Yeah, because you know, Canada is such a hotbed of piracy action. Nothing like China, which is producing millions of DVD-9s containing 5 or 6 full-length (mostly-American) movies recorded at VCD quality for $5. A friend of mine came across some in the Chinese markets down in LA. Most of the movies were in English, with Chinese subtitles. A few were dubbed into Chinese, and one was an American movie dubbed into German, subbed in Chinese. Knowing a little of both languges and the movie, I can attest that neither translation was very good. But hey, for about a buck a movie, it's probably good enough for a lot of people.
Besides, doesn't Canada already have something similar to the copyright laws in the US that forbid people from making or distributing unlicensed copies of stuff? Why create something so specific as "no camcorders in movie theaters"? This means it's still not illegal to download a movie via Bittorrent, for instance...
$10/ticket is too much when you consider that your average moving going experience consists of:
* 10 minutes of TV commercials. * 20 minutes of movie previews (most of which you've already seen or really don't care about.) * a mis-balanced, overly loud sound system. * a theater packed full of kids (in a R movie?!) chatting on cellphones or waving laser pointers around. * paying $5 for a 16oz pop and small popcorn.
Or if you wait 6 months, you can get the same movie on DVD for $15-20 and watch it in the privacy of your own home. Not that I buy many movies on DVD. Netflix is much cheaper.
Have him personally go to each and every computer infected with the botnet spammer software, and clean it. If this requires a full system restore, be sure that all user data, settings and applications are migrated and re-installed as well.
When he's done with that, have his organs removed for transplant. At least then he will have left something positive behind.
Lack of countermeasures does not imply permission.
Do you have bars on your windows? No? Then it must be OK for me to break into your house. After all, I'm not commiting a crime here, otherwise you would have put appropriate countermeasures in place, right?
Oh, and excessive noise IS considered a crime. Don't believe me? Invite your local death metal band over to your place for an unbridled jam session at 3am, and see what your neighbors do. Well, it IS their fault after all. They could have installed better sound proofing on their houses, right?
Spam is tresspassing, fraud (on several different levels), theft, among other things.
This bozo has been spamming millions of messages a day, every day, for several years.
Sure, you could argue he's done nothing worse than maybe stealing a penny here, a penny there. However millions of pennies quickly adds up to several tens of thousands of dollars.
That doesn't include the countless hours people have spent manually deleting any spam that makes it through whatever filtering system they're using, the cost of the filter itself (some corps have easily spent $100k+ on their email filtering hardware/software)
Furthermore, it's not as if this bozo doesn't know his garbage is unwanted. Why else would he, and the other scum like him, spend so much time devising ways to defeat the filters and get his ads through? Hash busters, image-spam, haywyre encoded javascript, are just a few techniques that were clearly developed to slip through the filters and into users' email boxes.
65 years? Sounds about right to me. Knowing our screwy legal system, he'll probably end up barely spending 1 year in prison due to good behavior anyways.
Casual gamers generally don't buy game consoles. Think about it. You have to buy the console, which cost hundreds of dollars, and then the games are $50-60 each. On the other hand, the PC that most people already have is probably capable of playing the few games a casual gamer would be interested in and the games cost a lot less.
Yeah, I know that all 3 console makers are offering what could be called "casual games" via their respective download services for $10, but you still have to buy that console up front, and then figure out how to get it connected to the internet. Not necessarily something a casual gamer is going to want to be bothered with.
As for the Wii's overall popularity, I think part of it is due to parents buying one for their kids, and discovering they can play it too (Nintendo still has a very strong "family friendly" stigma attached to it). Another part are people who bought one because it seems trendy - these are the same people who bought a PS2...only to realize a few months later that the reason they hadn't bought a console before is that they don't really like video games. Not that this is going to matter to Nintendo overall... As with GameCube, their core of in-house titles had already guaranteed a profitably console. The extra sales from the buzz is just icing on the cake really.
It'll take more than a simple firmware upgrade or a better graphics chip to bring the Wii into the HD era...
Many older games are just going to look awful when upscaled to HD. If you look at the XBLA's arcade offerings, you'll see that they actually redid the graphics specifically for HD resolutions.
Sure, it's a sure thing that Nintendo's next console WILL do HD, but I don't think it's realistic to think that we'll see "WiiHD", in 2011. More likely, we'll see a whole new console (Wii2? Thrii? HDii?) in 2012.
How will the graphics become outdated? Yeah, HD is selling more and more each year, but even by 2010, most industry experts only estimate about 50-60% of homes will have a HDTV. Even then, Nintendo still has a largely "Family Friendly" reputation, meaning that even mom & dad get a big HDTV, the old TV will simply move into the playroom, taking the Wii with it. After all, isn't that what happens to all old electronics already? Buy a new computer? Kids get the old one. New DVD player? Kids get the old one. Etc.
From another standpoint, you have older, hardcore gamers, salivating at the thought of playing older titles offered via Virtual Console - some of which go all the way back to the original NES. You want to talk about outdated graphics...and yet these titles will continue to sell.
Between these two market segments, I don't see there being a problem with Nintendo staying out of the HD market entirely this round. Most people still don't - and won't - have HD during this generation. ESPECIALLY the so-called casual gamers who are still willing to buy a console.
In some regards, I agree with you. Games like Final Fantasy, to pick an easy example, aren't strictly RPGs, other than allowing you to imagine what it'd be like to be the character in the game. Then again, that would make even PacMan an RPG...
