MediaWise has released the latest edition of its Video Game Report Card, keeping an eye on various trends in the video game-playing and -selling industry...
Well, I can tell as someone who is at least moderately involved in this process (I generally put together about one or two ESRB submissions a month.) The rating systems qualifications are its biggest flaws and benefits. The ratings are often detailed to a point that will explain all the reasons for the rating, I've seen games come back with a 'T' rating for "alcohol references" and "animated violence" (meaning some sort of attack with no blood.) Hmm, anyone seen a cartoon as a kid where the characters ended up drunk. *cough-Willow-Dumbo-DarkCrystal-cough*
I think that the ESRB system is so specific, that it is basically a joke, so it's treated with little regard. As Mario points out, if the ratings were better respected like the MPAA ones, it would probably be a much more effective system, but to get that kind of effectiveness, they need to be more subjectively looked at. (the extreme example being the state that couldn't sell wario ware to minors because of the cop car that slips on a banana peel...) On the other hand, I know there are plenty of younger children who have games like Call of Duty 4, and I can tell you confidently that I wouldn't want my kids thinking that the way some people talk over their headsets is rational adult behavior but that's a seperate issue.
Also, I have a feeling that as our generation gets older, (one that has grown up with and plays more video games) you're going to see a lot of these trends change implicitly. For example, Mario points out that most parents now do not play video games with their kids, but I can only imagine most of my friends will when they have kids. My brother, who isn't even a particularly avid gamer, plays wii and ps3 with his daughter all the time. (by the way, numerous media studies have shown that children are less likely to repeat undesirable observed behavior if a parent is there to answer any questions and frame context of what they're seeing.) So, with more and more people who grew up gaming reaching parenting age, honestly I think the lack of awareness, and the other problems you mentioned, will lessen significantly. just keep an eye on those kids out there today with their non-gamer parents...
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P.S. Heh, can you tell this is something I studied in college?
Comments
I think that the ESRB system is so specific, that it is basically a joke, so it's treated with little regard. As Mario points out, if the ratings were better respected like the MPAA ones, it would probably be a much more effective system, but to get that kind of effectiveness, they need to be more subjectively looked at. (the extreme example being the state that couldn't sell wario ware to minors because of the cop car that slips on a banana peel...) On the other hand, I know there are plenty of younger children who have games like Call of Duty 4, and I can tell you confidently that I wouldn't want my kids thinking that the way some people talk over their headsets is rational adult behavior but that's a seperate issue.
Also, I have a feeling that as our generation gets older, (one that has grown up with and plays more video games) you're going to see a lot of these trends change implicitly. For example, Mario points out that most parents now do not play video games with their kids, but I can only imagine most of my friends will when they have kids. My brother, who isn't even a particularly avid gamer, plays wii and ps3 with his daughter all the time. (by the way, numerous media studies have shown that children are less likely to repeat undesirable observed behavior if a parent is there to answer any questions and frame context of what they're seeing.) So, with more and more people who grew up gaming reaching parenting age, honestly I think the lack of awareness, and the other problems you mentioned, will lessen significantly. just keep an eye on those kids out there today with their non-gamer parents...
>.>
P.S. Heh, can you tell this is something I studied in college?