The ESRB should stay

[Kereokacola]

I've seen large debates on this many times before, and I thought I should see what others think on the topic as well.

First, it should stay for parental issues. I am sure it was created just for that issue. Parents should definetly be informed whether it's suitable for their children or not, without it, a parent could be buying their kid a game filled with blood and guts, or bad language, etc.

Anyway... What does everyone else think on this issue? The ESRB can be annoying at times, yes, but I do think it's important for younger kids, and it's definetly important for parents to be informed.

 

[Shy Guy]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">
I. Not Elaborating
- Please don't post messages like "I agree with so and so" and leave it at that. No one really cares what you think, they just want good debate.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Read the rules, Phych Bomb. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

The ESRB is a bit tough on some games, and light on others. Take Twisted Metal: Small Brawl for instance, it was supposed to be a game for a younger audiences. The TM series, besides Black, were all rated Teen. Small Brawl, was alot less serious and a bit less childish than it's bomb filled, car crushing counterparts. It waas bared an T rating. Which I hardly understand, but that's my opinion, heh.

If the child let's this all go to their head, that it's okay to stomp on turtles or rob a bank, that's the child's fault. Sure, it's the parent's responsibility to raise the kid right, but if the kid had any common sense, these things are not okay.

<small>[ April 01, 2002, 10:06 PM: Message edited by: Shy Guy ]</small>

 

[Shamboo]

I think ESRB should stay. If the games didn't have any rating, and the younger people, like nine or so years old, got a game that was rated "M", the parents would have a fit. And if it didn't exist...God knows what will happen. Um, so I think it should stay.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

I don't have a problem with the ESRB ratings, only with stores that refuse to sell games because of them. I hate Al Gore and his wife, tippy, too.

 

[Yavarice]

I figure that ESRB is pretty much the "Do not fly with this cape" and "Caution: Hot Coffee" protection against moms with lawyers. Keep it.

 

[Phillip Chanter]

ESRB should defanetly stay... but they should try harder to make both parents and kids check the ratings on a game. I also realise that they say the ratings on game comercials, but they need to have the people selling the games to also inform parents and kids what they are buying. <img border="0" alt="[Shy Guy]" title="" src="graemlins/shyguy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Beezo]" title="" src="graemlins/beezo.gif" />

 

[BinkysEvolution]

The ESRB should definitely stay. There are two problems, though. First, the stores should not sell mature games to kids who are underage. Now, if the parents buy it for their kids, I don't have a problem with it. Second, the parents need to pay attention to the ratings more often. It is the parents responsibility to know whether their kids can handle the subject matter of the game (it's also a parent's responsibility to teach their kid the difeerences between real and fake and right and wrong). The ESRB is there for these very reasons.

 

[kirbyultimate]

ESRB, not a problem. The stores that won't let you buy it, there's a problem.

I wasn't even allowed to look at a game before they told me to put it back on the shelf. It was Hitman: Codename-whatever 47, and me, a 15-year old, was not allowed to see the box. I sure didn't like that. Unless someone has anything to the contrary, my opinion stands at that.

 

[BinkysEvolution]

See that is an example of the other extreme where the store goes too far. You should be allowed to look at the box (I think they have make the boxes compliant with PG guidelines); maybe not buy it if you're underage and without someone old enough to buy it for you, but at least look at the box.
Why is it that none of the stores or Congress members can acheive a middle ground on this issue. They either hate video games altogether or they pay no attention to ESRB at all.
As a side note, I've never heard of Hitman: Codename... I take it that it's rated M?

 

[kirbyultimate]

Hitman: Codename 47 (and it's sequel which came out two or three weeks ago) are both rated M, yes.

 

[Ender_Wiggen]

Movies have rating, T.V. shows have ratings
ex.(SV 14) so why shouldn't games. Each rating systems is run by its own company so it uses its own rating system. Sometimes the esrb acts faniticly conservitive, but thats what the millions of moms who protest videogames and harry potter want. I never have any promblems buying videogames, but then again I did not have any problem getting into rated R movies in sixth grade.

 

[shishkabob]

The ESRB should stay, even if it gave and unfair Teen rating to SSBM
That rating made many kids not get Melee!
BUt it is fair on some really grusome blood'n'gore ones. So I think the ESRB should stay...

 

[JBird1203]

This is a tricky issue, here. In theory, it's a good idea. Unfortunately, what the ESRB is accomplishing isn't much. You see, congress, the FTC and even many parents attempt to put the blame of violence on the part of minors on the entertainment industries, instead of on the parents, or the scoiety. I'll say this: If those games really made me kill, I'd have killed people in the dozens by now. But I haven't. Meanwhile, a kid might play the same games as I have, for just as long, and by chance, go and kill his classmates. Whatever happened to kids just killing for the same reasons adults do? Nobody looks to blame an entire industry when a 50 year-old man kills his parents, the neighbors on all sides of him, the milkman, the mailman, the garbageman, half his co-workers, the man that runs the ice cream shop, and Dr. Laura (I wish). He might have played Doom last week, let the entire world know about it, and I'd bet you any amount of money that it wouldn't be brought up when the media pricks say, "Why did he do this? For what reason was he so mad? Let the healing process begin..." Kids are not that easily influenced.

