ZippyDSMlee
07-30-2007, 12:56 PM
A letter to the ESRB (will post a reply if I get a non auto mated one)
(Wishful thinking I know,but I got Hall Haplin to reply to a worse worded letter,I am learning disabled so don't mind the "errors" :P
I am posting this in 2 places,at this time I will refrain from openly giving out email address,but really the the cap of 500 words on the contact form on the ESRB page is a bit much 1000 would be better..
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/07/30/gps-ae-gets-ao-form-letter-from-esrb/
http://www.gamepoliticsforums.com/showthread.php?p=46996#post46996
)
Its obvious there is a disconnect between how games are treated and how movies are treated, the consoles makers need to step back and let the rating systems of the world slot games to their systems, I don't see any crys of foul play when a game gets put from Teen to Mature or from Mature to Teen so AO is really just another rating or at least it should be.
AO needs to be treated like another rating but its held up their with the ban sticks of the world, the ESRB needs to lead the march and deal with the fiasco that has become the AO ban, while I do not see anything being done soon about it, I hope AO evolves like X did for the MPAA because for now AO is to keep any questionable mature content from market and not out of the hands of children or to inform parents.
You are a industry made entity to help guide the industry if you fail to lead to by staying in the pockets of the EAS or the Politicians or the Console Makers(you are in the pockets of the console makers by letting them use sweeping bans of AO,the others not so much) you not only fail your Mission statement but the industry you were charged with to protect, please understand that we above 17 gamers are watching and that we are apart of the industry and that inaction on this will call some of us to ask for change not of the ratings but of you.
Personally the ESRB is one of the most solid if not "better" rating setups I have seen unlike the MPAA it seems to give more consistent ratings and it demands retailer action to help guide children to age appropriate games unlike the MPAA which dose not really care if a kid sees a R rated film or not , however failing to understand the current AO situation is damaging ESRB and this damage could set it back if not permanently damage it.
What can be done
I would like to see the ESRB adjsut the Adult level tier to something that would work best for all its obvious AO has become a ban moniker and keeping AO for porn level games is fine to me thats reasonable, what is not is telling a 17 year old he cant play a game a 18 year old can so perhaps it might do the industry well to adjust the current M(17+) to 16+ doing this would fall closer inline with many other nations and their views of what is "mature" meaning games with basic gore and cussing (sudeki ,Halo,ect,ect)can be M, HOWEVER now that M is 16+ we can now put in a level for for games with a higher level of gore and sadism because its set to 18+ no one should have a problem with it,the retailers can refuse to sale it but frankly with wallmart selling unedited copies of SAW
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=4096&search_query=saw+unrated&Continue.x=0&Continue.y=0&Continue=Find&ic=24_0
the industry needs a bit of growing up to do, but with a blatant 18+ on the game it should say to all this is not a game for kids like AO dose,abnd yes AO can be kept for porn games.
I understand that changing M to 16 might seem imposable but the it is not what it is is a trade off to fix the issues that have come about with AO, it might hurt in the short run but in the long run it would be perfect for gaming,now if M can not be adjusted then you can still use the 18+ to whatever letters you pick (MA,MNK,MR,ect,ect) I still think adjust M to 16+ would be best for the long run both sides of coarse will discuss "to adnaseum" but I think at least putting it up for discussion would be worth while, in the end AO needs to be removed or made porn only and gaming in the US needs a real adult tier for ratings that the industry as a whole will frown on the console makers if they use sweeping bans for it, in the end the ESRB needs to lead and create a 18+ level so that the pressure it tooken of the pubs and console makers so that games will not be baned so hastily or easily, as for porn games normal retailers wont touch it and only soem of them will fool with 18+ games but at least with the 18+ level gaming has a place to mature and not be stuck in the kiddie pool.
Lee Jarvis/ZippyDSMlee
Adult Gamer
P.S:In reply to the automated forum letter;
AO dose not protect children, AO dose not inform parents, AO is a a black label a BAN to prevent games going to market and this goes against the very foundation of the ESRB, the console makers do not have any right to demand what rating level of games can be made for their systems they can refuse approval of individual games but sweeping bans are not good for the industry. AO truly needs to be reworked like X was, if you tell the public that such things are begin looked into there would not be such hatred in the gamer movement for the ESRB the politicians will always find a scapegoat to bash but if you wait to long and piss off everyone you lose so much rep you are forced to close and from where I sit if such a thing were to occur it would set back gaming as "media" 5-14 years and make video games toys again.
