ESRB - does it work?

[Peench]

Because we have an age-gated community most of us do not face directly (for ourselves anyway) issues involving ESRB ratings. Many of us have children, however, and the ratings may or may not provide a guide to what games we pick up. If I have not played a game before, I will check the rating before I pop it in for my son to play. He knows that if it is rated above his level (except for perhaps E10 - he's just about 7 now), there's no chance he'll be able to play it. Thankfully he accepts that.

But what about other parents? Given that we have all played Halo3 (which I believe is a Mature title) and have all come across children clearly not old enough to have purchased the game, do the ESRB ratings help?

I read through this article from a former ESRB employee about how he thought the ESRB ratings should be "fixed." After his article is a reply by the ESRB president.

I'm torn. On one hand I think there might be better descriptions to a games' rating so I can make a better decision if the issues they thought brought it to a higher rating are an issue for me and my kids. On the other hand, I think that many parents simply are not aware of the ratings or they simply don't care - and we can't fault ESRB for that.

What do you think? Do the ESRB ratings work? That's the main question, but once you answer that I'd like to know if the problem is more awareness in the rest of the parent's out there. Do they simply not know or simply not care?

[dmiller68]

I don't believe it works because retailers only half heartily enforce it. I think if there was a major crackdown on retailers maybe things could change. It may require an eduction effort for parents as well or maybe parents just have to start caring.

[MadBryan]

Just yesterday at my local used game/dvd store I listened to a mom tell her 10 year old son he could have Grand Theft Vice City or Madden. Not both. I wanted to intervene but she was bigger than me

[lovekeiiy]

Peench brings up several issues surrounding the ERSB. As to whether it works for it's purpose, I think overall it does. Do I think it prevents those who shouldn't play a game not get a hold one, no. Do all parents use it, aware of it, or care, no.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who either don't have the time or skill to play a game, or even research it. What I think it does is give a parent an idea of the content in the game. I remember before the ESRB was around. Picture the joys there would be for parents and others with today's games.

I think it could be improved. Ratings are one thing. I think a larger pool of descriptives would be better. I think that would allow a parent to decide if a game fits what they feel if appropriate for his/her child. Ratings themselves can be misleading.

As flawed as the ESRB may be, it still gives a lot more information than what we get for movies or music.

[supafreak]

If a parent isn't going to pay attention to the rating of a game I don't know how we can fix that. To me this all comes down to the parents being responsible adults. These are probably some of the same parents who let their kids watch whatever they want on tv.

I have been at a few Gamestops before where the employees have told kids they must be a certain age to buy a game. I think the ratings system works for what it is supposed to do, provide a simple guideline. Perhaps some more descriptions would help make parents a little more aware.

[TheEman28]

I don't think the rating system is effective as people want it to be. It is made to be a guide but ultimately it is up to the parents/guardians to prevent the game being played by someone under the age requirements. When I buy my games I buy them for myself althought my son and daughter may end up playing them also.

I let my son (age 7) play a majority of the games that are out there but I usually play a little bit of the game prior to letting him play it. He plays the COD4, Halo, Rainbow Six type shooter games mostly that are in the "M" category. These games feature blood and some rough language but nothing I can't diffuse immediately since I am watching him play these type games. He is pretty good a not saying any bad words and even rips on ol' Dad when I even yell "stupid" or "idots" at the TV. He doesn't like playing Gears of War because I think it scares him a little too much. The games he is not allowed to play are the type of GTA's, Saint Row, Condemned and even some parts of God of War (sex scenes). These games have too much swearing, sex, and violence. He knows that he can't play them and understands he has to be older until he can.

Now some may say that I am a bad parent for letting my son play these games but I disagree. I don't let him play the real hardcore "M" games and I make sure to preview the games I think might not be appropriate for him. I think with anything with raising a child it is about being there and guiding them what's right and what's wrong.

[lovekeiiy]

Well, I know not everyone will agree with your decisions, but it's really your child to raise as YOU see fit. Personally, I'm not sure how I would feel about my child playing games like GRAW, Halo, and R6V2 because they're a bit violent. R6V2 is rather bloody with the new blood spray and blood stained walls. Than again, a lot of action movies are bloody than those games.

And to me, it makes it harder to teach right and wrong if children aren't expose, to some degree, the wrong stuff. The exposure hopefully can't diminish the unknown curiosity kids generally have, which can be an enticement in itself.

[Peench]

That's a good point botman and one I hadn't really considered too much. If our children are not exposed to some of the stuff so we can teach them that it is incorrect, how are they to learn? Are they to blindly accept our admonishments? Will that cause them to be more curious? I don't pretend to know all of the answers of course, but this is an interesting discussion.

[lovekeiiy]

The exposure thing is a fine line to walk. I assume kids will ask questions about anything and everything. And as much as we like to think we can control their exposure to everything and anything, we just can't. Would I expose the kids to GTA? Not a very young one. Would I expose them to lesser verions like the Simpson's Hit and Run, sure. Maybe one that is ten or so if I thought the kid could handle it.

Things like the ESRB and politics are not things that should be discussed in the same context. Politicians try to make the ESRB in their speeches surrogate parents.

