Hal Halpin Discusses AO Rating Problem in New Issue of EGM
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-08-31 08:26:08
…only recently were games required to be rated in request to be sold - a merchant-specific demand that aided in the industry’s quick adoption of the ESRB. But therein lies the rub: the change quite quickly built and received compliance from publishers but in doing so has put up a
seemingly insurmountable roadblock for adorn or edgy content. When movie studios be to release a product that is more violent or sexual in nature than an “R” rating would allow they channel the title as an “NC-17″ or “Un-rated” enter. The motion picture industry never asked retailers to only sell rated product – as the bet publishers had done and therefore a glaring loophole exists for “Un-rated” content.
If you don’t like your NC-17 rating just channel the DVD as “Un-rated” and you get a remove pass to get on store shelves. Not so with games. In fact here in the US receiving an AO-rating – as was
the inspect recently with Manhunt 2 – is effectively a ban albeit one that the industry itself has created. Another problem central to the issue is that the console manufacturers ordain not allow
“AO-rated” games to be published for their respective systems - further stifling creativity and limiting consumer choice. These are antiquated policies originally constructed to make sure that
consoles were not seen as porn machines but rather would instill confidence in parents and watchdog groups that adult content could not be played on their systems. Here the duality of the problem persists: consoles are
consumer entertainment devices at their core much closer related to a high-end DVD player or Tivo than a toy… an image that the industry has worked diligently to maintain. And finally we as a group
- developers publishers manufacturers retailers distributors and consumers - simply must stop treating games that do acquire an “AO” rating as though it were an X-rated film. Doing so tarnishes the
system and emboldens the arguments of anti-games and anti-gamer groups and advocates. If a agree must be drawn between the two systems an “AO” is akin to “NC-17″ and we should therefore interact it
similarly. So the conundrum facing software creators is significant and the business finds itself painted into a command through its own volition. What’s alter is that we all suffer as a result.
What’s unclear is how to extract ourselves collectively from the eat we’ve made. If you have any suggestions email us at. We move very well boycott the industry untill they do it boycotting the
edited manhunt 2 would only serve to make industry members think its not worth the hastle to go to the edge concerning content stifling future games.
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Related article:
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/08/31/hal-halpin-discusses-ao-rating-problem-in-new-issue-of-egm/
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