wouldn't be wasting my time whining about petty things like this.

Your situation is not uncommon for someone in your age bracket. My advice to you is to man up (you know be the "adult" you claim to be), and wait until you turn of age.

Oh yeah and talk to your parents about how you feel.

 

[Naheal]

I'm 21.

I don't care what rating a game has.

Same here but 18.
England only has an 18 rating.

Same for the US, but we still can't drink until we hit 21, so, while we MAY be adults at 18, we can't do ANYTHING until we hit 21.

 

[Mcface]

ESRB is really starting to piss me off. i see plenty of games that are fine for me that i cant play cuz of like a bikini or alcohol happining to be in like, one freakin part of the game!!! a great example is halo, cuz its the most contrivercial. because cortana is naked for like, 5 seconds at a time on the screen and theirs cursing(is that not something everyone deals with like, EVERY DAY???) its rated M!! it barely even has any violence, much lower than manhunt or even LFD for that matter!!! and wtf is up with banning games? thats so stupid!! are we NOT protected under the (second?) ammendment to print/ read (make and play) freely?
thats my rant- lets hear yours!!!

p.s. cortanas 'private areas' are barely even visible so wtf??

sorry about the grammer i was not aware of the 'rules' about it.

pps. its just my opinion... jeeze...

Man this is so loaded with fail.. obvious troll is obvious, but in case it's real..

just wow.

It's pretty much a non-issue, ESRB is a great thing, because if we didn't have it, we would be like Australia. I don't know if you have learned about the world in your 5th grade class yet, but Australia is that little place that bans anything mainstream with blood.

I personally use the ESRB to my advantage. If I'm going to buy "action packed shoot fest" and its got an E rating, chances are it's not an "action packed shoot fest"

And the right to own firearms has nothing to do with the ESRB..

 

[Misterian]

I don't mind ESRB,

what I do mind are paranoid nutcases who accuse games for being responsible for numerous murders when it's the killer's fault alone.

if you parents are reading this and worried about your child's response to any graphic content they might encounter in a game, you should simply take some time to abserve the games yourself (preferably by watching your kids play or play the games yourself if you can) and then talking to your kids about the content and why they should be aware of what makes the content graphic or mature in the game. Then video games won't be to blame at all for whatever trouble your kids get into, you can therefore ground them from video games for a different, more understandable reason, if you know what I mean.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Undeservedly high ratings do not happen very often at all: I challenge you to find 5 games that have been rated higher than they deserve.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was rated M for "Blood, Strong Languadge, Violence" even though there's not a single drop of blood in the whole damn game. And the strong languadge can only be heard when you fail to play the game properly anyway, but I admit that's not such a bad reason. Even without f-bombs.

I contest that. Now I haven't played the game in 4 years, but I know there's at least one guy who commits seppuku right in front of you, and bleeds out all over the floor. And then there's that nice scene right in the first level where the two guys electro-shock torture the one good guy until his brain fries. Yeah, that's not M-worthy at all. Not to mention the various executions and stealth-kills.

 

[Deef]

I like the ESRB, it keeps immature 10 year olds with too much extra cash from ruining the online part of the more mature games.

Now if only they didn't have parents to buy games for them...

 

[axia777]

Too bad for you people that are too young and can't play the games because you parents won't buy you them. I fell for you, really I do. But it is going to stay the way it is so get used to it. Just like booze is 21 and over and strip clubs are mostly 21 and over. That is just the way life is.

 

[Icehearted]

I'm an adult that grew up in a more innocent time, when Mortal Kombat on the SNES had white pixels that made people appear to bleed milk rather than red pixels that would corrupt our youth into thinking we should murder people because a video game told us to (or whatever the logic is behind the idea). For every one asshole that kills someone and blames a video game, millions have also played said game and haven't a murderous bone in their body. That is why such horse-crap never sticks; because is sensationalist nonsense and all but old fart politicians and their old fart constituency seem to know better.

The ESRB is not perfect, but it's a necessary evil. Think about it: this VOLUNTARY organization decides to stop, then the government will step in. Do we really want Hillary Clinton rating our games?

No sir, we most certainly do not want.