The chilling effect of the AO rating

The AO rating for games is just another reason for anti-video game violence advocates to blame video games for crimes committed or have yet to be committed.

I have no problems buying an AO rated game for myself.

What the AO rating does to the game industry is exactly what the NC-17 rating does to Hollywood. Film directors and producers have to cut back on some of the violence just so their movies barely pass as rated R. I'm 20 and I probably don't totally understand this, but does raising a kid really make it hard to keep track of the stuff they watch and play?

I really have no problem with a game getting an AO rating - I tend to stay away from those to start with and if a store/console will not allow it, then the maker has to deal. That's the way the free market works. It's not like there's government oversight on the AO rating (that I'm aware of). Personally, I'd like to see less of these types of games in general. I can do without ManHunt, all of the GTA series, and most FPS games (not rated AO, but still don't particularly want them).

Key point here - can others buy them? Sure. I am not for stopping them from buying them. However, if console makers don't want AO games on their systems, that's their call - talk to the console makers. If they perceive that the money they will make is worth it, they'll probably change unless they have other reasons why they don't want those types of games on their consoles.

As for keeping track of what kids play - it's not hard, it's more that most parents don't really pay attention. Johnny says that ManHunt or GTA is what he wants and parents just don't look at the rating. Either that or he just walks into a store and buys it because the clerks don't really care if a 10 year old buys an AO or M rated game - it's all about the sales. So Johnny buys a game that is rated too high, or gets someone to buy it for him, and then plays it on the console in his room (another potential parental oversight issue) or when his parents aren't around. They have no clue that he's playing something they might otherwise deem inappropriate.

As for the link between video games and violence - I'd say there is some link, but more in the realm of a de-sensitization. Kind of like how we're more upset (as a society) by seeing a kitten or puppy being hit by a car than seeing a real person hurt or suffering. We see news stories all of the time dealing with shootings, suffering, etc and just take it as part of the ordinary far too often. I'd say that some of the more violent video games could have some of that de-sensitization effect. Not to the point that people playing it will go out and become killers, thieves, or hitmen, but I think it does have some effect. Interesting story about video games affecting behavior - the flight sim where pilots would chase down kangaroos because they could and that would lead them to sometimes do this in real life. All of this until some programmers had the kangaroos hop behind a hill and come back with missile launchers. Afterwards - the pilots left the kangaroos alone in the sim and in real life. :) )

Anyway, my $.015 for what it's worth. Once again - I'm not saying in any way that people should not be able to buy these games. I do think that console makers have the right to say yes or no to what they put on their system. If that affects what people can buy, it's not censorship in the strictest sense of the word as the game is available somewhere, just not for your particular console.

(Heck, I'd love to play the Final Fantasy series on my PC but cannot play any that way except for 7 and 8 - not censorship as I can fix that by buying a PS2. Same argument holds here - you can always beef up your PC to play whatever AO game may not be available on your console. Wal-mart may not carry it, but someone will.)

-Pete

Perhaps this is simply because Bioshock is fresh in my mind but it certainly is very violent and bloody and downright scary. I agree with the mature rating on Bioshock but I think it's simply a matter of context that pushed Manhunt 2 over the edge. Visually I bet MH2 is about the same or maybe less gorey but because the context is that you're encouraged to kill for killing sake (essentially) that it got pushed into the AO category. The killing and maiming in Bioshock is pretty brutal but is it because you're not the one being encouraged to maim that it squeaked by with a Mature rating?

This reminds me of the law that wanted Parental Controls (V-chip natch) on video game consoles. Except it's already done. Looking back over my collection I don't have like a single M rated game. I don't quite know what to think of it. I really like House of the Dead and want RE4 Wii but I don't have any M rated game so it doesn't affect me yet.

Oh I remember now. I do have one M rated game. GTA Advanced for GBA. It totally sucks and is not worth mentioning anyway though. Got it as a bundle with a DS on eBay.

God Of War 2..... post Hot Coffee... you still had a 3 way mini-game, just like god of war, pre-Hot Coffee... And was still just as brutal and violent as the first.

Has anything Really changed? No... just it provides game journalists a way to grab more site hits. So they ask the questions they know will get answers, since it's ALWAYS been like that. And Take 2 can bitch about it because someone stopped them from getting away with their genearal irresponsibility and ego.

I believe LSL: Love for Sail had more than 'one brief scene of nudity' I believe there was easter eggs that let you see all of the girls naked. Not FFN, but at least the breasts. Correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a while since the game originally came out (the last time I played it).

I hate all the idiots who claim that any mature-rated game on the Wii is going to be immediately available to underage children.

It's got PARENTAL CONTROLS. It even points them out after every system update. Any child playing a game they're not supposed to obviously has lax or indifferent parents.

The only thing whining about "mature" games manages to accomplish is to force companies into raising children instead of their neglecting parents.