However, I can understand the need to restrict the access of inappropriate materials by children. And in this instance, I think that the best methods of doing this is self regulation by the industry, increasing information about game ratings, and getting retailers to enforce these restrictions.
As I have ranted before, the sales of inappropriate video games to minors often continues due to either 1) parents buy these games for their children without knowing that they are, and 2) retailers selling them to said children.
The Electronic Software Ratings Board has done a fairly good job on accurately rating these games, and parents have a good amount of information to base their purchases on. And they have just created a widget that can be added to any website or blog, giving users the tools to check out the ratings on any game. I have added this widget to my page, because I feel that I share the responsibility in helping to highlight the available information.
If you're a gamer, I hope you feel the same way too.
2 comments:
As a parent, I think ratings are a crock of shit. Little boys learn violence the moment they have enough working body parts for their testosterone to do something aggressive. I don't believe for a second that the influence of video games or movies is significant compared to that of biology. I couldn't believe that the Spiderman movie was rated PG. Spiderman is the hero of 6 year olds everywhere. If ratings are to be of any use to the general public then they need to be based on the standards of the general public and not on those of deliberately offended wackos.
I would argue that having these ratings are a great tool for parents who do want to monitor the type of media their children are consuming.
It does not mean that I believe that violent videogames makes violent people. That is an entirely different argument. But I do want more information about the product to be clearly stated on the box. If a game contains dismemberment and showers of blood, I'd like to be able to know before I make the purchase, either for myself or for my future children. More information = good.
I agree that the standards of ratings need be based on the understanding of the general public, and not, as you say, on those of deliberately offended wackos. That is why I believe that self regulation by the videogames industry is so important. Let the people who have the expertise judge their own work. It's far better that allowing government regulation, where they probably don't have any idea of what's going on, and making some knee-jerk reaction.
That is why I believe the ESRB is relevant at this very moment.
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