NY Law Passes, Making Game Ratings Mandatory

H

Homicidal Cherry53

ugh
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6194884.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;2

The ESRB has always been an independent means of self-regulation for the industry. The government is supposed to have absolutely no connection to it. That is why I simply can't understand why the government has the right to say that all video games must go through the ratings process. It's completely ridiculous over-legislation that verges on censorship and it isn't the government's place to interfere. The ESRB was created so that the government wouldn't have to force regulations on the industry, and now we see just that happening.
 
All this talk about parental controls and everyone in the world still fails to see it's the parent's fault.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6194884.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;2

The ESRB has always been an independent means of self-regulation for the industry. The government is supposed to have absolutely no connection to it. That is why I simply can't understand why the government has the right to say that all video games must go through the ratings process. It's completely ridiculous over-legislation that verges on censorship and it isn't the government's place to interfere. The ESRB was created so that the government wouldn't have to force regulations on the industry, and now we see just that happening.
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I personally don't see too much of a problem with this. Yes I agree the government shouldn't get too involved, or involved at all, but all they're doing is rating a game. Not banning them from being sold. The only games I see this affecting are possible AO titles. Which most developers won't attempt to make anyways.
 
CreepinDeth said:
I personally don't see too much of a problem with this. Yes I agree the government shouldn't get too involved, or involved at all, but all they're doing is rating a game. Not banning them from being sold. The only games I see this affecting are possible AO titles. Which most developers won't attempt to make anyways.
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I'd say it's more the principal that angers me than the law itself. The ESRB is supposed to be a self-regulatory organization, and allowing government involvement like this, however slight it may be, is a dangerous precedent to set, if you ask me.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
I'd say it's more the principal that angers me than the law itself. The ESRB is supposed to be a self-regulatory organization, and allowing government involvement like this, however slight it may be, is a dangerous precedent to set, if you ask me.
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They still are independent. The way I look at it, the government actually agrees and likes how the ESRB rates games, so they're making sure games get the proper ratings. Now, if they start forcing to change ratings and such, then we have a problem.
 
Yeah, the government is against 90% of games, and having the freedom to rate games without the authorization of the ESRB ain't good. But...with dual ratings, do they both show up, or does the government one override the ESRB one?
 
CreepinDeth said:
They still are independent. The way I look at it, the government actually agrees and likes how the ESRB rates games, so they're making sure games get the proper ratings. Now, if they start forcing to change ratings and such, then we have a problem.
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Ah true, but now, any developer who doesn't like the way the ESRB rates games is forced to go through them, regardless of how effective they think they are (or whatever other reservations they may have about the organization). The government is essentially forcing developers to have their games rated by the ESRB. In addition to the fact that the government doesn't have the right to do that, it's a complete double-standard, considering there is no law, forcing movies to be rated.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
Ah true, but now, any developer who doesn't like the way the ESRB rates games is forced to go through them, regardless of how effective they think they are (or whatever other reservations they may have about the organization). The government is essentially forcing developers to have their games rated by the ESRB. In addition to the fact that the government doesn't have the right to do that, it's a complete double-standard, considering there is no law, forcing movies to be rated.
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I agree, but all developers have to have an ESRB rating regardless if they want to sell their game on any of the big 3 consoles. So it kind of becomes moot. Although, I wonder how this will affect PC games.
 
CreepinDeth said:
I agree, but all developers have to have an ESRB rating regardless if they want to sell their game on any of the big 3 consoles. So it kind of becomes moot. Although, I wonder how this will affect PC games.
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I wouldn't say it becomes moot because the list of games that have to have an ESRB rating has grown from games on the big 3 consoles to games on every platform in existence.

I will agree that this law won't exactly have a huge effect on we, but I say they should be stopped here before we set a precedent that lets them do something that does affect me. I do understand what you're saying, that the effects of this law will be somewhat minimal, but I still think the principle is worth defending.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
I wouldn't say it becomes moot because the list of games that have to have an ESRB rating has grown from games on the big 3 consoles to games on every platform in existence.
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Well, then it becomes even more moot. If the government doesn't force you, the platform manufacturers will.
 
CreepinDeth said:
Well, then it becomes even more moot. If the government doesn't force you, the platform manufacturers will.
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Not if it isn't a gaming centric platform, in which many of the games released are indie games (i.e., PC, cell phones, and the like). These games must all now pass through the ESRB, if the developer wants to sell them. I doubt it would have happened, especially on something like the PC, if not for this law.
 
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