Quote:
Originally Posted by Vesper
Video-game developers police the ESRB? You spout bullshit. ESRB pressured Rockstar to either remove the kill scenes in Manhunt 2 or censor them or else they would've given the game an Adult rating which would've cut their sales down and honestly; even with the gory scenes it wasn't even qualified to be Adult.
So stop with your "ESRB is the little man being bossed around!", no, it's the other way around. ESRB make the calls and if developers don't follow their standards, they are not allowed to retail their games in stores such as Circuit City or Best Buy.
Try again please.
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ESRB is controlled by this entity
http://www.theesa.com/ , they have a majority control over ratings and own most of the staff. This entity is the retailer
http://www.entmerch.org/ has minor control , they flex the muscle of the almightly dollar , the current major voice is Wal-Mart.
Rockstar was fined over publicly over GTA hidden cut scenes , ESA blocked enforcement and heard the appeal , the fine was reduced , but never made public. The only reason why Rockstar was fined was because of Wal Mart, which flexed its muscle , and scared the lesser members (include K-Mart , and Target).
Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal- Mart , Gamestop , Fantasy Games , among others have no policy or enforcement policy for games. There is no punishment , especially with low end wage slaves often being 16 to 18 , in a dead end job , they dont care about the age.
Wal-Mart , among other didnt carry M titles , movies , or other adult products til 2005 /2006 when the CEO , was caught for embezzment and a new younger CEO took over , revamped their policy on a money issue. (I was in the Call center when the change happened.) This CEO help usher in big Chinese products , M games , adult books , and many other products the Waltons opposed but didnt have the votes to stop.
This had a ripple effect , across the retailers , where M became common , and ratings by ESRB were relaxed. Go read the 2003/2004 document published on the subject especially how they beat up Ncsoft and CoH over art choices.
Now Teen is easier to hit and M sales to minors.
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Lydeck I ve lived in Arkansas , MO , New Mexico , Texas , New York , Korea , and Kansas for years. I watch not only marketing development for my investment team , but I also read every scrap of MMORPG mrketing results.
There is no policy , no legal grounds and much like CCOA , the foxes are watching the chickens. There is ample proof that M titles , currently the hottest thing out , are selling to minors.
In countries where M are banned , there is no legal or retailer policy to enforce the rating. Those rating dont matter , because of the lack of enforcement and punishment.
Furthermore , only one company has a loose policy on ID , its based on a employees , and as I said most employees are under 18 , thus dont care about the enforcement.
Its different with other adult products , like smokes , adult books (kept behind the counter) , and beer.
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Parents cant be every where , the average parent works 2 jobs , and often both parents work. The M games are harmful product , marketed at children , nobody is asking for the governement to be the adult , but the letting the game developers police themselves , and retailer not taking responsibility for a dangerous product then they need to lay down the law.
Video games are changing , at 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 and 16 , kids arent mature enough to make decisions and cant be influenced easily by crap. You can block movies , tv channels , internet , but nothing stops or allows a parent to decide if a minor is going to buy a slasher flick like game.
Movies are the same way , but..