Dmian
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Posted - 2009.01.18 13:18:00 -
[1]
As a father and Eve player, I fully support PEGI and ESRB rating, though my son is only 4 at the moment. But those ratings are great guides to the content you are purchasing. Then you, as a father, decide what you allow your children to see or not. |
Dmian
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Gallenterrorisme
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Posted - 2009.01.19 22:34:00 -
[2]
 Originally by: Qordel
Agreed. It's reasonable to want something that gives you a rough idea of what content is in something since you may want to buy something for a child and you don't want to have to sit down and play through it or watch the entire movie or listen to the entire CD. As long as it remains a GUIDELINE.
Unfortunately, in practice, it actually limits everyone. As i explained in my reply to Wrangler, these voluntary ratings for parents end up being implemented in an "you can not buy this because of your age" rule in the store. Even though there isn't any law requiring it.
And that would be okay, too, except that to be put on retail shelves, retailers demand that you adhere to these voluntary labels. And once you are labeled, you suddenly have to fit into a neat little category. It means that except for a few exceptions, content is dumbed down so that it meets the approval for play by, say, a twelve or thirteen year old. Because of marketing. Because of retail space. And it means that AO content flat out will never exist.
So in a roundabout way, to "protect" your four year old kid, the content a 30 year old man plays has to be fitting for a thirteen year old kid. People don't just create compelling content and let it be what it is naturally. They have to be aware of every bit of content they're creating and think "is this acceptable in most people's minds for a thirteen year old?".
Sometimes, as an adult, you just want to be able to have content that is aimed at you. You don't want to have everything covered in rounded soft corners just to avoid having some busy body freak out because she ignored the content and let her ten year old play a game filled with brutal decapitations or drugs or sexual references or "intense moments".
I truly understand what you mean. But as a father and consumer, I do not dictate what's on the store or how a game is produced, neither do the people who create the ratings. They still have my full support because their guidance helps me as a consumer and a father.
The problem you mention is another: why do game publishers and retail stores only want to sell games to 13 yo's?
Probably because that's the more game demanding demographic. And they want those 13 year olds' money, and that's A LOT of money. And also because you can sell those game to adults too, and they won't complaint much (probably because some of them are like 13 YOs, but that's a different problem.) But you can't do the opposite, you can't sell adult games to teenagers.
It looks as if, for the game industry, adult gaming was a niche market with low-profits.
But we, parents, and the ratings people have nothing to do with that.
Also, game studios have to deal with share-holders. They are constantly pushing to get more and more customes or players and earn more money. One of the strategies is broaden your player base by reaching a younger audience (if possible.) Again, parents and ratings people have nothing to do with that.
So, there's no evil in the ratings, the problem basically is that by dumbing down games both publishers and retail stores sell more games. And there's not much that anyone can do about that...
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