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.