FCC considering universal game ratings, ESA unimpressed

This is exactly what I was going to say. I wish I could upvote you more.

Once again big bro looks to make a move to save us from ourselves.....whew!!!
thank gawd. Now we only need more taxes to fund this and red tape to speed things up.

Mathew Perry is that you?

I thought "M" meant "Mommy approved"?

I don't think there is any way to keep dumb parents from being dumb. I went to my mother inlaws house and her 8yr old was playing GTA:SanAndreas. Now, I havnt exsacly played this GTA game, but I can assume it's close to the other ones(you think with all the news coverage GTA gets all the time everyone would know), once I told her what was in the game she was all conserned about him playing it...

Honestly, the ESRB does not need to be replaced completely, but it could be reworked somewhat, particularly in how it determines if a game is worthy about the infamous M rating (you say 'infamous? psht!' and I say 'That's my point.')

Halo 3 was rated M, and I'm not sure why as I don't have the box in front of me. Realistically, this should have been a T. There's no red 'human' blood that I can remember. All of the blood comes from aliens (the FCC has acknowledged the difference in the past), and multiplayer is between fully suited individuals who don't bleed hardly at all. It's more like laser tag than anything.

Left 4 Dead is also rated M. This is getting closer, as it is quite gory, but lacks all of the ethical conflicts and intent of killing (all enemy's are zombies, and certainly look and sound the part, lacking all humanity). Further more, the violence in the game is all dictated by gameplay, not depravity. None of the characters carry out particularly flashy moves to dispatch their victims in a gory manner. I would argue that this game is perfectly suitable for anyone over 15.

GTA-like games are obviously mature. It is human on human violence throughout the entire game, and provides gamers with the freedom to engage in very depraved situations. I love playing GTA, and I'll be honest, I played GTA3 when I was probably 13 or 14 and was fine with it, but it's not for most young impressionable gamers.

In closing, reviewers should be somewhat more thoughtful about their ratings, and perhaps they should implement a new T15+ rating to distinguish some games. If every game is rated M, that just misleads consumers about the games which SHOULD be rated M. GTA does not equate Halo, and rating them as such just misinforms parents looking for games suited for their children or even adults looking for a particular experience.

And sorry for the wall-o-text, I'd blog it, but I don't have a blog. O.o

"I don't think there is any way to keep dumb parents from being dumb. I went to my mother inlaws house and her 8yr old was playing GTA:SanAndreas."

A boy I was tutoring a few weeks ago, who was going into the fourth grade, was a very ridiculous case of this. Not only has he played a lot of GTA4 and the GTAs on the PSP, but he was also quoting Family Guy. I'm sorry, but NONE of that is appropriate for a child that age. It's all his parents' doing. I really don't know why the politicians don't understand this. My own parents rightly kept me and my brother from M-rated content and R-rated content (and almost kept us from T-rated RPGs until we explained why they got that rating) until we were the appropriate age to begin viewing such things. Why is it so hard for politicians to understand that the ratings as they are DO work so long as parents choose to actually acknowledge them and act accordingly?

You red commie bastard!!

I know you love SWAT Cats but I don't think many kids watch it anymore.

Mr. Khan has articulated his point much in the same way I would have. I have no problem with a universal rating so long as the critera for it makes sense for whatever media is being rated.

The problem here is that do you really want the FCC in charge of this? Having the FCC determine a universal ratings system would put the government in the position of determining the ratings of private goods exchanged between private parties. This is the same organization that deems Jerry Springer to be acceptable daytime television, but flips its freaking lid when a half second of boob gets flashed during the Superbowl.

Also check the source articles to see what isn't talked about here: government mandated censoring technologies across a wide range of platforms.

"The Senate, in language accompanying the 2007 law that mandated the FCC report, said it wanted the agency to gather information about the availability of “alternative blocking technologies.” Because television content is available over the Internet and over mobile devices, the legislation also required the FCC to consider blocking technologies “that may be appropriate across a wide variety of content distribution platforms,” the Senate report said."

While I don't necessarily disagree with universal rating symbols, I certainly object to the FCC organizing it, or using it as a wedge to get censoring technologies onto my phone, my gaming console or my computer.

Sorry about the rant Khan, I realize you weren't necessarily saying the government should be in charge, but you were the first person to speak positively about the subject and so got the brunt of my ire.

Let me add some ire to the fire. A universal rating system would likely lead to laws mandating who can and can't buy M rated games. As has been argued here again and again, that type of law would make M rated games the equivalent of cigarettes, tobacco, and porn in the eyes of the public. Self censorship wouldn't be far behind, and could even be immediate if a place like Wal-Mart were to suddenly ban the sale of all M rated games (like they've already done to AO games, thus making them non-existent) in much the same way that they got rid of the "profane" versions of CD's so many years ago (do they have them again? I haven't been in a wal-mart in years)

The current ESRB ratings are fine. They are far bigger and more descriptive than the ratings on CD's or Movies, yet time and time again we hear the same old refrain from parents groups that the warnings are "too vague" (M = 17+, T= 13-16, E = Friggin everyone). Remember that attempt to mandate parental controls in game consoles that happened last year? These loons don't even realize that the consoles already have parental controls, and their ignorance constantly costs us tax payer money when legal fights wind their way through the courts over unconstitutional video game laws that have been passed.

At the end of the day, it is up to parents to keep their kids safe. Any parent that is incapable probably shouldn't be buying their kid a console.

Arggh i wish you guys hadnt posted such truth cause now im raging hard!!

Like Benny Hill's Funeral?

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/325639/benny_hills_funeral/

Ohnos...

http://www.clipstr.com/videos/BennyHillsFuneralRobotChicken/

The final rating would be AO= NC-17

Retarded parents that are too busy trying to impress their boss and don't even have time for their kids, which is just sad...

And then there are the stupid soccer moms, who go OVERBOARD with the whole rating thing, which is really annoying to see. *Sigh*

Mmm, the idiot proofing of America. Because you don't get to say what goes on in America, we leave that up to the lowest common denominator.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/fun_toy_banned_because_of_three

It's ridiculous. I worked at in the electronics department of Target for 2 years, and some parents are just ridiculous. I rang up a mother who bought her kids Assassin's Creed, not because they wanted it, but because it was on sale. I usually warned parents about what was in the game, but it always came down to whether or not there was sexual content in the game. Outrageous amounts of violence? That's fine.

To be fair, AC's violence isn't quite that outrageous. Some shit is kinda brutal, but it's not like you see a close up or anything. You just see the blade go in and a little spurt of blood.

Plus you can turn off the blood in the game.

If we abandon the ESRB, then people should prepare for chaos.