ESRB Descriptors

So for this holiday season, parents and other video game buyers can now go to esrb.org and search a database of rated games. Along with the very easy to understand rating system, parents and guardians now have another tool at hand, content descriptors. The ESRB has unfolded their new scheme aimed at stopping democrats from stuffing red tape down the industry's throat. These new descriptors summarize types of profanity, violence, and situations that you may want to keep from your precious offspring.

The idea is all well and good, however you can't stop a freight train when the conductor isn't watching the tracks. What I mean is no matter how many tid-bits you put out to parents and guardians, it will never work unless they start looking at the ratings. There is a disconnect between how some parents see video games as a medium, and how the game industry sees itself. Most parents, from my seat, see a kids hobby and nothing more. Gone are the days that video games are like Megaman or Super Mario Bros; harmless side scrolling ports of crude arcade games. The game industry now covers as much, or more ground than the movie business. Gamers range from 9-35, maybe 40 years old. The market is a diverse place, and lets face it, as a 30 year old gamer, you don't always play your "Leapster" or Wii sports.

Parents need to understand that video games aren't just for Little Jimmy on Christmas Eve. If Jimmy asks for "BloodGuy 3" maybe you should look at it before throwing it into your shopping cart. If you shop at Wal-Mart or most of the big box stores, you have to buy your games from behind glass. That makes it a bit tough to read the back of the box. So I guess the descriptors are a good idea. However, this takes pre-planning, something a lot of parents lack these days.

Either way, its a step forward. It feels more like a C.Y.A move to me. If the game industry, publishers, and developers actively took arms against retailers who sold M rated games to minors, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about the Senate or Congress fucking us over.

I've noticed a trend lately that doesn't seem to help this either. Places like 7-11 and other quick-stop stores sell games. Some how I doubt that the caliber of employee that is hired at such an establishment is willing to take the time nor is paid enough to want to check an ID for a "stupid video game." Thus allowing little Jimmy to go get a Icee and a copy of GTA 4 with out mommy and daddy. Although, when I was still under my parents control, I never had 60 bucks to go blow on a damn video game.

If the ESA and ESRB want to keep government regulation out of their industry, they are going to have to start taking proactive measures with retail outlets at the forefront of the battle. Work with retailers to educate employees and shoppers that games are just like movies. Some are for kids and some are not. If the MPAA can enforce the same sort of rules without government intervention, the video game industry can do the same.