While the overwhelming majority of Activision's marketing force is being put to use selling
Modern Warfare 2, one component of the company is hard at work
not selling it -- to kids. Activision is working with Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director for the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital (and co-author of
Grand Theft Childhood), on a campaign to help parents understand
ESRB ratings, called "
Ratings are not a Game." The first video deals with the obvious topic of "How Can I Tell If A Game Is Appropriate For My Child And How Do I Set Play Limits."
In the second video, Olson discusses the skills and information learned from games, even those of the non-educational variety. Even if the video
is sponsored content produced by Activision (and therefore isn't exactly unbiased), it's still novel to hear a reasonably positive message about games' effects on kids.
{ Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:50PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dan @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:01PM
I wish AO games were allowed. Educate the console makers that adults play games also.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:04PM
AO ratings are not based on marketing decisions.
Many adult gamers are playing Ratchet & Clank as we speak.
AO has to do with the content in the game. Anyone who enjoys seeing a lot of gore and sex (sometimes rape) does not necessarily mean they are an 'adult'.
It means they're an addict of torture porn.
antilight @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:06PM
I second that. After all, there's NC-17 and XXX movies, why not games? I don't necessarily mean hardcore sex games, but violence. After all, Robocop was originally so violent, it was rated X (old school equivalent of NC17).
I'd like to see something like that for games, or even "unrated" editions direct from developers. Most of them don't make them because stores like Gamestop or Walmart won't carry them. If they made them available through their own online stores (for either hard or softcopy versions), I'm sure they'd sell.
Stevetrop @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:27PM
The thing is how more violent do games have to be when is it to much. I mean would a game AO just for the fact it has excessive violence make it any different than it being rated M. Just because your able to play AO game does it really make you an adult.
CzAr @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:06PM
Good for you Activision, you're still shit.
Bobby Kotick 2: Echoes @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:01PM
Damn. I was really trying to impress you in peticular, but I have failed.
On an unrelated note, let's watch an overused running gag in the disguise of a commercial for what is guarenteed to be one of Activision's biggest flops of all time. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDzxxj32fGk
Nathan-DTS [He is your father] @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:06PM
We're still not talking to you. humph!
Oobgarm @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:20PM
The logo looks like a Tony Hawk holdover.
Dan @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:21PM
Unrated movies are A OK unrated games NOOO IT BURNS!!!! Keep it away for our family friendly stores. *Sighs*
Stevetrop @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:23PM
This is what we should see more of. There has to be a responsibility as a parent to look at the rating systems and see what games your child should play and shouldn't play. We could have a lot more learning, understanding, and common sense instead of law suits and blaming on video games themselves.
pseth @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:25PM
I love that in the video on what kids can learn from video games features a very young child (most likely pre-teen) playing what looks like Call of Duty 4 which is rated by the ESRB for teens and above. Kind of contradictory to the overall purpose of the project.
Katana Master @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:26PM
I hate that in the UK games like Halo are rated 15's but games like Left 4 Dead are 18's BUT in the USA both of those are rated M...
-_-
Oh and does anyone know if MW2 is an 18 rated or 16/15?
wormania @ Nov 3rd 2009 2:12PM
I'm not quite sure what you're hating.
ESRB M is 17, UK ratings are 15 and 18. Some of those 17s will fall lower (15) and some will fall higher (18).
Marco le Polo @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:28PM
Actiblivvard, watch yourself.
Dan @ Nov 3rd 2009 2:04PM
MW2 is rated 18 by the BBFC don't know about PEGI yet.
2nd Lieutenant Gunther (PSN: helghast102) @ Nov 3rd 2009 2:11PM
Activision doing something GOOD? Holy shit, is it raining ice cream in hell or something?
AerialAngel @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:20PM
Ok really they need to shut up about this ESRB crap.
Fine... I dont want to see little kids that are 8 or 9 years old playing M rated games. But come on. These ratings suck. I played so many T rated games (Like gex) when i was a child. And i saw nothing wrong with it. Who is really going to wait until there 13 to play a game like ratchet and clank.
I always hated the ESRB ratings. Because there pathetic. Im 17. So if i were 16. I wouldnt be fit to play M rated games like cod4?
The only thing parents should watch for is M rated games if there kid is 10 or 9. but if there kid is 14 or 15 then for christ sakes let the boy/girl play there damn god of war or cod !!!!!
ESRBs are babying kids.
AerialAngel @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:31PM
How fucking hard is it for parents or anyone to understand ??
"on a campaign to help parents understand ESRB ratings"
EC - EARLY CHILDHOOD
E - EVERYONE
E+10 - EVERYONE 10 and older
T - TEEN
M - Mature
AO - Adults Only
Is that really fucking hard for people to understand ? ITs on the box. Its says it on the flipping box. We need to go as much as wasting money for a stupid program to teach parents how to read a flippin letter ?!?
Killerrin @ Nov 3rd 2009 7:19PM
the sad part is the im 15 and the teachers at my school are endorsing the CoD series (especially the history teachers)
... And thats when you know the ratings are screwed up