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ESRB Responds to 3D Realms' Kvetching
Via GamePolitics, an article at the Hollywood Reporter site on the ESRB's snappy comeback to 3D Realms. You may recall Scott Miller (3D Realms' co-founder) saying a short while back that he viewed the ESRB's smackdown as a 'sucker punch'. The Reporter article lays out the ESRB's response, courtesy of the board's president Patricia Vance: "It's unfortunate that Mr. Miller's feelings were hurt, but let's be clear ... The ESRB is the self-regulatory body for the video game industry. We were established by the industry and we simply enforce the rules and guidelines that the industry has imposed upon itself. The games industry determined that there should be rules with regard to the proper display of rating information and that ESRB should enforce those rules by notifying companies who are not in compliance ... Unfortunately, due to 3D Realms' lack of experience submitting games to the ESRB, it would appear that they were unaware of the various industry guidelines in place and the consequences of not complying with those guidelines."
While I understand that technically the ESRB was "created" by the industry, the recent shenannigans that they have been pulling makes me believe that they are "funded" by those with certain political motivations.
No, they are funded by the industry on an ongoing basis. 3DRealms provides some of this funding themselves in the form of the dues they pay.
The ESRB is a member-created and member-funded organization.
The inneptitude they have displayed as of late has been astounding.
They are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. And pithy response or not, Patricia Vance is exactly right in her comments.
The ESRB actually has yearly meetings all over the country for their members where they remind everybody of the rules. I've attended several of these myself. There's no excuse for anybody not to know what those rules are.
I know you were just kidding, but Kvetching is actually a Yiddish word meaning complaining, or whining.
FCC regulation, mang. FCC.
Yes, there really are things you aren't allowed to do on TV and radio.