Talha Abdul Majid
Contributor
‘E.’ ‘T.’ ‘M.’ Those letters that appear on the front of the box your new video game shipped in are not just for show.
Yet it appears video games ratings go largely ignored.
Take, for example, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Activision’s newest edition of their annual shooter franchise. It sold over seven million copies in its first day, yielded over $650 million in revenues in just five days, and has broken several first-week entertainment sales records – which also includes movies and music.
Like any so-called “in” commodity or trend, Black Ops also faces its fair share of controversy.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the authoritative North American agency responsible for rating video games, has issued Black Ops a ‘mature’ rating. In their books, this means the player should be at least 17 years of age to play the game.
So what’s the deal? Having purchased the game myself on launch day, I can vouch that the people above 17 buying it that day were of the minority: the larger share of customers were underage, but were legally purchasing the game in the presence of their legal guardians.
So, inadvertently, you have a slew of minors happily purchasing and playing a game they are not supposed to have in their possession.
The problem is not that they purchased the game, since they didn’t break any laws in the process. It’s the fact parents themselves enable their underage children to purchase and play age-inappropriate games, only to later rise up in protest whenever the gaming-creates-violence bandwagon rolls around and ultimately demand the ESRB’s ratings be reconsidered so their children aren’t allowed to purchase such games in the future.
In Canada, parents make a fuss about video games being a terrible addiction for children.
In the United States, the situation has recently been raised with the Supreme Court; the state of California hopes to give retailers the legal power to deny sales of violent video games to minors the same way liquor stores deny the sale of alcohol to minors, and theatres in Canada refuse admission to minors contingent on a movie’s rating.
To those who blame violent video games for the problems of the world I ask “Why start a fuss about the production and sale of a game when your child cannot legally possess the game unless you are there with him or her?”
Parents are the ones allowing their children to buy it; is there anything wrong with that? I don’t think so, unless the same parent who allows it first denounces it later when the content suddenly becomes intolerable. I can’t say why studios like Activision make violent and gruesome war-based games, nor can I say why so many people (myself included) like to buy them.
I do know, however, I am legally allowed to purchase this game and play it because I am not a minor; if anything, it should be a parent’s responsibility to know more about the types of games their children play and the retailer’s responsibility to portray that to them in as much detail as possible at the time of sale.
Parents can afford to be ignorant to the type of games their children buy because they assume no responsibility; they can just blame the developer for making a violent game, and will shame the retailers for legally selling what they sold. If parents wants to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops for their underage child they should realize their child is playing something not meant for that child’s age.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
eC – Early Childhood
Suitable for developing children and is intended to teach rather than entertain. Sesame Street; Elmo’s Preschool Deluxe; Dragon Tales – Learn and Fly with Dragons; Dora the Explorer; Fairytale Adventures
E – Everyone
Suitable for every age, these games can contain mild violence with fantasy or cartoon tones. The Legend of Zelda games; Mario franchise; Fantastic Pets
E10+ – Everyone 10+
Suitable for players age 10 and up. May contain mild violence, animated blood and/or suggestive themes. Lego Star Wars; Family Feud: Decades; Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
T – Teen
Suitable for players ages 13 and up. May contain graphic violence, suggestive themes, inappropriate humour, blood, gambling and crude language. Rock Band series; Star Wars: Force Unleashed II; The Sims 3; Final Fantasy series
M – Mature
Suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain blood and gore, intense violence, sexual content, drug/alcohol use and strong language. Call of Duty series; Medal Gear Solid series; Fallout: New Vegas
