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Esrb, washington capitals join forces to encourage "box checks"

Discussion in 'Ogres Breakfast' started by GameOgreVideos, Dec 1, 2011.

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  1. GameOgreVideos

    GameOgreVideos Game Ogre YouTube Channel GameOgre Developer

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    In time for the holiday shopping season, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the Washington Capitals teamed up to promote awareness of the ESRB rating system among parents. The ESRB released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Capitals center Jeff Halpern and goaltender Tomáš Vokoun that aims to make parents more familiar with the ratings information available to help them determine which video games are right for their children. In the ad, the players encourage a father and son to do a "box check" before purchasing a video game, showing them where to find the game's rating symbol and content descriptor on its packaging.

    ESRB distributed the 30-second ad to television and radio stations throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area. The PSA also plays on video display boards during Capitals home games and on the Capitals website.
    The ESRB's partnership with the Washington Capitals is one of several relationships the organization built with professional sports teams to promote video game ratings. In 2010, the ESRB released PSAs featuring members of the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Blackhawks. These ads and other public awareness efforts have built recognition among parents of the rating system. As a result, 65 percent of parents report regularly checking a game's rating before making a purchase and 98 percent believe the rating system is helpful in choosing games for their children, according to Peter D. Hart Research Associates.
    The ESRB also continues to develop new and improved tools to help parents access rating information. Last month the ESRB released an upgraded version of its ratings search app. Now integrated with voice recognition technology, this tool instantly provides parents with a game's in-depth rating summary simply by typing, photographing, or saying the name of the game into their iPhone®, Android™ or Windows® Phone. The app offers timely access to ESRB rating information for more than 20,000 titles, in order to provide parents with a clear and detailed explanation of the content that factored into a game's rating.
    Both the ratings search app and the Washington Capitals PSA come with the holiday season just around the corner. With more Americans than ever – 72 percent – playing computer and video games, it is safe to say that games will top holiday wish lists once again this year. As families look for the best games for their children, ESRB reminds everyone to "check the box" and look for a game's rating before making a purchase.
     
  2. zacker150

    zacker150 DA BIG CLUB The Pit

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    What is the point of the ratings anyway? People just ignore them, and the scales are way to unrealistic. If it has some violence then it's an automatic M.

    On a side not, i noticed that generally the higher up the rating, the higher the price.
     
  3. p

    p Moderator Staff Member GameOgre Moderator

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    I don't see how some violence is an automatic M. Gore usually makes it M, as with R ratings for movies.
     
  4. Kytsune

    Kytsune DA BIG CLUB Ogre Veteran

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    The point of the ratings is to give a sort of quick-guide to people who might buy the product. In many cases, the ratings will not wholly reflect the social understanding of the contents of the game -- primarily by siding with a conservative cross section of cultural norms.

    They do provide extra information and education to buyers. Those aware that games will generally be rated higher for elements they might want would do better to then look up information on the M game to see if they really want to purchase it for their child.

    In this fashion, parents and lawmakers who complain that their children are being "exposed to violence" can be directed to actually look at the container of the media where it is boldly displayed what they can expect out of the box. It is not the interest of the state to do a parent's job for them when they're the ones who control the media and their own education on the subject.

    The state, in the US, has a bad tendency to step in and attempt to educate and regulate when devices like ratings do not already exist. Look at the hilariously stupid moral censorship done to early TV shows by the FCC (see: bathrooms without toilets) and by the state to comic books. By providing their own ratings, which often err on the side of caution, the industry avoids less-than-educated ratings being placed upon them by non gamers.

    The problem arises, however, when AO is treated in the same vein as ****ography -- not having a rating that reflects that means that games get pushed down to M that don't have essentially prurient content. :)
     
  5. Drama

    Drama Clubbed with The Big Club

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    Meh in America ratings aren't really relevant.

    They should say T or M. But not list an age really. Teen doesnt need to specifically mean teen cuz some people lower than the age of 13 play teen games. Same with 18+ games aka mature.

    The ONLY game type i find that should be followed is AO or Adult Only rating. Since these usually do have explicit content.

    1st mature game I played was Halo.

    Idk its like watching an R rated scary movie. To see it in theaters you have to be 17 with school ID (In a few states that is).

    I don't really like scary movies though, so this isn't a major concern to me.

    IMO it shouldn't be listed by age. It should be listed by the genre/content.

    G=Gore thats pretty easy
    A=Adventure
    RG=Roleplaying game or something like that :)


    Idk they aren't obeyed by parents who buy the games for the young ones. I mean today (if u have watched or seen any of the kids today) they aren't as well mannered or obedient. So idk. in the end all you can do is blame the adults huh.
     
  6. Rageaholic

    Rageaholic Epic Llama Farmer The Pit

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    Meh, M is just recommended so no one really cares.
     
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