game girl advance: AB 1179

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October 10, 2005

AB 1179

So, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California AB 1179 which prohibits retailers from selling violent games to minors. If you haven't read about all the uproar over this, here's a a good place to start.

One thing I've always wondered is why games don't use the same ratings system as movies. What's wrong with G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17? People have had decades to be trained into recognizing that system and I've never fully understood why the ESRB system has to be so esoteric. Part of the reason why these bills keep getting passed (even though they often get struck down in federal court) is because of the "confusing" nature of video game content and ratings that "confuse" parents. It's an easy step for advocates of these measures to make a leap from parents being "confused" to their children being "manipulated" by game marketing. Disregarding that specious rhetorical device, I have no doubt that marketers ARE doing their best to "manipulate" as many people as a possible into wanting their game--minor or adult. That's sort of how advertising works--you pull on people's strings in order to get them to toss you money they'd be much off better saving. Capitalism and all that rot.

Could the argument that "ratings systems don't work" be short-circuited by shifting to a ratings system people are already familiar with (I'm intentionally overlooking the huge technical hurdles of such a switch)? Or is there some real benefits to the ESRB system or serious problems with applying movie ratings to video games that I'm overlooking?

Posted by matt at October 10, 2005 09:38 AM | TrackBack

Comments

The ratings would work great except I believe the MPA holds a copyright over the standard G - NC17 system, and won't allow it to be used other than in movies.

Posted by: CtrlAltDelete

on October 10, 2005 01:02 PM

A ha! I never knew that. That seems... stupid.

Posted by: matt

on October 10, 2005 01:11 PM

As ctrlaltdelete said, they didn't choose those ratings in order to be different. The MPAA can only enforce ratings if they have the exclusive rights to 'em. The reason we no long have "X" rated movies is that the MPAA didn't hold the rights to the X rating, and so pornographers started using it. The stigma then meant that nothing legitimate got rated X 'cause local communities wouldn't abide by movies being shown locally that held the same rating as "Deep Throat."

As dumb as the MPAA is in some cases, this is the only way it works. The MPAA doesn't want to start rating games (and i think the feeling is mutual), and the ESRB doesn't want to have to pay to use their rating system, and thus we end up with E,T,M,AO, and the others.

The "wouldn't it be nice if games could use the same ratings system as movies?" bit has been pondered over and over, not the least of which was by people wanting initially to establish the ratings systems, but it's just not economically viable.

Posted by: ben.c

on October 10, 2005 01:20 PM

I am sure this has been beaten to death before: legislators have not yet grasped that adults play computer games. There is still the perception that computer games are the exclusive domain of children and teens.
Until legislators are the ones who have played computer games, we will have strange legislation like this.
The same issues apply to comic books, but that is another story.

Posted by: ringbark

on October 10, 2005 01:29 PM

ben.c - thanks for the history! I learned a lot today.

I assumed there was something assinine like that behind it and I wasn't disappointed.

And you're right ringbark, the issue *has* been beaten to death, though not beyond the gamer community. Legistlaters definitely don't understand the industry or the communities that drive it, else the god-awful-bound-to-be-struck-down language of this bill wouldn't have made it as far as it did.

Posted by: matt

on October 10, 2005 07:53 PM

I really don't think the ratings being confusing is at all the issue. They are not confusing. Anyone that can't understand the ratings which are in plain and simple English would have to have the IQ of a carrot. My point is not that the movie ratings would not be better, my point is that's not the real problem and changing to those rating would in no way stop or hinder the opposition from their goals / beliefs

Posted by: greggman

on October 10, 2005 08:48 PM

In the UK, a lot of games use the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ratings which have been around for a very long time. And people still buy 18-rated games for their kids, and they still bitch about how they're unsuitable.

I don't see how any legislation can possibly aid this situation.

Posted by: Simes

on October 11, 2005 03:22 AM

Parents complain about how their 13 year olds are playing violent games, and they blame video games for any ill behavior. The ratings are marked clearly on the back, and the only thing they have to do is pick up the box, flip it over and look at it. It has to be the simplist thing in the world, and yet they still fail to do so.

This new law may prohibit minors to buy violent games, but it doesn't stop parents from purchasing the games for their children. So, I believe it really all comes down to the judgement of the adults in charge. If they don't want their kids to play violent game, all they have to do is say no. Sure, the kids might be unhappy about it, but hey, that's life, you can't always get what you want.

Posted by: ninthofsaturn

on October 11, 2005 06:35 PM

I don't understand what's so confusing about "Everyone, Teen, Mature, and Adults Only."

I don't think you could make a more clear-cut system than that. If parents are confused about that, then they have no business raising children, let alone trying to figure out what movie to take them to or what game to buy them.

We need to stop catering to the stupid parents and start with the beat-down on those who claim it's our fault they're too dumb or busy to care.

Posted by: bowler

on October 11, 2005 08:16 PM

I couldn't agree more . . . however, my point in bringing this up is that the ratings system is often cited as not doing "enough" to combat the "epidemic" of youth violence inspired by videogames. While that argument is akin to large amounts of oliphaunt dung, I wondered aloud what would happen if there was a ratings system used on games that people would have no excuse for not understanding already as it has been in place for generations.

But, as was pointed out above, the question's moot anyway as everyone has to protect their money wagon instead of serving a greater good. Not a saving the human race kind of greater good, but a greater good nonetheless ;)

Posted by: matt

on October 11, 2005 09:24 PM

"The ratings are marked clearly on the back, and the only thing they have to do is pick up the box, flip it over and look at it."

Actually, the ratings are marked on the FRONT of the box. You don't even have to flip it over.

Honestly, I don't care to think how many times I've run into news articles that interview J. Random Mom whose 13-year-old is playing GTA in the background, and the mom is complaining about these violent games her son is playing. When pressed on how her son got his hands on the games, she'll make some off-hand remark about how it's hard to say no, when they're begging for them, and all their friends are playing them. I don't know about you guys, but when I was a kid, I sure got the impression that part of a parent's job is to say no. A lot. ESPECIALLY when all your friends are doing it.

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