Looking at it from the employee's point of view, they were likely just being overly careful. I dealt with similar problems buying wine for my parents because an underage friend was with me. I realize that alcohol and video games are very different from a legal point of view, but still.
I completely understand what you are getting at, and I understand your frustration...but again, the employee was likely just thinking about their job. I know here in the States if an employee of Gamestop sells an M-rated game to a minor or knowingly sells a game to someone who isn't a legal gaurdian so they can give the game to a minor, they get fired right then and there.
That's an add-on, Sir. But if you act today and bump up to the "Premium" model, it comes WITH the shark-mount. Buy our "Ultimate" model, and it even comes with the frikkin' sharks!
It's a great idea on paper, but I think in practice it wouldn't turn out well. The main issue I could see with it would be violence aimed at border officers by other border officers.
I'm all for letting them in, personally...I was just throwing out the "fix up their country so they don't come into ours" as an alternative to the "OH NOES ITS DEM DERE MEXICAN" people.
In the US, unless a game gets an Adult Only rating (which, aside from porn games, pretty much never happens anymore) it isn't "censored" by its rating...and as far as I know, there are no laws about selling M-rated games to minors...most stores just won't do it. Besides, with the advent of the Internet and things like Steam, not being able to buy a game because you are "underage" is mostly a thing of the past.
As far as the sex vs violence thing, feh...I would much rather my young child see a titty getting fondled rather than a head getting shot off (although, again, if they can prove to me they understand the difference between "entertainment" and "real life", I honestly don't care what they see.)
Again, I immediately thought of the rating system here in America...elsewhere in the world, I agree, it is badly implemented.
however I feel that you would agree with me if you were banned by a store employee from buying a product that you want and are legally entitled to purchase because you happened to be accompanied by your (legal minor) younger brother and store policy is to not sell that product to anyone accompanied by a minor. And why is that the store policy? Because the people who inspect and enforce these rules are too stupid to understand that yes, I play games in my free time too, and no, that doesn't make me a criminal just because I live in the same house as a minor.
Luckily, the general rule to not sell "M" rated games to minors here in the State's happened after I already turned 18, so I never had to deal with that (I turn 26 next month.)
Ah, my mistake...I saw "game ratings" and instantly thought of the ESRB ratings here in America (despite the fact that the freakin' article was about Australia).::slaps self:: sorry about that.
I agree, the classification system in Australia is completely whacked.
So what you're saying is that you are closed-minded, set in your ways, and enjoy being told what applications you can and can't use on your mobile device?
I didn't think the 3D version of Alice was bad...in fact, I saw the 3D version by myself while my fiancee was gone, and then saw it in 2D when she was back in town. I definitely enjoyed the 3D version a lot more...the added depth it gave to everything really made the world pop off the screen more (literally and figuratively), and I found myself drawn into it a lot more.
Plus, let's not forget that a 3D movie is a movie that is shown digitally. It could just be me adjusting to more digital content, but film seems to be looking worse and worse nowadays in the theater, no matter which one I go to. There is still a "warmth" to it that digital doesn't have, but when I pay 10-12 dollars to see a movie on a big screen, I don't want parts of the movie to look blurry and parts of it look good...I want the whole thing to look good.
I'm going to take a shot in the dark and go ahead on assuming that you are on the young side.
The game rating system (aside from the "Adults Only" debacle, which honestly isn't much of a problem anymore) has been hugely successful. The ratings system for games isn't meant to be something that parents follow word for word, it is just a clear and easy to understand system they can use to determine whether they want their child playing something or not. Even though it is changing, a lot of parents still aren't gamers, and will have no way of knowing whether a game is appropriate for their kids or not. Knowing that a game has different levels of violence, language, or sexual content helps them make a decision without trying the game first themselves.
Personally, I wouldn't care what my kid played so long as they could demonstrate to me that they understand the difference between a video game and real life...but most parents don't feel that way. Knowing the media that their kids are consuming is important to them, and game ratings help them to do that.
I live in a rather heavy Mexican area, and we have NONE of those problems. They are courtious, good neighbors, keep their property well trimmed and maintain a friendly attitude. I know for a fact that at least three of the people on my "horseshoe" street are illegal immigrants, and I also know for a fact that those three work 12-14 hour days...which is a fuck of a lot more than I can claim (8 hours a day at a desk).
Sounds to me like your problem isn't Mexicans...sounds to me like your problem is assholes.
Why does the US have to pay for other countries problems?
We don't. But if we are going to spend billions of dollars trying to keep them out (which means they will still struggle), why not spend billions of dollars to give them a reason to stay home? We will still be spending our money on the problem, but this way we will be directly decreasing the suffering of other people.
