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Denver, 11:26 PM
Sat Dec 19
26 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/28/09
Sadly we seem to live in the society of people have kids as an obligation rather than actually wanting them so we end up with bunch of idiot parents who barely pay attention to their kids but get PISSED if their little precious played a violent game or saw a violent movie.
08/28/09
08/28/09
And that's the last thing we need - a ratings board with a monopoly.
08/28/09
08/28/09
Could someone please explain to me (I'm from the UK) a valid reason why an enforced rating system which prevents violent or sexually explicit (or whatever other hangups a society might have) items being sold directly to children is such a terrible thing?
Please note that the keyword there was directly. If you think your kids can handle GTA4, there's nothing to prevent you from buying it for them. All it means is that there has to be some sort of adult supervision to the act of purchasing it. It's not foolproof by any means, but to my mind that is putting the parents in control.
08/28/09
Generally speaking, even staunch liberals would prefer to avoid government expenditure to fix something that isn't broken, especially when the 'fix' would involve unconstitutional government regulation of protected speech.
08/28/09
I love how some people are ignorant enough to think this. Some parents use the rating systems, I'll admit it, but how many exactly? If you go into a Rated R movie, you'll still see kids there. On the gaming side of things, one round of COD4 will reveal that an M rating probably actually makes it more likely that little kids will have purchased the game, via their parents or an older brother.
That's why these regulation discussions are a hideous waste of everyone's time.
08/28/09
08/28/09
I really think the ESRB serves as a strong model in this direction. I read more of the bullet-point "why" list next to the rating than the actual rating. Movies don't have that, though the information is usually available elsewhere. TV touches on this feature on some of its more extreme programming.
The only place the ESRB may have backfired is the AO rating. AO ought to behave like a Mature rating, only more strongly informing the parent that this is probably not appropriate for their minors. Instead, since Walmart won't carry AOs, it just means your game won't be sold.
Anyway, my point is that the ESRB's ratings don't cause nasty restrictions, really, and just inform. They are helpful, not controlling. So, universal ratings that behave in a similar fashion would simply unify the language, instead of having to be able to understand multiple, separate sets of ratings doing the same thing. Unless there are more heinous plans out there for this that I'm unaware of.
08/28/09
08/28/09
second, game companies are private institutions and their products are their own. freedom of speech does not apply because it's not a public venue.
08/28/09
Tell me, when was the last time you saw an unrated, or independently rated, film in theaters? Do you think your answer is "never" because everyone thinks the MPAA is just so gosh darn swell?
08/28/09
and no, in point of fact, the answer is not 'never.' what, they don't have indie film houses where you live?
08/28/09
It's big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy who refuse to stock AO titles. Seeing as this is where most sales come from, game publishers (not console manufacturers) generally won't let an AO game out the door til it's taken down to M since it will adversely affect sales.
09/11/09
Maybe you're mixing memories. Some DVDs are unrated.
08/28/09
08/28/09
Second, what the hell are cellphone ratings? Is it that a typo? Is it cellphone GAMES that will be rated? Oh yeah, this cellphone has Mature content. You must be over 18 to use this cellphone. LOL
I think the movie ratings system needs a major overhaul, though. Make it more like the ESRB. Games can't go on unrated, yet movies can. Ratings can be deceiving on movies. They don't have the content descriptions on the back. And yet, FOR SOME REASON, people still blame video gamers for the "destruction of Our Youth." Really? What about the R-rated movies that are released on DVDs unrated which even more inappropriate (and pointless) content?
08/28/09
Somebody vote this comment of the week! I can never remember how when I want to. Even searched for it... there needs to be a Kotaku FAQ.
08/28/09
08/28/09
NO, NO, NO.
It has to be *scientific* inquiries. Get your personal opinions out of the court!
08/28/09
That's right... Government.
08/28/09
"Universal ratings... are a solution in search of a problem".
Thank your congressmen personally when they come to kiss your town's babies.
08/28/09
You know, I was exposed to both violent and pornographic stuff in my childhood. Repeatedly.
And I consider my compulsions to be quite ordinary.
You don't make kids psychos by exposing them to violent imagery, you do it by making them IGNORANT.
You don't tell them "Don't kill people." You tell them WHY you shouldn't kill people.
You don't keep yourself from raping some because you weren't exposed to stuff in your childhood, you do it because you understand the person has rights. You understand that you wouldn't want it to be done to you.
08/28/09
"In one cutscene, a nurse wipes her mouth as she rises from a kneeling position in front of a man's lap. No sexual activity is depicted, but it can be inferred that she performed fellatio on the man."
If that isn't enough information to keep a parent informed I don't know what is.
If they are arguing the fact that too many rating systems is confusing then these people shouldn't even be having kids. If Teen: 13+ is to complicated for you to understand then please don't be procreating.
The larger part of the problem would be that parents just don't care what their kids see and don't take the time to talk about the content they are viewing. How about spending some of that time and energy on actually parenting and not just blaming the ratings system.
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
This message is approved by Michael Dukakis*
*Not really.
08/28/09