Parents 'ignore game age ratings'

Jim Hall writes "With all the fervor recently over the 'Hot Coffee' mod and the upcoming 'Bully' game, I found it interesting that no press time seems to have been given to this little gem from the BBC: Parents 'ignore game age ratings'. I think most of us agree that the games are already rated appropriate to their audience - GTA:SA was previously rated "M" (17 and up) in the US, before public outcry forced the ESRB to move it to "AO" (18 and up). However, as this article points out, parents are more concerned about children spending too many hours playing games, rather than about what type of title they were playing."

Re:Flat Out

[xero9]

I had no idea what the object of this game was when I first played it. The guy kept flying out of the windows and I'm like "what the hell am I doing wrong?!"

Re:There IS such a law

[slappyjack]

It just doesn't apply to "M" games, only "AO".

and if you put Mature and Adult only games together, you see what you get?

MAO!

I for one, welcome our Chineese Videogame Oppressors.

Yes, Virginia, There IS such a thing as "too much coffee."

They Just Need to Retool The Ratings System

[danielDamage]

You know, the problem is that ratings like AO and M just aren't strong enough. Parents see it and it just doesn't look that threatening. They need to have large icons that show the detrimental effect that the game is likely to have on children. Like: TRENCH! (displays picture of a kid in a black trenchcoat with a shotgun in each hand) This game will cause your child to blow holes you could drive a truck through in their classmates! ANAL! (displays picture of child dragging another child by cute pigtails) This game will cause your child to anally rape their younger sister on a daily basis! SENATOR! (displays picture of legislation) This game will cause your child to run for office in the legislative branch! See, warnings like that will really speak to the actual fears parents have about video games, and then they'll pay more attention.

Re:Confusing the issue

[lupinstel]

We need to ban hot coffee in all its forms. Notice how hot coffee always seems to lead to the crotch in some way. Whether spilled it into the crotch or being a reference to sex, no good can come of it.

Re:Welcome to the state of things...

[Prospero's Grue]

WTF is 'brief language'???

Using small words to communicate small ideas. You'll notice how often this category is used in action films.

Conversely, explicit language warns you of long, philosophical diatribes that you'll have to work to keep up with. The moviegoing public tends to be intolerant of these - which is why such movies tend to be restricted.

Small nitpick

[Otter]

Despite what CmdrTaco and the submitter seem to think, the United Kingdom (and its BBC news outlet) are not part of the United States. If I recall correctly, they seceded from the US in 1776 after dumping all their tea into the Thames.

HTH

Re:Paying attention to the wrong thing

[Foobar of Borg]

So when society goes to hell because the children of today, just remember it's your fault for doing a shitty job of raising them and have no one else to blame but yourselves.

Hmmm.... Perhaps now is the time for me to invest in a diverse portfolio of handbasket companies. I have a feeling lots of people will be needing them soon...

Re:well clearly

[Gruneun]

well clearly

This is uncontravertable proof that partents know how to parent than senetors.


No, nothing was clear there.

Re:Some parents ignore their kids

[Analog Squirrel]

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
That's where all the bad colts come from....

Horses get pregnant from drinking water?

Re:I think it's about time

[welloy]

That would require some parents to say "No" to their children. Completely unacceptable.

Re:Ratings Aren't the Only Thing Parents Ignore

[Anonymous Coward]

I played the arcade version of Galaga just yesterday, in fact (a coin operated one, not the MAME version I have on my computer).

I think it's disgusting that some greedy bastard put that aweful game out in public where anyone can play it without asking their parents, just by putting a coin in.

I mean, Galaga! That's one of the worst. There's never any point in the game where you talk to the aliens to see if a conflict can be avoided. And then the challenging stages!! These aliens don't even shoot at you, and you kill them for sport, not even in self-defense. It even glorifies killing all of them and leaving no witnesses/survivors by giving bonus points. I sure hope you don't let your kids near that trash.

Re:Their lives are too stressful to pay attention!

[Afecks]

Politicians take this line because it's a tried-and-true battle cry. Both "for the children" and "for the greater good" have worked for thousands of years; just ask Socrates.

We can't. He's been dead for 2,404 years.

I think that game's great

[Lifewish]

I'd wager that every hormone-fuelled teenager ever to own a car has, at some point or another, felt a strong urge to break the speed limit, smash into that car that is refusing to let him/her overtake or otherwise drive in a horrendously dangerous fashion. When my friends and I get those urges, we fire up Flat Out and take our frustrations out on innocent computer-generated imitation cars. Works wonders - it defuses the tension completely. As an added bonus, the messy pileups help bring home the message that we shouldn't try this in a real car.

In the same way, Quake II is still helping me resist the urge to strangle my kid sister, with the added bonus that I'm less likely to deliberately start an interstellar war.

Re:Flat Out

[Kenshin]

Happened twice with one employee and two pickup trucks at the rail yard where my brother works.

My brother still laughs about it.

Re:Their lives are too stressful to pay attention!

[roman_mir]

productive member of Slashdot - I think this is going to be my new favorite oxymoron.

Re:Their lives are too stressful to pay attention!

[Anonymous Coward]

Or what about a game where you can be a mass murderer, but have to go to confessions afterwards?

Re:Their lives are too stressful to pay attention!

[TooncesTheCat]

First of all, they need a distinction between violence and illegal activity. Fighting to defend the Earth is different from murdering innocent bystanders.

Why does everyone think aliens coming to Earth have hostile intent. In every save the Earth game that has ever came out, HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO THINK OF THE FEELINGS OF THE INTELLIGENT LIFE THAT TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY DAY TO COME AND VISIT US AND WASTE ALL OF THAT SPACE TRAVEL ONLY TO GET A SPRAY OF HOT LEAD IN THE FACE.

Someone please think of the aliens!

PS. What makes killing aliens different from humans? Your still killing a living thing. Last time I checked it was taboo to torture animals or humans, ARE ALIENS THE EXCEPTION YOU COMMIE BASTARD ;o

Re:Their lives are too stressful to pay attention!

[19thNervousBreakdown]

She took them because she wanted you to get laid someday. Thank her some time.

Re:As a parent

[nEoN nOoDlE]

Raise your kids, not mine, has always been my motto.

But I like your kids better. Mine are bastards.