Video games and violence -- a hot topic in any month of the year. Since the "hot coffee mod", we guess we should add sex to the list, too. Violent sex language drugs, er, violence, sex, foul language, and drug usage have begun to plague the world of gaming just like it does in movies. So, many studies have been conducted to see how the ESRB is being used -- initially, these studies proved that parents have no idea what the ratings are for the most part and very few use them to restrict their kids' playing.In fact, a bill is in circulation in the U.S. Senate to try to get a different rating system by an independant company with no stakes in the industry. But the latest studies show that nearly all parents are taking heed of the ratings. Here's a few examples:
- 90% of parents are aware of the ESRB system, 85% use the system when they're out buying games for their kids.
- 60% of parents surveyed said they never allow their kids to play M-rated games, 34% say they sometimes do. The other 6% probably said "yeah, of course!"
- 90% of parents rated the ESRB very/somewhat important for when they buy games. Really, 55% said "very" and 35% said "somewhat".
So, we've got to ask, for the parents out there in our readership, what's your take on the ESRB? Do you use it, or do you not really care so long as you're with the kid, making sure they understand it's just a game, or could you not care less? How about those not-parents in our readership? Do you think the ESRB is important, has it prevented you from getting any games? Let us know.