(Wishful thinking I know,but I got Hall Haplin to reply to a worse worded letter,I am learning disabled so don't mind the "errors" :P
I am posting this in 2 places,at this time I will refrain from openly giving out email address,but really the the cap of 500 words on the contact form on the ESRB page is a bit much 1000 would be better..
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/07/30/gps-ae-gets-ao-form-letter-from-esrb/
http://www.gamepoliticsforums.com/showthread.php?p=46996#post46996
)
Its obvious there is a disconnect between how games are treated and how movies are treated, the consoles makers need to step back and let the rating systems of the world slot games to their systems, I don't see any crys of foul play when a game gets put from Teen to Mature or from Mature to Teen so AO is really just another rating or at least it should be.
AO needs to be treated like another rating but its held up their with the ban sticks of the world, the ESRB needs to lead the march and deal with the fiasco that has become the AO ban, while I do not see anything being done soon about it, I hope AO evolves like X did for the MPAA because for now AO is to keep any questionable mature content from market and not out of the hands of children or to inform parents.
You are a industry made entity to help guide the industry if you fail to lead to by staying in the pockets of the EAS or the Politicians or the Console Makers(you are in the pockets of the console makers by letting them use sweeping bans of AO,the others not so much) you not only fail your Mission statement but the industry you were charged with to protect, please understand that we above 17 gamers are watching and that we are apart of the industry and that inaction on this will call some of us to ask for change not of the ratings but of you.
Personally the ESRB is one of the most solid if not "better" rating setups I have seen unlike the MPAA it seems to give more consistent ratings and it demands retailer action to help guide children to age appropriate games unlike the MPAA which dose not really care if a kid sees a R rated film or not , however failing to understand the current AO situation is damaging ESRB and this damage could set it back if not permanently damage it.
What can be done
I would like to see the ESRB adjsut the Adult level tier to something that would work best for all its obvious AO has become a ban moniker and keeping AO for porn level games is fine to me thats reasonable, what is not is telling a 17 year old he cant play a game a 18 year old can so perhaps it might do the industry well to adjust the current M(17+) to 16+ doing this would fall closer inline with many other nations and their views of what is "mature" meaning games with basic gore and cussing (sudeki ,Halo,ect,ect)can be M, HOWEVER now that M is 16+ we can now put in a level for for games with a higher level of gore and sadism because its set to 18+ no one should have a problem with it,the retailers can refuse to sale it but frankly with wallmart selling unedited copies of SAW
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=4096&search_query=saw+unrated&Continue.x=0&Continue.y=0&Continue=Find&ic=24_0
the industry needs a bit of growing up to do, but with a blatant 18+ on the game it should say to all this is not a game for kids like AO dose,abnd yes AO can be kept for porn games.
I understand that changing M to 16 might seem imposable but the it is not what it is is a trade off to fix the issues that have come about with AO, it might hurt in the short run but in the long run it would be perfect for gaming,now if M can not be adjusted then you can still use the 18+ to whatever letters you pick (MA,MNK,MR,ect,ect) I still think adjust M to 16+ would be best for the long run both sides of coarse will discuss "to adnaseum" but I think at least putting it up for discussion would be worth while, in the end AO needs to be removed or made porn only and gaming in the US needs a real adult tier for ratings that the industry as a whole will frown on the console makers if they use sweeping bans for it, in the end the ESRB needs to lead and create a 18+ level so that the pressure it tooken of the pubs and console makers so that games will not be baned so hastily or easily, as for porn games normal retailers wont touch it and only soem of them will fool with 18+ games but at least with the 18+ level gaming has a place to mature and not be stuck in the kiddie pool.
Lee Jarvis/ZippyDSMlee
Adult Gamer
P.S:In reply to the automated forum letter;
AO dose not protect children, AO dose not inform parents, AO is a a black label a BAN to prevent games going to market and this goes against the very foundation of the ESRB, the console makers do not have any right to demand what rating level of games can be made for their systems they can refuse approval of individual games but sweeping bans are not good for the industry. AO truly needs to be reworked like X was, if you tell the public that such things are begin looked into there would not be such hatred in the gamer movement for the ESRB the politicians will always find a scapegoat to bash but if you wait to long and piss off everyone you lose so much rep you are forced to close and from where I sit if such a thing were to occur it would set back gaming as "media" 5-14 years and make video games toys again.