Imagine That: Alphabetic Videogame Ratings Aren't Very Informative
from the no,-a-number-system-won't-work-either dept
While the corrosive effects of videogame violence are often overstated, the idea of informing parents about game content so that they can make decisions about what their children are playing isn't a bad idea. That's what the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) is supposed to do. Unfortunately, in its strategy of placing a movie-like rating on each game, the group fails in its objective to provide meaningful information. And although the board tries hard to identify the subtleties between different kinds of violence (even different kinds of blood) it offers little to go on in terms of knowing the content of a game. But isn't a group like the ESRB destined to fail from its outset? Its sister organization, the MPAA, doesn't have a great track record with its system. Why not leave the job up to consumer publications to inform parents? Some will say that this is unsatisfactory, since parents won't find the information. But if a parent won't put in the effort to seek it out, then they probably won't care too much about a game's ESRB rating. Or here's a better idea. Why doesn't the parent just watch their child play the game for a few minutes. If they don't like it, they can return it or sell it on eBay. And if you're not convinced that ratings systems and measures of violence are no substitute for actually seeing the game, remember that in one study, even Pac-Man was deemed to be a violent game.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Gee here's an idea...
Find out what it is you are about to pay for before you buy it. Its very annoying for those of us without children to put up with all of the crap from those with because you chose not to use a rubber and now you want the gov't (or others) to babysit.
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Re: Gee here's an idea...
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plus, who would fork out over 50 bucks for a game they know nothing about? and who's to say that the kids don't "hide" the blood and sex (some games have maturity control, or gore or whatever control) until the parent leaves? the parent either stays the hwole time, or better yet, makes random checkups. maybe spy on the kid. sure, that's good for them.
now, my mother runs a daycare (she has for over 15 years) and she's seen a dramatid decline in the parenting of her kids over those years. To keep this in persepctive, this isn't some nanny service, she's registered through the state, and must take a certain number of youth training every year. on top of that, she's part of a program for the "best of the best" daycares. thus, she has to go above and beyond what the state minimum requirements, and she's one of 3 in our area that is qualified. so with that being said, and with living in the home daycare for all that time, i can attest that parents want to blame others for their faults. so, the only real way to "monitor" game ratings is the letters by the esrb. they look, oh..good, bad..whatev. but yes they are limited. maybe try the TV system instead? VG-M:VSL??? things of that nature? a step?
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Here! Here!
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Ah, the classic problem...
"No. Not now."
"I WANT THE GAME!!!"
"Okay, honey. Calm down." *tosses it in the cart without a second glance, takes it home, and catches the kid in the middle of a violent, blood-spewing rampage in the game*
"*Gasp* Where did you get that?"
"You bought it for me mommy."
"Well this is unacceptable!"
*Yells and whines*
"The game designers made an awful, violent game!"
Response 1 - Save-the-children-style Politician "We must supress these violent games, they have fallen into the hands of our children!"
Response 2 - ESRB - "We rated the game appropriately."
Response 3 - Self-righteous Lawyer - "I propose a ban on selling violent video games!"
Response 4 - Judicial System - "Such a Ban is unconstitutional."
Response 5 - STCS Politician, angry mother, and Self-righteous Lawyer - "See how the liberals ruin everything!"
Response 6 - The common sense of the Masses - "This government granted freedom of speech and expression. These special interest groups are promoting a message antithetical to the constitution. If the mother had been a parent, and been informed, and learned how to say "No" in the first place, the kid wouldn't have been exposed to any content the parent might disapprove of."
Response 7 - STCS Politician, angry mother, and Self-righteous Lawyer - "...But... But... Violence in games... Derp..." *Heads Explode*
The End.
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Pac-Man
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Aggreed
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It is true that Parents have gotten lazy (not all, but a lot!). If anything makes them put in a little effort, they want nothing to do with it and some agency should be taking care of it.
Please parents, realize there there is a lot more to that new multi-hundred dollar (or pound or euro or yenX100) video game system than just buying it and giving it to your kid...research! You wouldn't buy a car without researching it first right?
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1. wait for "that" generation to die off.
2. our generation parents better.
3. ???
4. profit!
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I call BS
You can't take it back to most stores, software titles can't be returned to almost any store anymore.
eBay? Ha! Good luck getting full price.
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is it really that complicated?
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Books need Ratings too!
What the fuck is wrong with people who can't give their kids enough time to take interest in what they are doing. You as a parent have failed if you do not.
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gay parenting kills kids
today children are little wimps, shielded from every semi-bad thing on the planet, and once those parents die, those kids have no idea how to do anything
just remember science class, if you help a baby chicken out of its egg, it doesnt have the strength to live the rest of its life.
hint for stupid people: baby chicken=kids today
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sell on ebay? hhahhahh
Sell on ebay? Dont make me laugh, its against the TOS now of major games (such as HL2) to sell your used copy.
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rising dead
with zombies.. lets call it rising dead? anywho..
lets use a quick simulated moron in a hurry glace at it to see what this game is about..
I see zombies, blood, hunger for flesh, dangerous looking tv wielding.. and ah, an M rating. hmm.. maybe this game isnt for kids..
Im sure there is an explaination on the back.. lets see.. hmm.. chop till you drop.. anything is a weapon.. mention of a swarm of zombies.. Im almost certain this isnt a game for kids.. and there is the M sign again.. with a nice breakdown about Mature, and 17+ and all the blood and gore and intense violence..
so we have a product clearly marked, both in design and content. (and amention that it supports Family Setting, very important)
seems like not only is the information there in the ESRB ratings, its there in the packaging too.
When taken to the counter, the clerk recognized and commented about "that game with you smashin all them zombies an blood.. coooll..". The Industry is more or less doing its part. the Ratings Board is doing pretty well. the failed link is, in this case, the parents who could fail to notice it.
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Bad system?
I can say from first-hand experience that 90% of the average parents (even worse, try Grandparents) don't realize, or even care to realize, what game ratings are, even when we try to tell them.
The game ratings are 100% effective - but not idiot-proof, which is sad, cause most parents are idiots these days.
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