Industry Changes for Digital Game and App Developers

[rhcsgpr 0]

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has introduced a streamlined, no-cost service that allows creators of digital-only games and apps to obtain ESRB ratings without having to pay a fee. ESRB recently released a video announcement to digital-only game and app developers explaining the service:

 

Rebecca (ESRB)

[dolarmak 23]

This is kinda interesting, considering that no one actually gives a crap about the ESRB rating on video games. Now I'm not saying that the idea of the rating is a bad thing, I'm just saying that no one I know actually cares how games are rated, which is sad.

 

I think this problem applies more so to the parents I know who will buy games like GTA 4 for their kid and complain that "he's only into voilent games"....well if you didn't buy your 12-year old a game thats rated 18+ then I don't think you have a right to complain now do you.

This also plays into the whole arguement that video games cause children to be violent...but i'll save that for another rant.

 

Over all, making it free for digital only/app content is kinda cool. Parents especially need to keep an eye on what their children are downloading anyway, if they cared at all about their child's psychological wellbeeing that is.

[RageMage 5]

Sadly enough I see it as much the child's responsibility to check the rating as much as the parents. It really doesn't come down to age as much as maturity, if a child is mature enough to handle the content of a game that's rated 18+ when they are 12 then by all means, the problem that lies with the parents is that they do not understand the ratings as they should, on top of that rather than buying a game for a child and giving it to them right off the bat a parent should take oh 5 or 10 minutes to try the game themselves, many of the games get weird ratings anyways like a game that was developed with the 6-8 age group in mind getting a 14+ rating (I've seen this many times).

While I do care about the ESRB rating on games I do take the time to try games before I let a 8 year old play it, even if it is rated 18+, M, or 14+. This is what I like about renting games or free downloaded trials, gives the parent a chance to try a game and decide if their child is mature enough for it. Though really this will rarely matter as while one parent will actually do the responsible thing another will ignore it and its a likely chance that a child whom wasn't allowed to play the game will get to at a friends house.

 

Making it free for digital-only and apps is a nice thing for developers, I just wish that it would be more likely to have a more appropriate rating for games.