I just read that US Congressman Jim Matheson (D-Utah, District 4) is proposing a bill to make video game labels be law. I am all for video game labels, I really am. But the fact that you want to make this a law is… absurd. You want to legally come down upon a salesman for selling a game outside of its label? What is the reasoning for this?
For those who don’t know, the gaming industry already puts labels on their games. These labels are an industry wide standard and have to go through a long, impartial review process. Then, once the review is complete, the rating is given to developer and they can either go with it or follow certain recommendations to get a lower rating. Most of the time, companies will stick with the rating they’re given. Games like Grand Theft Auto 5 is expected to get a Mature (M) rating. However, if the ESRB (the industry ran labeling board) decides that GTA5 is too graphically violent, there is explicit sex, or extreme drug use, they may give it an Adult Only (AO) rating. Most retailers won’t carry an AO game because they’re extremely hard to sell. So, Rockstar (maker of GTA5) will go back and make revisions. However, as I said, game devs typically stick with the rating they’re given as they know what will and won’t give them certain ratings.
This has worked since 1994 and the few exceptions to the case are outliers. Exceptions to the rules. If a retailer is found to sell a game to someone younger than 17 for a Mature game, they can be fined. The store will likely punish the employee and then that’s it. Nothing more comes of it.
If you make it a law, that retail employee now can be punished by law. Now, there are certain types items that can be punished by law if sold to a minor and those are controlled substances. Yet, video games are not controlled substances. They are entertainment medium, and as the supreme court has ruled, art and speech. Which, constitutionally speaking, games CANNOT be governed like this. It just is not allowed under the first amendment.
So, I implore you, if you find out that your congressman or woman is voting in favor of this bill, please contact them and let them know why they should not be in favor of this. Putting such strict restrictions on a development company can stunt the creative process and, ultimately, dictate how games are made. And, before you know it, the law can reach beyond just games and step into the bounds of music and television and movies and even print media.
As a caveat, I must say that not all children need violent video games in their hand. There are reasons for games to have labels of M or T or E10 and yet, often times, parents won’t pay any heed to these warnings. Not only that, but it is required on the back of game boxes to have a detailed description of why certain games have the labels they do. If you look on the back of the box of Halo 4, you may see something along the lines of Graphic Violence and Guns. Dead Space 3 may also say that but also have Graphic Language and other descriptors.
This means that if you ARE buying a video game for your child, please take a careful look at the game they are buying. If they’re impatient about getting the game and want it on release day, do research first. Chances are, that kid is going to be bouncing off the walls about certain games. You can easily look up what rating they received and why.
Rant off
-Jim
