RSS 4:02pm EST Sat 22nd Nov 2008 847 online (155 members & 692 guests) PSU.com: News - General-Games industry receives a 'C' from Watchdog Group
All PS3 PSP PS2
Register | Why sign Up? Forgot password?

New PSU Articles

See Also

This article has been read 1,772 times

Games industry receives a 'C' from Watchdog Group

Posted on December 5th, 2007 at 12:23 EDT

Yesterday the twelfth-annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card was released, published by the National Institute on Media and the Family, and the video game industry received a "C" for it's controlling of the content accessible to minors.

The NIMF criticized Nintendo and Rockstar for releasing a Manhunt 2 themed, blood splattered Wii console. Also among it's criticisms were that game companies were at fault for failing to "disclose when games are stolen from their facilities and leaked onto the Internet." They also slammed developers Eidos and Rockstar, accusing both companies of having "dredged the well of poor taste" with Kane & Lynch and Manhunt 2.

The group commended the ESRB for its efforts to educate parents about the game rating system but urged the board to do much more to extend its reach and engage with government groups. An interactive Harris Poll conducted by the Institute found that 52 percent of parents claim to use the ESRB rating system but that 72 percent know little or nothing about the rating system overall.

The NIMF also tested how well the ESRB's rating system was enforced to minors by having secret underage shopper go to retailers and attempt to purchase an "M' rated game. They found that almost 50% of the time the undercover shoppers were allowed to purchase the game up over the Institute's findings in 2006, according to the report.

This is the first year the Institute gave the overall video game industry a separate rating. Last year, the group broke down the video game industry into different categories with separate ratings: retailer policies (B), large retailer enforcement (A), specialty retailer enforcement (F), ratings education (B) and parental involvement (Incomplete).

This year, despite their apparent lack of understanding of video game ratings, parents received a C, ratings education received a B-, the ESRB received a C+, and retailer rankings ranged from B to F.

Source: IGN

Next: Yakuza 3 dated for Japan

SEGA of Japan has announced that the forthcoming PlayStation 3 title Yakuza 3 will be released in the region on March 6, 2008 for approximately JPY 7,980. Speaking at...

User Comments

You must Login or Register to post comments
What are your thoughts?
posted 12:27pm EST - December 5th, 2007
1

Yeah! We should aim for an 'F' next year!

posted 12:43pm EST - December 5th, 2007
2

psn id: gingo... well a c is still a pass so the industry should be happy with that

posted 12:51pm EST - December 5th, 2007
3

Unless these watchdog groups have a voice in Washington.........who cares!!!!

posted 1:25pm EST - December 5th, 2007
4

Aim for an F, I'm with that!

posted 1:38pm EST - December 5th, 2007
5

the government recieves a F- to mess up a good thing for the video game industry. I'm tired of people living in some fantasy were the grass is greener on the other side bull crap. People and Parents are so sensitive they need to play more video games so they can get an understanding, video games are no different than parents letting kids watch gruesome, horror, sadistic having movies. What they tell their kids if they get scared ("Oh it's just a movie") .........hmmmm...... well these are just games then right? well for some reason they believe it's wrong. Tell me this who are buying these kids their games, sure the kids might be buying them over the counter but whoose giving them the money to buy them???

posted 1:39pm EST - December 5th, 2007
6

yay, a c means games are not violent enough! we need to fix this

posted 2:01pm EST - December 5th, 2007
7

So its somehow the game industruies fault if a minor buys a game that they shouldn't be able to buy?How does that work exactly?!

posted 2:33pm EST - December 5th, 2007
8

haha all I can think when I read this is how are these people paid?  Are our tax dollars really paying people to "grade" the game industry because employees sell M-rated games to kids or parents are too ignorant to even educate themselves about the ESRB rating system?  I think the solution starts with eliminating this useless "Institute"...

posted 3:36pm EST - December 5th, 2007
9

I see an F in our future.

posted 3:37pm EST - December 5th, 2007
10

Rated F for Fun

posted 4:20pm EST - December 5th, 2007
11

Why are kids not allowed to buy M rated games?  As far as I know, in most states there isn't a law against it.  Maybe I just lack sufficient education on the subject and there is such a nationwide law. 

posted 4:43pm EST - December 5th, 2007
12

OMG you people and your F's lol. Seriously though they should shoot for a B so that these people hush up.

posted 5:04pm EST - December 5th, 2007
13

Total BS. The games industry does all it reasonably can to control the content accessible to minors. In many countries, the products carry the same age restrictions as films, and separate ESRB ratings as to the actual content.

