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Truth in Ratings Act Reintroduced
dropgoal writes "Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas (and GOP presidential candidate) has reintroduced the Truth in Ratings Act. Like the previous version that failed to pass last year, Sen. Brownback's bill would make the FTC responsible for overseeing the video game ratings system and possibly result in a unified ratings system for games, movies, and TV. The ESRB would also have to review all game footage before issuing a rating. Currently, the ESRB hands out ratings after viewing a reel with representative content prepared by the developers. Sen. Brownback thinks that's not enough. 'Video game reviewers should be required to review the entire content of a game to ensure the accuracy of the rating. The current video game ratings system is not as accurate as it could be because reviewers do not see the full content of games and do not even play the games they rate', he said."
The developer sends footage of the worst/extreme content in the game, and fills out some paperwork. They are assigned a rating (developer can resubmit or appeal). Then...when the game is 100% complete ready to go to the shelves, ESRB gets another copy, and plays a bit... and if there is anything more extreme in that final game than there was in the footage (ie, topless chicks, more gore) the developer has some penalties slapped in their face. Its a good process, and it works pretty damn well, and it is certainly better than this pos "Truth in Ratings" act. Whether you agree with the whole GTA/Oblivion issues is besides the point. Nothing is foolproof, but if the worst we've gotten is anatomically correct nipples and disabled content, I think they're doing a damn good job.
I believe this pretty much covers how the bill is expected to work.
Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas (and GOP presidential candidate)...
The senator is not a GOP presidential candidate. He is a candidate for the GOP nomination. Big difference. Thank goodness he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting it. None of the current nomination seekers thrill me, but Brownback is near the bottom of the list.
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
The Republicans were not the party of strong military defense before Reagan because Nixon had to promise to get our troops out of Vietnam to get elected, at least the first time. (The troops left Vietnam approx. when he left office, or maybe a lil' later.)
Before WWII, Republicans were both socially and fiscally conservative for the most part, and more the latter. Teddy Roosevelt was actually a social radical, but he left the Republican party around 1912 or so. Coolidge and Hoover left the invisible hand alone for the most part. (What party was Smoot and Hawley in, and are protectionist tariffs fiscally conservative or fiscally radical?)
After 1960, Kennedy effectively made the Democratic Party the party of civil rights. Southerners started switching parties from Democrat to Republican around then, and they made the Republican Party socially conservative. I'm not sure who was the first Republican to be fiscally radical: maybe Reagan, but it could've been as early as Nixon. I mean, foreign military quagmires and wiretapping weren't much cheaper then than they are now.
There is a fine line between recklessness and courage... -- Paul McCartney
If you think about it, this is all really an outgrowth of Tipper Gore's crusade against profanity in music. The arguments are exactly the same, but applied to software. For example, here's then-Senator Al Gore interrogating Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister).
SENATOR GORE: Now, you said that you can look at the titles of albums and look at the covers and tell what kind of material is inside. Does the title "Purple Rain" give you an indication that the material is about masturbation?
MR. SNIDER: You mean the album title "Purple Rain"? No, it does not. I did not say in all cases. I believe I covered that there are occasional albums that are a bit misleading. I said I do not think a store would refuse a parent who came in and said, "I do not like what is on this record. I would like my money back."
SENATOR GORE: So the choice the parent has, then, is to sit down and listen to every song on the album; right?
MR. SNIDER Or read the lyrics if they are on the record.
SENATOR GORE: I think that is pretty general agreement that if the lyrics are printed that is one possible solution for this. Let us suppose the lyrics are not printed. Then what choice does a parent have? To sit down and listen to every song on the album?
MR. SNIDER: Well, if they are really concerned about it I think that they have to.
SENATOR GORE: Do you think it is reasonable to expect parents to do that?
MR. SNIDER: Being a parent is not a reasonable thing. It is a very hard thing. I am a parent and I know. OK. I am a new parent. I only have one child, maybe. But I am learning that there is a lot to being a parent that you did not expect. It is not just always a cute baby. There is a lot of labor, a lot of time, and a lot of effort that goes into it. It is not totally pleasurable.
SENATOR GORE: And you will find when they get a little bit older that when they are exposed to the kinds of themes that we were presented with earlier, if you love your child you are going to be concerned about that.
No he just made a very valid point. The M rating that you seem to have such a problem with is not to designate pornography. There is a separate rating built into the system to specify things that are too sexual. It is the AO rating.
There is no need to add extra laws to the system over video games because the issue of pornography in games would already be held by the normal laws that cover all pornography.
I'm actually quite convinced that he knows his idea is bullcrap. At the very least he'll have advisors who would have told him so. If not, he's not really a fit presidental candidate.
Also, the game industry is one you shouldn't piss off too much, it is a money maker. And I know at least one key company that does sponsor political campaigns. For both parties, just to cover the bases.
I'm quite sure this whole ploy is just the usual political play with people's ignorance. He knows 2 things well:
1. It's impossible to implement.
2. Even if by some feat of luck it gets possible, court will shoot it down.
3. Even if the courts don't care, neither will the gamers and still buy whatever they want.
So, essentially, from a purely practical point of view, the whole idea is as useful as many other political ideas that are, if you take a step back and look at it from afar (after doing a little research), quite blatantly pointless.
What sticks, though, is that he did "something" for our children. It's a bit like the war on terror or other problems without a solution that doesn't hurt. It doesn't matter if what you do works, as long as you do "something" you can't be held responsible for not addressing the problem. It might not work out, but hey, at least he tried!
And for some reason in our political climate, a man is already a hero for trying. Talk 'bout apathy.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Well, then make sure to vote in the primaries! Hardly anyone does, so your vote has an enormous effect, especially if you can get others to do the same. Don't want Hillary to be the Democratic candidate? Vote in the Democratic Primary in 2008 (state-specific details on the wiki). Don't want a lousy candidate running on the Republican side? Vote in the Republican Primary in 2008. Sure, third parties aren't at a level where we can hope for a president being elected from one of them, but they are at a well-known level where they can run for plenty of other political positions and win (e.g. local government, state government).
Also, if you know of a politician whom you think would be a great presidential candidate, why don't you contact him or her? The primaries aren't until early next year, so you've got plenty of time to scope out and convince more potential candidates.
'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
That's good advice for those folks living in New Hampshire and Iowa. A year from today the nominations will be a done deal before many states will even have had their primaries.