Let's get rid of the ESRB

[MADanger]

The ESRB is a racket non-profit. It charges developers hefty fees to review games and assign a rating. THIS COST IS PASSED ONTO CONSUMERS.

Very few people care about these ratings. Parents buy M rated games for their kids all the time. And in the era of online retailers, any kid with a debit or gift card can order an M rated game and have it delivered to the house.

A whopping 2/3 of parents don't care whatsoever what a game rating is.

https://kotaku.com/two-thirds-of-parents-admit-they-dont-bother-checking-v-5901395

https://www.techspot.com/news/75509-most-parents-dont-pay-attention-game-age-rating.html

[𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕫]

Originally posted by Ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

If there isn't a video game self management system the government will impose one.

You won't want that.

True Story.
Just take a look at the German BPJM... you really don't want that!

[RRW359]

Originally posted by Wouselz:

Originally posted by Ⓥenom Ⓢnake 🐍:

If there isn't a video game self management system the government will impose one.

You won't want that.

True Story.
Just take a look at the German BPJM... you really don't want that!

If you think the government can only go to extremes then it will.

[crgzero]

It is dated for sure and only ever worked with Karen level mothers anyway.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

I think the UK needs to do away with their peggi system. They do the same thing as the esrb.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Tender Cornhole:

The ESRB is a racket non-profit. It charges developers hefty fees to review games and assign a rating. THIS COST IS PASSED ONTO CONSUMERS.

Small chunks of change...

The ESRB has a fee for rating games and that fee depends on how much the game cost to develop. If the game cost more than $250,000 dollars the fee would be $4,000 dollars, if the cost of development was less than $250,000 dollars the fee would be $800.

How does that impact costs for consumers? It doesn't.

Even better... https://www.esrb.org/blog/esrb-extends-no-cost-rating-service-to-all-digitally-delivered-games/

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Originally posted by Gus the Crocodile:

Originally posted by Tender Cornhole:

The United States of America has this beautiful thing called the Bill of Rights. This document prevents government from infringing on First Amendment rights (like video games).

Okay, but it doesn't prevent the government putting stickers on game boxes.

Or parental advisory stickers on music.

[Alistair]

Originally posted by crgzero:

It is dated for sure and only ever worked with Karen level mothers anyway.

Yea, my parents often act like these ratings are the law >:(

[The nameless Gamer]

Originally posted by Tender Cornhole:

Supposedly, but it stupid. Kids are playing M rated games all the time.

Just because they can and do, doesn't mean they should. There is a thing as a target audience for a reason. Rockstar didn't make their games for children who haven't even hit puberty. And there should be a way to make people aware of what the target audience is.

[Gus the Crocodile]

Originally posted by The nameless Commander:

There is a thing as a target audience for a reason. Rockstar didn't make their games for children who haven't even hit puberty.

Course they did, they just can't actually say that.

[RRW359]

Originally posted by The nameless Commander:

Originally posted by Tender Cornhole:

Supposedly, but it stupid. Kids are playing M rated games all the time.

Just because they can and do, doesn't mean they should. There is a thing as a target audience for a reason. Rockstar didn't make their games for children who haven't even hit puberty. And there should be a way to make people aware of what the target audience is.

Didn't EA say one of the reasons they almost didn't approve of making Battlefield 1 was because they didn't think the youth cared about events prior to Vietnam? That's basically admitting that they want kids to buy M rated games.

[The nameless Gamer]

Originally posted by RRW359:

Originally posted by The nameless Commander:

Just because they can and do, doesn't mean they should. There is a thing as a target audience for a reason. Rockstar didn't make their games for children who haven't even hit puberty. And there should be a way to make people aware of what the target audience is.

Didn't EA say one of the reasons they almost didn't approve of making Battlefield 1 was because they didn't think the youth didn't care about events prior to Vietnam? That's basically admitting that they want kids to buy M rated games.

Originally posted by Gus the Crocodile:

Originally posted by The nameless Commander:

There is a thing as a target audience for a reason. Rockstar didn't make their games for children who haven't even hit puberty.

Course they did, they just can't actually say that.

That's twisted. Nothing else to say there.

[MADanger]

My two kids (11 and 13) play Grand Theft Auto V. Who cares? Whatever video game they want, I will buy it.

[it's love]

Originally posted by Tender Cornhole:

My two kids (11 and 13) play Grand Theft Auto V. Who cares? Whatever video game they want, I will buy it.

your personal decisions don't validate your "nobody cares about these ratings" statement in the OP though, there are people who care, even if you don't

[MADanger]

2/3 of parents (66%) don't care either. I updated my OP with the links.

So since the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY (66%) of parents don't care what rating a game has, why do we have the ESRB again? Why do companies like Target, Walmart, etc. hold developers hostage to getting a rating?

All smoke and mirrors: "See, we did something!"

It serves no purpose for the majority of game buyers.

[crgzero]

I never cared what my kids played, I feel I taught them well enough to understand that videogames aren't reality, AND I didn't let the electronics raise them either.