One of the long-standing organizations fighting the good fight for righteousness, decency and protecting our children from those evil videogames has fallen. The National Institute for Media and the Family (NIMF), whose annual report card has been pushing the games industry towards stricter self-regulation for over a decade, has announced that they will be closing their doors on December 31st, 2009. A lack of donations due to the current economy was cited as the reason.
There will be no 2009 MediaWise Video Game Report Card. Kind of a pity, really, as the group was finally starting to warm up to the games industry. The ESRB was rated very highly, getting an "A" in each of its two categories. Even retailers were getting a thumbs up for bringing incidents of children successfully purchasing M-Rated titles down to 20%. And it seemed like the group was finally digging that hip, new theory that maybe parents ought to pay a little friggin' attention to what their little monsters are up to instead of blaming other people for their socially stunted, violent and/or undereducated children.
So, I'll put it on the Destructoid readership. If you were going to assign letter grades to the industry this year, what would your categories be and how would they score? Don't limit yourselves to questions of protecting children, either. Much as I may regret it, I'm interested to hear how you think this year has gone.
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Mega Man 2, Arcade Games, Books about games, Board games, Having cultural interests that aren't games
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Contest:
12:30 AM on 12.22.2009
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Grade lowered for late assignments...
If there was ever a need for an organization such as this, it should serve to educate parents similar to the ESRB, and not serve as a nanny watchdog group preying on the industry for criticism and scorn. This industry is as free as any other and has a dedicated fanbase of mature players who do not deserve to have our games censored or criticized simply for game content under the guise of protecting children.
As always, I firmly believe it is a decision best left up to the parents to decide what it is right and wrong for their child.
Target started carding for M games too. The registers won't allow a sale without being swiped with a driver's license.
I'd say a solid B+ for self regulation, in my eyes.
Yes, I am assuming she was buying it for him as it was the kid that handed it to the shop clerk whilst she just handed over plastic.
Do some parents still think that videogames are just Pong, Space Invaders, & PacMan. Sheesh!!
Tough shit, kid.