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Post by Baixo Astral on Nov 2, 2010 17:21:41 GMT -5
I don't understand... it's bad to stop minors buying games that aren't suitable for their age? What's the problem? Will this cause awful problems for the industry? I think I'm misunderstanding something.
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biafra
El Dandy
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Post by biafra on Nov 2, 2010 17:22:38 GMT -5
All I have to say is f*** censorship.
My two kids do not play GTA. And will not until I deem it appropriate.
Why? Because I'm not a lazy bastard who needs the government to do his job for him.
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biafra
El Dandy
Biafra Who?
Posts: 7,617
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Post by biafra on Nov 2, 2010 17:24:17 GMT -5
I don't understand... it's bad to stop minors buying games that aren't suitable for their age? What's the problem? Will this cause awful problems for the industry? I think I'm misunderstanding something. The problem is what is always is for me. Who determines the guidelines? What is violent and not? The government should not be the one determining what is appropriate for what age, parents should.
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Post by Baixo Astral on Nov 2, 2010 17:26:19 GMT -5
I don't understand... it's bad to stop minors buying games that aren't suitable for their age? What's the problem? Will this cause awful problems for the industry? I think I'm misunderstanding something. The problem is what is always is for me. Who determines the guidelines? What is violent and not? The government should not be the one determining what is appropriate for what age, parents should. I disagree, I think it should be determined by the government, but there should be no instance of content censorship. Classification is the way for me. Is it the case here that you can be 12 and buy an 18 rated game? Because back home that wouldn't fly, I still got turned down for an 18 movie rental when I was 24 and didn't have ID.
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Post by thwak is T.hawk on Nov 2, 2010 17:27:04 GMT -5
I don't understand... it's bad to stop minors buying games that aren't suitable for their age? What's the problem? Will this cause awful problems for the industry? I think I'm misunderstanding something. It's a freedom of speech issue, you don't want to get the gov't involved in stuff like this, yada yada yada. The reason this is probably confusing for you is that you're european where they do this stuff all the time. In america we feel a bit uncomfortable whenever the gov't gets involved in matters like this.
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biafra
El Dandy
Biafra Who?
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Post by biafra on Nov 2, 2010 17:28:29 GMT -5
The problem is what is always is for me. Who determines the guidelines? What is violent and not? The government should not be the one determining what is appropriate for what age, parents should. I disagree, I think it should be determined by the government, but there should be no instance of content censorship. Classification is the way for me. Is it the case here that you can be 12 and buy an 18 rated game? Because back home that wouldn't fly, I still got turned down for an 18 movie rental when I was 24 and didn't have ID. I have no issue with game ratings. But no to restriction of sales. Again, I just do not agree that the government should do my job for me. I respect your opinion as always be I just don't see it like you do.
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Post by Baixo Astral on Nov 2, 2010 17:28:42 GMT -5
I guess that's the confusion, you're right. I'm used to the government saying that we can't see something, and being disgruntled. That's almost made me feel lucky when something is just rated for 18+, rather than being banned or censored (which it might be anyways).
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Nov 2, 2010 17:51:21 GMT -5
The biggest problem, Spike, is this would make it ILLEGAL for a kid under 17 to buy an M-rated game. Which would be stupid. It would also make anyone who does sell the game to a kid a criminal, giving them a $1000 fine, and maybe even jail time.
Not only that, but it isn't specifically just M-rated games, but any game deemed violent.
Also, as already said, the entertainment industries in the US don't like the government trying to regulate them. It is, after all, one of the things the first amendment protects them from.
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Post by Zombie Mod is not a ghoul. on Nov 2, 2010 18:03:51 GMT -5
so wait, age ratings on games in the us dont really mean much and you dont get a fine or court case against you for selling games to kids under age?
reason why i ask is because if i did that at work tomorrow (to an undercover trading standards teenager.) i'd get a £5000 fine, fired on the spot and possible court case against me.
it's what frustrates me about hearing kids underage playing games like c.o.d, or pointing out to a parent what a game like G.T.A entails and getting the response "it's ok, little jimmy has played it before at his friends."
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Post by Mayonnaise on Nov 2, 2010 18:07:19 GMT -5
so wait, age ratings on games in the us dont really mean much and you dont get a fine or court case against you for selling games to kids under age? Nothing legally It's all on the retailer (for now).
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Nov 2, 2010 18:12:42 GMT -5
so wait, age ratings on games in the us dont really mean much and you dont get a fine or court case against you for selling games to kids under age? reason why i ask is because if i did that at work tomorrow (to an undercover trading standards teenager.) i'd get a £5000 fine, fired on the spot and possible court case against me. it's what frustrates me about hearing kids underage playing games like c.o.d, or pointing out to a parent what a game like G.T.A entails and getting the response "it's ok, little jimmy has played it before at his friends." Oh, the age ratings do mean something. Lots of places, like GameStop and big box retailers already have policies in place that they can't sell M-rated games to those under 17. Plus no retailer in the US carries AO-rated games. The parents still buy their kids the games. In other words, all this law would do is hang that threat of a fine/criminal record over the heads of retailers. We already have this shit regulated and covered by the industries involved. We don't need the government to get involved.