Other countries still have humans in them, you know. Being from another arbitrary territory doesn't make them less human. Sorry if that sounds all hippy-like, but if people concentrated on taking care of the person next to them instead of themselves, everyone would be taken care of.
I'll go back to my land of sunshine and dreams now.
Dark Sector was banned? That's a shame. I know it amounts to nothing more than a Gears of War/Resident Evil 4 ripoff in terms of overall design, but it's seriously one of the most underrated games of this generation. Personally, I think it looks and plays better than Gears of War, and in some parts even ups the intensity (although it's scale is smaller than GoW). It has its problems, but it is still one hell of a fun game to play.
Screw the reviews you have read...if you enjoy third person shooting games in any capacity, you are doing yourself a massive disservice by not playing Dark Sector.
Name one other country with a statue considered to be a national symbol that says "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breath free."
If we don't mean it, we shouldn't have that written on the Statue of Liberty. Just sayin'.
Now if we can just put an end to the asinine "war on drugs", we'll be in good shape. When the laws surrounding a substance are more harmful than the substance itself, there is a serious problem.
As far as the fence is concerned, if we had just poured $1.4 billion into Mexico's economy instead of this cluster fuck of an idea, workers would have less of a reason to leave Mexico and try to sneak into our country. They come here for jobs, but if we help create jobs in their own country...
We will never be able to keep them out, so why not make it so they have no reason to come here?
I've noticed Slashdot doing this more and more. There used to be a frivolous article once a week, twice at most. Now though, it seems there is at least one or two every day. What happened?
...but are Toshiba bulbs available over here in America, possibly under a different name? I don't recall ever seeing Toshiba-branded light bulbs on shelves here...
Come on, CNN. These people aren't saying "Oh, well, I have Facebook, so fuck Google"...they are just going to Facebook. What with Saint Patrick's day upon us and Spring Break happening in the near future, this doesn't surprise me, as a ton of people are likely using Facebook to organize parties and trips.
Slashdot Mirror
Looking at it from the employee's point of view, they were likely just being overly careful. I dealt with similar problems buying wine for my parents because an underage friend was with me. I realize that alcohol and video games are very different from a legal point of view, but still.
I completely understand what you are getting at, and I understand your frustration...but again, the employee was likely just thinking about their job. I know here in the States if an employee of Gamestop sells an M-rated game to a minor or knowingly sells a game to someone who isn't a legal gaurdian so they can give the game to a minor, they get fired right then and there.
Ever heard of a Visa Gift Card?
...you mean this wasn't already illegal? Strange.
That's an add-on, Sir. But if you act today and bump up to the "Premium" model, it comes WITH the shark-mount. Buy our "Ultimate" model, and it even comes with the frikkin' sharks!
It's a great idea on paper, but I think in practice it wouldn't turn out well. The main issue I could see with it would be violence aimed at border officers by other border officers.
I'm all for letting them in, personally...I was just throwing out the "fix up their country so they don't come into ours" as an alternative to the "OH NOES ITS DEM DERE MEXICAN" people.
In the US, unless a game gets an Adult Only rating (which, aside from porn games, pretty much never happens anymore) it isn't "censored" by its rating...and as far as I know, there are no laws about selling M-rated games to minors...most stores just won't do it. Besides, with the advent of the Internet and things like Steam, not being able to buy a game because you are "underage" is mostly a thing of the past.
As far as the sex vs violence thing, feh...I would much rather my young child see a titty getting fondled rather than a head getting shot off (although, again, if they can prove to me they understand the difference between "entertainment" and "real life", I honestly don't care what they see.)
Again, I immediately thought of the rating system here in America...elsewhere in the world, I agree, it is badly implemented.
however I feel that you would agree with me if you were banned by a store employee from buying a product that you want and are legally entitled to purchase because you happened to be accompanied by your (legal minor) younger brother and store policy is to not sell that product to anyone accompanied by a minor. And why is that the store policy? Because the people who inspect and enforce these rules are too stupid to understand that yes, I play games in my free time too, and no, that doesn't make me a criminal just because I live in the same house as a minor.
Luckily, the general rule to not sell "M" rated games to minors here in the State's happened after I already turned 18, so I never had to deal with that (I turn 26 next month.)
Ah, my mistake...I saw "game ratings" and instantly thought of the ESRB ratings here in America (despite the fact that the freakin' article was about Australia). ::slaps self:: sorry about that.
I agree, the classification system in Australia is completely whacked.
Gaithersburg here!
So what you're saying is that you are closed-minded, set in your ways, and enjoy being told what applications you can and can't use on your mobile device?
Wow...I'm so happy for you.
