Game Industry Derided For Mature Content

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."

Comments

ESRB? Holy Comics Code, Batman!

[ackthpt]

US History 101:

Back in 1954 Dr. Frederick Wertham wrote the infamous Seduction Of The Innocent, regarding the comics industry preying upon the youth of America.

"Wertham was convinced that comic books were evil, that they contributed to the delinquency of minors, and also to their sexual perversion. In addition Wertham claimed that when any questioned the comic book publishers on their product, they were conspired against, and were labelled communists."

Before you laugh off it off, recall the US Senate Subcommittee Investigation on Juvenile Delinquency in the United States. and all the recent stink about decency in television.

The comic industry, to placate the witch hunters offered self policing. Sound familiar? Wertham considered it a sham. Sound familiar, too?

For some background on Comics Code check this site and this site.

make way! make way! make way for the age of decency! 60,608,582 merkins can't be denied!

Re:ESRB? Holy Comics Code, Batman!

[Hatta]

Only this time, the culprit is marijuana instead of alcohol. Two remarkably comparable drugs, with identical consequences under prohibition

Come on. Alcohol and marijuana are about as comparable as, well, two very dissimilar things. Alcohol is addictive, causes violence, swollen ego, lack of coordination, liver disease, etc. On the contrary, marijuana is nonaddictive, users are peaceful and calm, there is no impairment of coordination, most activites you can do sober you can do stoned.

I agree with you, the results of prohibition are the same no matter what drug we're talking about. But you do a disservice when you say alcohol and marijuana are comparable. Marijuana is in every respect safer and more beneficial than alcohol.