Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

[TheGrandMom]

This is a continuation of a discussion that was derailing another topic. The topic that was derailed can be found here:

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/news-ffxi/69828-happy-20th-birthday-final-fantasy.html

Basically the topic was about game ratings and how effective they are at alerting parents about the game's content. Also, how much should a parent count on these ratings when buying for their children.

Talk amongst yourselves!

[Feba]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Ratings? Horrible.

Content notices on the BACK? Pretty good. Put those on the front and lose the blanket age/appropriateness rating. Make them slimmer and more attractive of course, so they won't ruin boxart.

Best option for the ESRB; from what I've heard, games are rated based on a video of the worst content in the game. Just put those videos on the ESRB site and allow parents to watch them before they buy a game.


Ratings, again, shouldn't at all. Ratings can be widely varied... as can kids.

Some kids (myself) get the difference between reality and fiction early on and have no problem killing thousands of people in games and still knowing that it's not ok to hit a girl. Others don't get that line until much, much later, if at all.

I've played Halo with 12 year olds and had fun; I've played Halo with 30 year olds and been scared of them for a significant amount of the time I was playing.

The best way is to see what you can find out about the game's content, and then decide how mature your kid is. Personally, I have never (as far as I can remember) been denied a game (or book, movie, TV show, etc.) due to it's content. My mother raised concerns over some things, but never tried to make things taboo.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

In response to a question posed to me about nudity in the derailed thread noted above:

Out of curiosity, where would you put two topless women lounging around on a bed beckoning for the main character to come join them?

AO rating. Imo, that is considered Sexual Nudity.

TGM reminds me of another option, ask someone lurking around the games section for help. I've helped people pick out games for their kids at least three times. Oddly enough, all at best buy. And my clothing looks nothing like their uniforms.

LOL ya I don't look too much like a BB employee either being a granny! I was there this weekend and a woman was trying to understand why she couldn't buy Guitar Hero II for PS2 and have her kids play it on the PS3. So I had to jump in because the sales associate was sucking monkey balls trying to explain. Afterwards she asked me if I could help her in the stereo department too and I had to explain I wasn't an employee. LOL

Vice City disagrees.

And thats why I disagree with Vice City. It's a good thing I'm not on the ESRB board. LOL

Personally, I have never (as far as I can remember) been denied a game (or book, movie, TV show, etc.) due to it's content. My mother raised concerns over some things, but never tried to make things taboo.

I don't remember everything I apposed with my kids but I do know I only veto'd one video game, Mortal Kombat. BUT I also treated my son with the respect he deserved and sat down and discussed with him why I did so. He was allowed to have his say and impressed me with his views but I still stuck to my guns. I have to say that it wasn't entirely for my son's benefit that I veto'd it. My son had a lot of friends that would come over. Our house was game central so what kid wouldn't want to!? But I knew that some parents were concerned about this particular game and if I admitted to having it in the house they wouldn't allow their kids to come over. So veto'ing it was influenced by this. The funny thing is, my son ended up playing the game at one of the houses that was dead set against the game. Taught me to worry about my own and not worry so much about what others would think.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

AO rating. Imo, that is considered Sexual Nudity.

It's good to know that if I'm going to be considered a prude, I won't necessarily be the only one around here.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

It's good to know that if I'm going to be considered a prude, I won't necessarily be the only one around here.

LOL Lyon

I would never consider anyone a prude because we are all individuals and have different ways of looking at things. One thing I know is I'm not is a prude. My answer is based on children and what I think they should or should not be viewing in a game. Your example in a game should be for Adults Only. Nudity doesn't bother me one bit. I grew up in the 70's and there's a painted picture of a naked lady floating around out there somewhere. LOL (Shhhhhhh don't spread that around!! hahahahahahahaha)

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Not very.

Otherwise, Halo 3 and pretty much all the million+ sellers in the US in the last few years would've sold far less.

The ESRB's in a tough place. They can't really piss off the industry, as most every successful game out these days is gratuitously violent or otherwise "adult."

[Telera]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Well, I think in reality the front rating label is nigh on useless. It's the broken down content label that's more helpful for a parent, which should be on the front, but like Feba said, made more attractive looking.

I've also been asked by parents about games for their kids. In Gamestop and in Wal-Mart, and no, I wasn't wearing anything like a uniform, nor do I work at either one. :p I've also just given advice and jumped in on convos b/w parents and clerks when the clerks didn't quite seem to know how to help them.

In the end, it comes down again, like Feba said, to the maturity of your child, which is something only each parent can gauge. My mother never denied me any game or book or movie. *shrugs* I've always been creative and imaginative, but at the same time, I am quite aware of where the line is between reality and fantasy.

I've run into 9 year olds with more manners and maturity than 50+ people who supposedly grew up in a generation that 'knew better'. Example: Two 50 year old bitches cut in front of me in line when I'd been there 5 mintues. Didn't even look at me or apologize.

Meanwhile, an hour later, I'm in line (somewhere else) and a little boy comes up to me and says 'Ma'am, are you in line?' (yes, he said ma'am). I laughed and told him I was, and he stood quietly behind me.