To me, what I would hope the ESRB could do, and hopefully well, is be able to give a parent(s) a snap shot of the game and it's content, so that he/she could make an informed decision if it is suitable within the teachings of the child's standards and morals from the parent. And as mentioned or eluded to earlier, what one parent think is ok, is not necessarily the same for another.

[TheEman28]

I agree Botman & Peench with what you are saying. I do believe that living a completely sheltered life in the end can only hurt a persons development. It is all in how you are raised. My dad was a cop on the local police department for 31 years. I have always been surrounded by guns in the house during my childhood. My dad kept them put away but I knew where they were. I never had the desire to look at one, grab one or even shoot one. My dad explained to me what they were about and that satisfied my curiosity. To this day, I have never fired a real gun, yet I have all of my dad guns locked up ever since he passed away.

I played with fake guns (without the orange tips) as a child. I played with GI Joes and played Army with some of the kids on the block. I watched Tom and Jerry on TV (Episodes with Tom shooting Jerry with a revolver), which nowadays it not suitable for children but yet some of the crap that is on TV now is acceptable (Billy and Mandy and such).

Yes, I agree Botman that some of the games my son plays are not acceptable for his age. I do feel that he is smart enough to differentiate between right and wrong, with some adult help of course. It's funny to mention that just yesterday he had a friend from school over at the house and they played some XBOX but only age appropriate games (Bee Movie and I think some Lego Starwars. My wife and I agree that if someone else is in the house they play age appropriate games.

Anyways, I could keep on ranting. I think that I have grown up to be a fine adult, parent and member of society. At least that is what I think, LOL.

PS> Great Topic Peench!

[TheEman28]

Another sidenote (probably not for a videogame forum)...Currently in the time that we live in, it is even more important to talk and discuss things with your kids. Kids are becoming more aware of the world at a younger age. Violence on TV (Especially with the war on CNN), terrorism, the internet, drugs, steroids in baseball, Paris Hilton and etc. All of these topics are out there, alot different times now when we were younger.

Think of what these imaginary headlines could of been back in the day with today's spin on them:

Mr Rogers neighborhood got leveled and was replaced by a shopping mall.

Romper Room got cancelled because there were provocative pictures of Miss Sherri on the internet.

Jerry sues Tom for discrimination and abuse.

Fred Flintstone goes on strike because of unfair wages and poor working environment.

Maker of Lincoln Logs has product pulled from shelves because children were choking on splinters that also had too high a level of lead based paint in them.

Due to many mens civil rights groups protests, Mattel recalls Ken dolls for not being anatomically correct and portraying Ken as a jobless, surfing womanizer.


LOL....it could happen.

[Lord LouDog]

As a former manager of a certain game store we were to enforce the ESRB, lest we lose our jobs. Merely asking the parent/guardian if it was okay for little Billie to have God of War, was not enough in my opinion. I would turn the game over and show them what was what. Most of the time the parents would shrug and say the classic line "he/she has seen worse on television." The rest were grateful for the information. Most parents just need to be educated on the subjects, what they do with from there is whole other discussion.

When a parent asked me "What game is good for a 4-6 year old, " I would reply, "How about a coloring book, or tinker-toys?" Like anything, games should be regulated and used in moderation for children. I do not mean to slight anyone here at PGL, you all seem to be very capable and responsible human beings, however I do know for a fact there are parents out there who do need lessons in common sense( a discussion that Lord Geoff and I have had several times before, I have come to the conclusion the perhaps common sense is relative), so while I do not believe in censoring games I do believe it fair that they are regulated, considering that there is explicit material in video games now, the likes of which we never saw as children. The industry regulated itself and they do it well. Its how the ESRB is used by the retailer that matters as much as the ESRB itself. It's a lot like movies, some rated R movies are worse then others, it is up to the parents to decide. Unfortunately many parents can't make those decisions for themselves, not to mention their own children.

[Thornes70]

It totally works, but only if the parents actually use it.

Anyone who tries to blame the retailers for not "enforcing" the ESRB are looking for a scapegoat, imo: I have a 9-year old son, & I know everything he has in his room, and I have no problem going through his room to see if he's trying to hide something he knows he shouldn't have.

Focus, people - you are the parent, you are the boss.

[TheEman28]

I agree. Blaming the retailers for the problems is not the issue. I see more and more stores "carding" individuals to verify age. The stores are doing their part. There has to be additional factors to make the ESRB system fully effective.

[Lord LouDog]

Originally Posted by Lord LouDog

I do not mean to slight anyone here at PGL, you all seem to be very capable and responsible human beings, however I do know for a fact there are parents out there who do need lessons in common sense( a discussion that Lord Geoff and I have had several times before, I have come to the conclusion the perhaps common sense is relative), so while I do not believe in censoring games I do believe it fair that they are regulated, considering that there is explicit material in video games now, the likes of which we never saw as children.

I would also like to apologize for my horrendous run-on sentence, Sister Patricia Marie, my grammar teacher, would be very displeased.

[Thornes70]

You'd want it regulated? Like how? Because it seems to me this isn't a government overwatch issue, but a common-sense issue, like you said.