Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Game Industry Derided For Mature Content

Posted by Zonk on from the won't-someone-think-of-the-children? dept.

Steve Rock writes "To the surprise of no one, game manufacturers and resellers were again taken to task over the production and sales of games containing violent or sexual themes. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family's Ninth Annual Mediawise Video Game Report Card even games with beneficial or neutral content can be harmful to children because of the connection between gameplay and our obesity epidemic. Interestingly, out of fifty surveys mailed out by the Institute to retailers and producers only two were completed and returned. The industry was given a passing grade for the ESRB rating system but the actual enforcement of the system by the retailers was not -- it is worth noting, however, that the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association has stated that self-regulation procedures were scheduled to be implemented by December 2004 and therefore tests of retailer compliance to ESRB ratings was premature."

3 of 588 comments (clear)

  1. Re:ESRB? Holy Comics Code, Batman! by Jeffrey+Baker · · Score: 5, Funny
    Also, D&D will turn you into Pentagram-doodling witch and the only way to come back to Jeebus is to burn all your D&D stuff (and heck, better throw all your other books on the fire, too).

    Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go carjack an old LTD, provoke a gang war, then go for some pizza and hookers.

  2. National Institute for Media and the Family by Telastyn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's see, a thinktank orginized to combat the corruption of minors by video games and other media finds that video games corrupt minors...

    Thanks slashdot. Maybe next you can post an article about greenpeace saying that everything isn't hunky dory with the environment...

  3. Re:ESRB? Holy Comics Code, Batman! by The+Ultimate+Fartkno · · Score: 5, Funny

    Riiiiight. Show me a DM that looks like that and I'll show you a game with 67 guys packed into a basement, each one of them trying to roll a d20 and look sexy at the same time.

    "Soooo, lady DM - what'cha doing after I slay this gelatinous cube? Want to come over for some Cheez Doodles and the latest Next Gen DVD?"