 

There are only three ways that I can think of that unsuitable game content gets through to minors: (1) They borrow from an older friend, (2) the shops don't verify the age of the buyer, or (3) parents buy 18-rated games for their 15-year-old kids.

 

All of which are beyond the control of the games industry. In fact, in all of those cases, I put it down to irresponsible parents, who should know what their kids are up to.

posted 5:26pm EST - December 5th, 2007
14

can somebody invite me to their Warhawk clan.my id is: CroatianMetalMan

posted 7:14pm EST - December 5th, 2007
15

Well the fact of the matter is, gamers and the games and ratings from the ESRB are protected by the constitution. So these stupid watchdog groups can rant all they want but like with Jack Thompson, they can't do anything. Stop blaming the companys and games and television, its the dang parents who are oblivious and are narrowminded and go and buy GTA and manhunt 2 for their 13 yr old kids.

posted 7:49pm EST - December 5th, 2007
16

Complete Bullschlit

How can 52% of parents use the ESRB ratings system an 72% "know little or nothing about the rating system" That's ridiculous! It means they dont WANT to know and that ultimately it THEIR fault for not educating themselves.

50% of underage shoppers being allowed to buy a M rated game has nothing to do with the industry making the games, it's the RETRAILERS at fault.

If they want to complain about games with poor taste how about they go pick on companies that release cheap crap games that clutter the shelves that no one will ever buy??

I'm SO sick and tired of these idiot know it alls and their need to control every thing, I've never even SEEN this "blood spattered" Wii they're talking about let alone even seen the wii version of Manhunt on the shelves!! They seem to think a game company knows exactly when a game has been leaked and can get everyone in the USA a 2 week headstart with a personal phonecall warning to lock up their children to keep them from downloading it!

Who Watches the WatchDogs!!???!!

posted 1:22am EST - December 6th, 2007
17

Well we can all ignore this. Its by people that are anti-violence obviously, and of course they're gonna morally object to any kind of violence or "controversal" material.

posted 3:20am EST - December 6th, 2007
18

It's like it would REALLY be such a pain for parents(irresponsible parents to be more precise) to ACTUALLY take care of their children,instead of taking the blame off themselves,because they're way to busy with their football matches,and sewing classes to take care of their own flesh and blood.

posted 9:04am EST - December 6th, 2007
19

Just let us play our games for gods sake

posted 4:24pm EST - December 7th, 2007
20

A C what

Top Games: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix | Need For Speed Pro Street | Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 | FIFA 08 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Assassin's Creed |
Top Cheats: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Cheats | Resistance: Fall of Man Cheats | Rainbow Six Vegas Cheats | Ninja Gaiden Sigma Cheats |
PSU: Advertise | Contact | Staff | Jobs | About us | Wallpapers | Upload a wallpaper | PS3 Themes | Upload a PS3 Theme | PodCasts | Events | Game rankings
Copyright 2006-2008 GameBurst Media Ltd. All Right Reserved. Designed by Naveed Lalani.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameBurst Media Ltd. is prohibited.
Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .
Affiliates: Armchair Empire | Creative Uncut | Chapter Cheats | DarkStation | Free MMORPG | Gamers Brain | Game Cheats | Game Design | Gamerskrew | Gamers Europe | GamerZines | La PS3 | Max PS3 | PlayStation Portable | PS3 | Ps3 cheats | PS3 | Talk Xbox | Xbox 360 Cheats | Xbox 360 News | DarkZero | CheatHappens | NintendoSpin
eXTReMe Tracker