I find that shocking and was quite impressed with the boy. Age =/= maturity.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

I have to say that most of my anger over the ratings discussion falls squarely on the parents shoulders. In our society everything is busy busy busy and go go go. In all this furor, we've lost what is important. We need to slow down and eliminate some of this craziness in our lives. If we would do this then we could take some time to interact with our children and listen to what they say. We could take the time to research what they are into and take an interest in it so that we can open avenues of conversations.

I also think too many parents take the "because I'm your parent and I said so" avenue instead of taking the time to talk to their children and find out why they want a particular M rated game. They could be asking if they know the difference between graphic violence and real violence and why they are concerned about this game. Gaming can open up so many conversations and opportunities for parents to teach their children their values. It's a big step for parents sometimes to treat their children with respect and give their children an opportunity to share their knowledge with their parents.

[Sabaron]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

I say... if you think you're sheltering your children from adult themes and violence, you're wrong. You'll just end up being one of those "uncool" parents. Your children will be forever asking "Can I go over to Billy's house?" and you'll always be wondering "Why can't Billy just come over here?"

The answer?

The only video game in your house is Cuddlemunchkins Learns the Alphabet and Billy's cool dad got him Blood Corpse VI: The Bloodening.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Well I think you still need to be careful what you let your children play but give them the benefit of the doubt that they have a brain and know that what they see in a game isn't acceptable in real life. But in order for them to know that they need to take the time to actually talk to their children and get to know them. I know...*GASP*....unique concept for many parents.

You do have to consider age and whats appropriate also. I recently decided to watch a R movie while my grandsons where over. (I just am not used to have little ones around all the time!!) So I put in the scary movie and my grandson came up into my lap. He often does so I really didn't think anything of it but when I felt him tensing up, grasping my arm tightly, and I looked at his face and his eyes were like saucers....I realized I'd made a big mistake and turned it off. I took the time to talk to him though (as best as you can to a 4 yr old) and then we played a rousing game of horsey! lol There really is a right time and a wrong time for gaming also and parents need to monitor that.

[Sabaron]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Well I think you still need to be careful what you let your children play but give them the benefit of the doubt that they have a brain and know that what they see in a game isn't acceptable in real life. But in order for them to know that they need to take the time to actually talk to their children and get to know them. I know...*GASP*....unique concept for many parents.

You do have to consider age and whats appropriate also. I recently decided to watch a R movie while my grandsons where over. (I just am not used to have little ones around all the time!!) So I put in the scary movie and my grandson came up into my lap. He often does so I really didn't think anything of it but when I felt him tensing up, grasping my arm tightly, and I looked at his face and his eyes were like saucers....I realized I'd made a big mistake and turned it off. I took the time to talk to him though (as best as you can to a 4 yr old) and then we played a rousing game of horsey! lol There really is a right time and a wrong time for gaming also and parents need to monitor that.

Well, when you're talking about little kids, that's a whole different story. Once they get to be around 8-10 it's probably time to turn them loose on some more grown-up stuff. I wouldn't show a lot of things to very young children. Most little ones don't play video games--their hands don't fit the controllers very well. My niece and nephews have some video games--edutainment things that they really get into and get very frustrated by. Most of the time they spend trying to figure out the mouse.

I was referring to more "independent" children--the kind that are allowed to venture outside by themselves generally and who have already been exposed to the rougher side of life through their experiences in school.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

I wouldn't consider an M rated game for a child until they were 12+ and then it would depend on their maturity. I know that violent games can have a negative affect on children because I've experienced it. But in the end it is not the child's fault at all but the parents. Video games are not babysitters and many parents just give in and let kids have what they want just to shut them up. Then they wonder why little Billy is punching his sister Susie after playing 4 hours of a violent game. Know your child, talk to them about games and violence, talk to them about real life violence and what you feel is not acceptable, do your reseach on the games they ask for (which means more than looking at a damn rating), and then make your decision of the child is mature enough for the game. Oh....but wait....that all takes time.....I just don't have time for all of that!

/em gets out a flamethrower and hunts down some idiot parents.

LOL

[DakAttack]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

I'm tired of partial nudity no longer meaning straight tits.

[Sabaron]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

I'm tired of partial nudity no longer meaning straight tits.

As I recall, "Partial Nudity" on Skinemax (way back when) always meant that some dude's buttocks would be exposed on the screen and breasts would be considered just "Nudity", and I think that's how the standard works... Rear = Partial, Front = no adjective.

Add:
According to ratings on the MPAA website, the phrase "Partial Nudity" appears in many films which are rated PG-13. Therefore, I'm sure the phrase refers to shots of someone's backside not the front. I'm not sure how they work it but I'm sure that if there's even "part" of a nipple, it becomes "R".

[Feba]

Re: Video Game Ratings...How useful are they?

Kinda wonder why nudity is considered a big deal anyway, though.


I mean how the hell do these people's kids get dressed or take showers?