Websites for Small Businesses in the DC Metro Area [stuartsilver.com]
Nice! I'm in Montgomery County :-) If I know anyone around here looking for services like yours, I'll point them your way.
I didn't think the 3D version of Alice was bad...in fact, I saw the 3D version by myself while my fiancee was gone, and then saw it in 2D when she was back in town. I definitely enjoyed the 3D version a lot more...the added depth it gave to everything really made the world pop off the screen more (literally and figuratively), and I found myself drawn into it a lot more.
Plus, let's not forget that a 3D movie is a movie that is shown digitally. It could just be me adjusting to more digital content, but film seems to be looking worse and worse nowadays in the theater, no matter which one I go to. There is still a "warmth" to it that digital doesn't have, but when I pay 10-12 dollars to see a movie on a big screen, I don't want parts of the movie to look blurry and parts of it look good...I want the whole thing to look good.
And, just to piss off the people that I piss off every time I do this, my review of Alice: http://livingwithanerd.com/alice-in-wonderland/
I'm going to take a shot in the dark and go ahead on assuming that you are on the young side.
The game rating system (aside from the "Adults Only" debacle, which honestly isn't much of a problem anymore) has been hugely successful. The ratings system for games isn't meant to be something that parents follow word for word, it is just a clear and easy to understand system they can use to determine whether they want their child playing something or not. Even though it is changing, a lot of parents still aren't gamers, and will have no way of knowing whether a game is appropriate for their kids or not. Knowing that a game has different levels of violence, language, or sexual content helps them make a decision without trying the game first themselves.
Personally, I wouldn't care what my kid played so long as they could demonstrate to me that they understand the difference between a video game and real life...but most parents don't feel that way. Knowing the media that their kids are consuming is important to them, and game ratings help them to do that.
I live in a rather heavy Mexican area, and we have NONE of those problems. They are courtious, good neighbors, keep their property well trimmed and maintain a friendly attitude. I know for a fact that at least three of the people on my "horseshoe" street are illegal immigrants, and I also know for a fact that those three work 12-14 hour days...which is a fuck of a lot more than I can claim (8 hours a day at a desk).
Sounds to me like your problem isn't Mexicans...sounds to me like your problem is assholes.
Why does the US have to pay for other countries problems?
We don't. But if we are going to spend billions of dollars trying to keep them out (which means they will still struggle), why not spend billions of dollars to give them a reason to stay home? We will still be spending our money on the problem, but this way we will be directly decreasing the suffering of other people.
Other countries still have humans in them, you know. Being from another arbitrary territory doesn't make them less human. Sorry if that sounds all hippy-like, but if people concentrated on taking care of the person next to them instead of themselves, everyone would be taken care of.
I'll go back to my land of sunshine and dreams now.
Dark Sector was banned? That's a shame. I know it amounts to nothing more than a Gears of War/Resident Evil 4 ripoff in terms of overall design, but it's seriously one of the most underrated games of this generation. Personally, I think it looks and plays better than Gears of War, and in some parts even ups the intensity (although it's scale is smaller than GoW). It has its problems, but it is still one hell of a fun game to play.
Screw the reviews you have read...if you enjoy third person shooting games in any capacity, you are doing yourself a massive disservice by not playing Dark Sector.
If this happens (which is entirely possible), I wouldn't be surprised if a "pirate" internet appears in some form or another.
Name one other country with a statue considered to be a national symbol that says "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breath free."
If we don't mean it, we shouldn't have that written on the Statue of Liberty. Just sayin'.
Now if we can just put an end to the asinine "war on drugs", we'll be in good shape. When the laws surrounding a substance are more harmful than the substance itself, there is a serious problem.
As far as the fence is concerned, if we had just poured $1.4 billion into Mexico's economy instead of this cluster fuck of an idea, workers would have less of a reason to leave Mexico and try to sneak into our country. They come here for jobs, but if we help create jobs in their own country...
We will never be able to keep them out, so why not make it so they have no reason to come here?
I've noticed Slashdot doing this more and more. There used to be a frivolous article once a week, twice at most. Now though, it seems there is at least one or two every day. What happened?
The very definition of a search engine prevents it from being passive :-)
...but are Toshiba bulbs available over here in America, possibly under a different name? I don't recall ever seeing Toshiba-branded light bulbs on shelves here...
While you made some great points, you're about two years too late:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-dannen/techwatch/internet-and-strip-mall-effect
What the hell is a "passive" search engine?
Come on, CNN. These people aren't saying "Oh, well, I have Facebook, so fuck Google"...they are just going to Facebook. What with Saint Patrick's day upon us and Spring Break happening in the near future, this doesn't surprise me, as a ton of people are likely using Facebook to organize parties and trips.