Here’s something that doesn’t really matter to me as an adult who plays video games, but becomes increasingly important as my son gets to be of video-game playing age. Currently, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) provides ratings to publishers and developers who seek them. They serve as an unregulated body that voluntarily rates video games. The industry adoption of their system is nearly universal. They are similar to the ratings arm of the MPAA in purpose, but games lack the mainstream support that film currently enjoys.
Rockstar Games, the “beloved” purveyors of Grand Theft Auto series, have made a splash with their upcoming title Manhunt 2, which judging by the trailer is an unapologetic survival-horror splatterfest. The game had initially received an Adults Only rating, but this was later downgraded to a Mature rating. (Since the Mature rated game received its rating for “Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, and Strong Language,” I’d hate to see what in the world earned the game an Adults Only rating.)
California State Senator Leland Yee (D) is demanding that the ESRB and Rockstar Games release what was cut to bring the game from an Adults Only rating to a Mature rating. The implication, of course, is that Rockstar Games changed nothing, and that the ESRB caved under industry pressure to release a game for Halloween that was guaranteed to have large sales. This is the same Senator Yee who was a sponsor of California’s 2005 video game law which was recently struck down as unconstitutional by a federal court ruling.
In the end, none of this matters. The ESRB can’t parent your children, nor can Senator Yee of California. Games like this will always find a market. It is not the business of government to censor their manufacture or sale, nor is it their business to regulate their sale to minors. This should be a voluntary effort performed by responsible media sellers and parents. Education is the key to providing our children with the tools to make responsible choices, and education comes from responsible parents who take the time to instruct and discipline their children.
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I’d say this does matter. As you wrote, the ESRB lacks the mainstream support the MPAA enjoys. How can they expect to earn that support if ratings are “for sale”. If games that might lose sales due to mature ratings they can simply pressure the group to endorse a new rating. How can a parent trust such ratings? How can they expect to be taken seriously? I am not asking the goverment to limit game sales to minors. I am asking someone to label the content contained in these products. This should not be any different than labeling the contents of food. Both involve consumer safety.
A valid point, Chris. I meant to heap scorn on the idea that the ESRB was “bought” by a publisher due to its non-profit nature and their drive to gain credibility. I guess I didn’t convey that clearly in my statements.
The real problem here is the game falling into the hands of a minor who may or may not understand that the kind of violence portrayed in this game isn’t normal. Sure, ratings are great. If my 7 year old brings a game to me that says “adults only” I know as a responsible parent that I shouldn’t buy that game for him. ( I also know that i should pay enough attention to my son to know that he has heard of the game and expresses a desire to obtain it BEFORE I go to the game store.)
HOWEVER, the reality is that many times a child will bring a game to the counter, mom will smack down the credit card, and the clerk will point out that the game is “adults only”. This usually leads to a one sided screaming match where the mother yells at the employee for daring to tell her how to raise her child etc. The game gets bought anyways, the mother knows that she can set her child in front of the TV with it and go off to do her own thing without being bothered by the little brat errr.. loving child for a few hours.
The kid gets desensitized to violence early on in life before he has a chance to understand how wrong violence in our society is, and he grows up as a bully. Eventually something goes wrong, say the kid holds another child underwater during a fight at the local pool and the second child drowns. Now the parent blames the game industry for corrupting her child and making him a monster, she sues the game company, and the cycle continues.
The only stop to this is for people to become better parents. Better parenting comes from being taught by the people you look up to, as children grow up ignored by their parents, they do the same to their offspring. IMHO I believe that schools should teach parenting “classes” from a very early age, and repeat it every other year to reinforce it. You could start in 4th grade, then 6th, 8th, 10th, and have a test built into the 12th grade graduation curriculum.
In Oklahoma, most people are parents by their 12th grade year anyway, right?
I am not sure how legit this review is, but it claims to list what changed between the AO and M versions on Manhunt 2:
http://www.codenamerevolution.com/?p=6102