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MolotovMocktail
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Nov 2, 2010 18:15:21 GMT -5
In addition, the law has nothing to do with the ESRB ratings. Some M-rated games would not fall under the definition of explicit violence and be fine to sell to kids, while some T-rated games could be considered too violent and banned to sell to minors. The problem is, California did not offer any sort of guidelines on how to distinguish this.
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Post by Kash Flagg on Nov 2, 2010 18:25:11 GMT -5
So basically it's regulating games like they do cigerettes and porno? Cause while I may not be in favor of being told what I can or cannot buy, I don't think a 12 year old should be able to buy an M rated game. That would make the ratings system pointless.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2010 18:29:37 GMT -5
I been reading up on this and their trying to clam that Super Mario Bros is a "violent game". That how stupid this thing is.
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The Ichi
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Post by The Ichi on Nov 2, 2010 18:33:26 GMT -5
I been reading up on this and their trying to clam that Super Mario Bros is a "violent game". That how stupid this thing is. Well, it does have one of the first instances of curbstomping in a video game.
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Post by The Tank on Nov 2, 2010 18:34:34 GMT -5
So basically it's regulating games like they do cigerettes and porno? Cause while I may not be in favor of being told what I can or cannot buy, I don't think a 12 year old should be able to buy an M rated game. That would make the ratings system pointless. That's what they're supposed to do already. Most places are (Or are supposed to be if they aren't) carding you for M-rated games if they don't think you're older than 17.
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Post by DrewVonAwesome on Nov 2, 2010 18:37:12 GMT -5
I guess that's the confusion, you're right. I'm used to the government saying that we can't see something, and being disgruntled. That's almost made me feel lucky when something is just rated for 18+, rather than being banned or censored (which it might be anyways). Not to mention if you think the video game industry is already overly cautious about what it does in it's products. Just wait until the Government steps in. Everything is going to become WAY more cookie cutter than it was before. Basically imagine if the movies industry had the Government regulate all of the violent and sexual content in their films. Movies like Godfather, Taxi Driver, Untouchables, just the tip of the iceberg of films that would become something completely different, assuming they'd even be made, if the Government regulated the same thing. On top of that, this once again becomes a slippery slope discussion. If they regulate what is violent then they should be allowed to ban it. While they're banning violence in video games what's to stop them from banning violence in other forms of media. Heck once they do that what's to stop them from banning anything that could be considered offensive. Yes, this is an extremely crazy way to see it. But this is politics we're talking about here. Politicians, especially ones in power, are crazy. So you have to assume if one thing starts, it'll lead to more and more.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2010 18:48:08 GMT -5
I been reading up on this and their trying to clam that Super Mario Bros is a "violent game". That how stupid this thing is. Well, it does have one of the first instances of curbstomping in a video game. True . Also we don't want our children fighting evil mushroom people while saving a sweet innocent girl from a evil fire breathing turtle and let don't get started on those wacky evil hippie power ups like shrooms, flowers and stars. If GTA is evil then SMB is the freaking Antichrist....brother
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Nov 2, 2010 18:48:45 GMT -5
I guess that's the confusion, you're right. I'm used to the government saying that we can't see something, and being disgruntled. That's almost made me feel lucky when something is just rated for 18+, rather than being banned or censored (which it might be anyways). Not to mention if you think the video game industry is already overly cautious about what it does in it's products. Just wait until the Government steps in. Everything is going to become WAY more cookie cutter than it was before. Basically imagine if the movies industry had the Government regulate all of the violent and sexual content in their films. Movies like Godfather, Taxi Driver, Untouchables, just the tip of the iceberg of films that would become something completely different, assuming they'd even be made, if the Government regulated the same thing. On top of that, this once again becomes a slippery slope discussion. If they regulate what is violent then they should be allowed to ban it. While they're banning violence in video games what's to stop them from banning violence in other forms of media. Heck once they do that what's to stop them from banning anything that could be considered offensive. Yes, this is an extremely crazy way to see it. But this is politics we're talking about here. Politicians, especially ones in power, are crazy. So you have to assume if one thing starts, it'll lead to more and more. From what I can tell, this case isn't about restricting the level of violence in video games themselves, it's about preventing children under 18 from purchasing M-rated games. Also, doesn't a sizable chunk of people who spend money on video game technology consist of young adults over the age of 18- or at least more now than ever before? It doesn't seem like good business for game developers to run away from older consumers just because a law that was barely enforced suddenly gets enforced more tightly.
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Nov 2, 2010 18:52:47 GMT -5
So basically it's regulating games like they do cigerettes and porno? Cause while I may not be in favor of being told what I can or cannot buy, I don't think a 12 year old should be able to buy an M rated game. That would make the ratings system pointless. 12 year olds can't buy M-rated games already. Like I said, retailers like GameStop, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, basically any retailer that sells video games, have policies in place where they card you when you buy an M-rated game, similar to how movie theatres card you for R-rated films. We don't need an official law put into place, because both the video game industry and the retail industry have this problem put into check. The problem is parents are still buying their kids M-rated games. Honestly, the only thing that might stop this is bumping the M-rating up to 18+. That might be the only way to stop Soccer Mom #12545 from buying little Timmy the hot new M-rated game.
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