But I've participated in discussions in class, and some kid said, "I'll tell you how kids are influenced. Put some 5 year olds in a room, and put on a Bruce Lee or a Jackie Chan movie. When it's over they'll be kicking and puncing and screaming, 'HI-YAAAAA!'" To which I replied, "True, but martial arts and murder are two completely dissimilar acts, so much so that even a 5 year old could recognize the difference."

This could relate to the Joe Camel allegations. People were whining that Joe Camel influenced their children to start smoking. Yet when their husbands started to smoke, they looked for no explanation for it. They didn't blame the beach babes in the commercials. So why doesn't the same apply to adults? And those commercial about THE TRUTH. Please. Leave me alone.

Maybe it's because I'm such a cynic, but these people who complain about violence in video game shouldn't be doing so. I don't like the society of parents in America, always looking for a cause, something that, "corrupted," their, "perfect little angel/prince." It's repulsive. So I say give the boot to the ESRB, tell them, "Better luck next time," and let people take some of their own friggin' responsibility.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

I want to know what all these parents are having a problem with. The latest studies show that most gamers have grown up, and the average gamer is now between 18-35 years old, so companies are making games for us 18-35 guys. Parents don't get mad when Hollywood makes and R or XXX movie for them, why do they get mad when game companies make M rated games for us? The parents are dumb enough to buy it for their kid. It's the same as buying a XXX rated movie for their kids, and not paying attention to what they just did. Then they get mad because they just did something stupid, and want to blame anybody but themselves for their irresponsibility.

It’s a form of entertainment; they just stereotype it as a kiddy thing because it’s a video game. Kind of like how anime is a cartoon so they assume it must be for children. Both are merely forms of entertainment, created for many age groups. Parents should take some responsibility and use some brains to figure out what they are doing and what they are buying for their kids. Buying an M rated game for their kids is exactly like buying a XXX rated movie for them. They need to understand that.

 

[Matt]

You're absolutely right, Gamer. I wrote an essay about overprotective parents and here's a little part of it...

"Video games are under a very watchful eye as well. There are games in which the only purpose is to slaughter everything that comes into view with high-powered weapons and explosives that yield realistic “gore” effects and last second screams of pain from your prey. Parents protest this violence when, in actuality, they should only focus on their own children and end their paranoia with the refreshing thought that they raised an intelligent and socially acceptable human being. The fact will always remain that video game products are given ratings for a reason and that parents should be more mindful of those ratings before allowing their children to even think about buying that particular product. The complaint that “video games are too violent” is simply absurd."

The bottom line is that the ESRB rating system is perfectly acceptable. People's ignorance will only become worse if the ESRB is taken away. It's one of the only things that's keeping parents from protesting violence.

 

[Mike Larkenson]

I think the ESRB ratings should stay, but be modified.
M rated games are for what people 17 and up? I've played M rated games, and even a 11 year old could play one and have enough common sense not to commit a crime of violence because of it. There are some games that just need to have a different rating . In most games, you are usually the good guys trying to kill the bad. There's no harm in good people injuring the bad and kids playing games like that. If they can't modify the ratings, they should take them away.

 

[Mike Larkenson]

I think the ESRB ratings should stay, but be modified.
M rated games are for what people 17 and up? I've played M rated games, and even a 11 year old could play one and have enough common sense not to commit a crime of violence because of it. There are some games that just need to have a different rating . In most games, you are usually the good guys trying to kill the bad. There's no harm in good people injuring the bad and kids playing games like that. If they can't modify the ratings, they should take them away.

 

[Chronicler]

I'm with Mike Larkenson here. T

EDIT: Sorry about that, I don't know how that happened. See below for my post.

 

[Chronicler]

I'm with Mike Larkenson here. The ESRB needs to have more specific ratings. In movies, they have G if it's apropriate for everyone, PG if you might be wary in letting really little kids watch it, and PG-13 if it's too intense for little kids. However, with the ESRB, it goes straight from the G rating (E for Everyone) to the PG-13 rating (T for Teen). They should have middle ground somewhere in there. Maybe they should bring back the K-A (Kids to Adults) rating. Also, all of the AO (Adults Only) games listed on ESRB's website were made by Playboy except for one intensely gory game. If it's a matter of gore, why give it the AO rating? I mean, it's a difference of one year between the mature-rated game audiences and the adult-only audiences. Furthermore, there were very few games listed in the AO section. The ESRB can afford to make more ratings.