Comments on: Game ratings - do they need an overhaul?

By: Mat

Mat — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:10:13 +0000

The ratings do not need to be changed just enforced.
Its a cultural/generation thing that while our generation understands that an adult game is the same as 18 films older generations do not.

Look at comment from stuart, his dad and most parents his generation cannot transfer the cultural reasonings and social norms for 18 films to games, parents think of snake or pong.

A new advisory system will confuse everyone. it wont magically make retailers and parents stick to the law anymore than the last one . It is only through education and enforcement of the current law (eg UK adults are fined a Â£100 on the spot fine for suppling beer to children and shops shutdown) will things change.

Unfortunately I see things going the same way that film censorship did before it evolved into its current form and it will take our generation teaching our kids before the social norms applied to films, alcohol, voting, driving, ect. applied to games will we see meaningful change happen.

By: HappySpaceInvader

HappySpaceInvader — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:31:24 +0000

The basic problem is that young kids are playing games that were intended for older people…. and I think the magazines need to take some share of the blame here.

For example, the last issue of Official PlayStation Magazine UK I read had many many screenshots of Condemned 2 that were clearly unsuitable for young children (in fact, I’m 35 and I found them pretty offensive)… yet these same young children are a large proportion of the readership.

Of course, young children see that stuff and it immediately becomes a reason to have a game (children have a fairly grusome sense of taste, let’s be honest). If magazines didn’t hype up these games to young readers so much, maybe there would be a bit less demand. Does Empire or Total Film carry extensive grusome photographs for 18-rated films? I don’t think so.

Maybe video games magazines need to sit on the top shelf along with the porno unless they can start exercising some editorial responsibility.

By: The-Unknown

The-Unknown — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:39:06 +0000

It doesn’t matter if the game rating system is reviewed and changed, as far as kids playing games that they’re too young for, is concerned. Parents will still blindly buy games for their kids, without knowing what the actual game contains. Just look back over the past decade, at the numerous times that various government bodies have decided to crack-down on retailers selling 18 cert games to kids… It’ll never stop that happening.
The only thing that I can see the Byron Report/Changes in the age certs effecting is the games that are released. If they decide that a game is violent, it’ll go from (what would now be a) 15 cert to an 18 cert, and games that were likely to be an 18 cert will be banned or forced to censor the contents down (like Manhunt 2). Call of Duty 4 is a 15 cert, but considering the fact that it’s based on real weaponry, with realistic environments, under the reviewed cert system it’s highly likely that it would be an 18 cert. After all, what’s the difference between striking someone over the back of the head with a hammer (Manhunt) and shooting someone in the head with a .50cal Barrett (CoD4)?

By: Raitzi

Raitzi — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:01:09 +0000

ESRB works fine, but all countries must respect it and not rate games by them selfs. WE ARE IN EU, WE NEED COMMON POLICY!

By: Stuart

Stuart — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:25:19 +0000

I think that the main problem with the issue of game age ratings are that parents don’t realise that not all games are suitable for children, for example my 14 year old brother was telling me how he was getting GTAIV for christmas from my dad. When I asked my dad if he would buy my brother an 18 rated film or Porno mag he said no. Then I told my dad that in this game you could have sex with hookers to regain life, then kill them to get your money back. I also pointed out that you could ramdomly attack anyone you saw and shoot then for no reason, and it was a 18 rated game. His reply was “It’s only a game.” Now if my brother was beaten up buy a 15 year old kid who had just played Manhunt, my dad would be in the baying mob calling out for the game to be banned. I think that untill parents realise that games can be violent and have adult themes, retailers need to point this out to customers when they are buying games. I guess that untill the masses realise this, the retailers have to act as a advisory medium

By: Game ratings - do they need an overhaul? | GameBlews PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PSP, DS News

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:58:56 +0000

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By: rooee

rooee — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:31:50 +0000

@ LordOfRuin

I agree with what you’re saying up to a point, about the interactive element grounding the game in a strictly virtual reality, but by the same token this interactivity is the very problem. A kid watches a violent film and he or she is nothing more than an observer - but give the kid a pad and they have the power to perform those same violent acts, and they are rewarded for it.

I remember when the original Syndicate came out, and Peter Molyneux made the (paraphrased) point that Bullfrog (the creators) aren’t the violent sickos with the mini-gun, that the player wields that power. Wouldn’t want to question Mr Molyneux’s logic, but I’m not sure how easy it would have been to achieve total world domination with nothing but the Persuadatron…

Anyway, I reckon all games released in the UK should show the BBFC logo (U, PG, 12, etc) as parents understand it at a glance. Because what a lot of parents DON’T understand is the authenticity and depth of violent content of the games themselves. To a lot of parents, I think anything described as a ‘game’ can only ever be benign. The BBFC as it stands need not carry out the ratings procedure; it could be a separate organisation which simply uses the BBFC’s well-established rating system.

Now… everyone who’s over 18, go buy Viking! Grr!

By: tdh

tdh — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:13:31 +0000

I think the rating system is fine, the problem we have is enforcing it and educating the people it was designed to help. If parents don’t bother to learn what the ratings mean, what’s the point of the system itself? If a 10 year old walks into a store and plunks GTA IV down on the counter and walks out the door with the game who’s fault is that? The 10 year old for wanting a game highly advertised? The parent for not being with their child every second of the day? Or the clerk for allowing the sale of a game obviously inappropriate for a 10 year old?

We all know what the rating system means as gamers, but who educates non-gaming parents to what the system means? Who holds the retailers responsible for when they allow a sale to an under aged gamer? In the US a party store that sells alcohol to a minor is shutdown, retailer sells a M rated game to a minor and we blame the gaming industry.

Enforce it first, and then if we find that there are still “translation” problems then revamp the rating system.

By: Reza

Reza — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:03:47 +0000

I hate under-rated/over-rated games.

Seems, if Microsoft slip enough money into the reviewers back pockets, they’ll just about do anything.

By: bignatt

bignatt — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:45:43 +0000

ohh no ithink i got it wrong oooppps

well if kids play somthing that they are ‘to young’ to play then it is the parents falt you canot blame the people who make or sell games you have to blame the parents
if game made people kill i would of masicured 100s by now and films are more violent then games any way look at saw or hostal