You know what is confusing? Having all these different ratings floating around like some sort of rating harem. Which rating system are you supposed to trust? According to the U.S. government we shouldn't trust any of them (except film). Bloomberg is reporting that U.S. regulators will be considering a single rating system for television, videogames and wireless telephones after an Aug. 31 report by the FCC is delivered to Congress. The government believes this is necessary to help protect the children from all the new and horrifying ways that they can watch inappropriate television and play inappropriate games. Did you know you can watch mature rated television on your 360! This is why children behave badly.
We probably won't see a universal rating system for a long while, if ever. The FCC report isn't making any recommendations, but simply stating that the FCC will be starting an inquiry in order to make recommendations later. Of course all the television, gaming and phone companies are against the possible proposal as they find the idea unnecessary because they already have ratings for their releases and a universal government run rating system would constitute "compelled speech in violation of the First Amendment." There's also no word on why movies seem to have been let off the hook despite being readily available on all three of the aforementioned platforms.
Meanwhile soldiers are dying in the middle east, healthcare is going down the crapper and the economy still sucks, but you keep using your time to take care of the important things, U.S. government.
[Thanks, WastelandTraveler]
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site
Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
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We have a Universal Rating System in Australia run by the Government.
Oh wait, I forgot....Video Games can only go up to MA15+...even though on the Website, the ratings R18+ and X are displayed. So even though the Classification Board uses the same ratings for Movies, DVDs etc...they cant use R18+ for games.
God I hate this country.
Vote 1 sex party! Lol They want to allow the R18+ rating
"The government totally sucks, you motherfuckers, the government totally suuuuucks..."
I know how to fix it, let's put even more red tape out there and the path to true freedom will be so much easier to traverse. Why is our country so puritanically ass-backwards? Sex is a no-no, even though it creates life, but murder is okay as long as your legal guardian purchased your ticket to the show...the new revolution has got to begin sometime soon. I am waiting for a sign of change, but the only sign I get are U-Turns - we're wasting time doing donuts when we could be focused on the real shit going down here. Instead, we're told to watch the fucking birdie.
Motherfuckers.
everything is already rated. you just make everything similar so instead of R rated you'd have Mature or vice versa. big whoop.
I don't understand why they feel the need to do this. It sounds all rosy to them in concept but in practice, all it will do is confuse already stupid masses.
Like they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Rating are the same, and viewers and buyers do not bother or care about them much. Take Southpark as an example, when it first hit the big time, the whiteskinned fearmongers were all over it, protect the children, the sky is falling shit. Now, no one cares, because ITS JUST TV, NOT REAL.
What they also don't understand or comprehend, is the vast majority of games and other media, released on a weekly basis. It would take a legion of people to vet and sift through, games, films, comic books etc, let alone get them right ratings. This is exactly why a voluntary system works so well, because any other way under such a huge workload would be unfair and basic insanity.
But I guess it's easier just to shout some retarded sentiments about government bureaucracy and censorship.
Bottom line the only people who have the right to say what is and is not acceptable for us to indulge in is ourselves and we make those choices on our own moral beliefs. Because the second the government gets involved everyone gets fucked just look at the bs the games industry in Germany and Australia have do deal with and there histories have been beacons of freedom and justice for all! (sarcasm)
This behavior also encourages classification and stereotyping of an artist and it's subject, and is a major factor in a form of art discrimination.
All in all, it discourages overall craftsmanship and quality of media, and its ability to evolve over time. I might have gone slightly overboard, but it will lead to no good.
It's already been said if you read the comments, CENSORSHIP. You want to be in the same boat as Australia and Germany? Their ratings are government run and look at the shit they have to put up with.
Ohh... I feel SO sorry for the US right now D=
"More government bureaucracy! Government takeover! It'll ruin everything! They're going to kill my baby!"
It's not censorship. It's not control. It's a FUCKING RATING. Instead of M, you'll have an R. EVIL MUSLIM SOCIALISM! OOOOOH~! THE HORROR. Is it necessary? No. Is it a bad thing? No.
But the real kicker that no matter what rating you give GTA, be it an M or an R, pre-teens and toddlers will still crawl their way onto Xbox Live with the game after a trip to Gamestop with their mother.
So calm the hell down you bunch of bag breathing tin hatters.
And I'm not a "bag breathing tin hatter," thankyouverymuch. I am firmly against government control or censorship of art.
That's free market censorship and control, not the government right now. I like the idea of a universal system--maybe not through the government who has more important shit to worry about--but it may clear up confusion if done right.
Bored government officials is one thing, but anyone actually asking for this has no business breeding in the first place.
1.It is the parents who must be the judge of what is appropriate for their children.
2.Name one thing that is government runs that is a good thing for the people at all levels.
3.the industry is self regulating
Ex: Every time i am in a gamestop i am asked for my id (this is where ever i choose to buy games) and there is always some parent saying it ok for timmy to get the rated m game. (guess what the parent chose to get the game any way even though the industry stated directly to them what content was in that game the parent chose not to pay attention)
4.True large game developers choose not to make AO games but that does not mean that they cannot be made, It is because a majority of the FREE MARKET again i must emphasize the FREE MARKET chooses not to purchase or redistribute them but a small subsection would and does choose to purchase and redistribute them.
5.even if the goverment does not take this power to misuse it that dosent mean it wont be misused. Some of the worst thing done in history have been done with good intentions.
6.If one person or entity has control over this or anything it is not good for the people as a whole.
7.The FREE MARKET is a better option because the game developers make the games that customers want to buy and play. Walmart stocks what customers want to purchase if you want to buy a game that is not sold at Walmart, Gamestop, ect. purchase the game where you can weather that be online or through a different retailer. As a result that retailer will grow into a larger purchasing force i the publishers eyes and they will make games in line with what people want to buy it is all self correcting.
8.Look at Australia for what government control of ratings looks like either you do not sell the product or you change the game to meet the ratings standards oh wait their is another name for that is Censorship
The only reason it's allowed to control media on TV is because it is available to the public in general.
I'm guessing the reason movies have been left off is that's the system they would use for all the others.
Definitely unconstitutional.
While I certainly don't believe a child should be playing a grand theft auto or violent shooter, I do believe the parents shouldn't buy it for them and use those parental controls on the system like a responsible parent.
Billy: Mommy, I want a Playboy.
Mom: No.
Billy: Mommy, I want to see Inglourious Basterds.
Mom: No.
Billy: Mommy, I want Grand Theft Auto.
Mom: Here you go!
carry on though, fellow droids. <3
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