Anyways, I see console RPGs as a sort of an emerging medium in which to tell a story. They have elements of a movie, mixed in with a couple of game elements which is mainly in the form of a combat system. The player isn't superfluous, since he's required to make the decisions for battle, and in some cases, character building.
The overall experience is meant to be more interactive and engaging than just reading a book or watching a movie. The idea is to give the player some sense of accomplishment in _assisting_ the character achieve their objectives. I think this is the core difference between American and Japanese games. The current generation of RPGs are just the results of evolution along these two subtle, but very different, philosophies.
In your rush to paint all PS2 RPGs with your broad brush, you missed out on games like Shadow Hearts and Xenosaga.
Granted, they're still J-style games - you're locked into a fixed story with a fixed set of characters, with optional side-quests offering only minor distractions from the main story.
Most of the PC-RPGs I've played have been pretty bland when it comes to story and character development (other than stat-building that is...) I wanted something with more of a story, and J-RPGs filled that need, even though it did mean giving up other areas.
What I don't understand is why these must be seen as extreme opposites of each other. Fallout offered you a good open-ended story that you could control while not making you break out the calculator to figure out the optimal way to build your character, lest you end up with in an unwinnable situation.
If no(or very few) PS3s sell between now and then, would you feel comfortable releasing a game you've just spent $30mil making on a console that doesn't have a large enough market to make back your money?
Sure, FFXIII will sell consoles, but how many people do you know will be willing to pay close to $800 (PS3, game, better cables, tax) just for _one_ game?
There are already very unsubstantiated rumors that many PS3 titles have been delayed simply so that the publishers can take more of a 'wait & see' attitude with the PS3. Poor console sales isn't going to encourage publishers to release games for it.
I'm guessing Square probably had a contract with Sony for FFXIII to be released as an exclusive on the PS3 - which is probably part of their announcement that FFXIII will be a "franchise" with titles going to other consoles and handhelds.
However, if the PS3 really doesn't improve between now and then, look for Square to try and wiggle out of their contract by announcing a "collector's edition" for at one or both of the other major consoles.
My dad bought the Taurus when it first came in out '84 or so. He spent extra to get the electronic LED dashboard. Had all sorts of nifty things like different computational settings to show how many miles to the gallon you were getting, average speed, etc. Well, unfortunately the bulb for the panel didn't last very long. After about 8 months or so, it would burn out. The bulb itself wasn't too expensive - maybe $3. However, getting to it required 2 mechanics 2 hours to remove the entire dashboard, 1 minute to replace the bulb, and then another 2 hours to put the dashboard back.
One time he got pulled over by a cop. The cop asked "Do you know how fast you were going?" to which dad honestly replied "No." The cop saw that the dashboard was burned out, and let him off with a warning.
That's what my previous phone would do. Turn the backlight on HIGH, and beep.
Then, with its dying gasp, it would play the shutdown animation and music, which also would turn on the backlight.
Really now, why do cellphones have these long, stupid start-up/shutdown animations?
The other stupid thing about my previous cellphone was that it didn't have any sort of keylock, so when I'd put it in my pocket, I'd end up with 2 dozen shots of my keys in the dark.
I seriously hope that idiot goes through with this. It'll be amusing to watch Microsoft counter-sue idiot into oblivion.
Isn't there a law about threatening a lawsuit? Could this finally be the last straw that causes idiot to be disbarred entirely? Not that he couldn't still hire another idiot to act as his attorney, but I suspect it'll become more expensive for idiot to continue threatening companies in this manner.
I would say that in the past, the casual gamer was not interested in buying a relatively expensive, dedicated piece of electronics that was only good for playing games. If you were just interested in short/simple games, your current PC was plenty. Between online sites like YahooGames, and relatively cheap games in stores, there was no need for a game console. At the same time, if you DID buy a game console, it's because you're interested in the more complex/hardcore games available for it.
Think about it. Even if you wanted to take a popular casual game, like Bejeweled, and make it a Playstation release, it'd probably end up costing $30 due to the license fees. Furthermore, casual gamers would need to buy a Playstation just to play it. It wouldn't sell.
Now, what the 3 consoles have done this time around is start to make those types of games available via download at much more affordable prices. I still can't see someone buying a Xbox360 just to play UNO and Cataan online, though. However, if there was already a gamer in the house, others can now enjoy the console.
The Wii has been successful because it offers a combination of casual games, along with an easier controller, which removes much of the complexity that scares off many non-gamers. Sure, to you or I, something like the Playstation controller is second nature, but imagine if the last time you played a video game, you only had 1 stick and 1 button. The DualShock has 16 buttons (if you count L3, R3, Start and Select) and 2 sticks. My mom panicked the first time we tried to get her to play a game. Eventually, she started playing Katamari, because you can ignore most of the buttons.
Which makes me wonder... If video game characters had "home lives" would their video games be things like "Office Cubicle"?;)
I can just see Snake sitting in front of his TV playing this muttering "This game rocks! Oops, more TPS report coversheets to fill out! Woo-hoo! Man, I wish I could get paid to play this game. I'd play it 10-12 hours a day! Well, that's enough for now, I gotta get to work and bust that convuluted terrorist plotline by Friday. Where's my cardboard box?"
In some parts of the world, what is considered "normal" activities for children would end up having the parents arrested for child abuse/neglect.
For instance:
In Japan it is not unusual for children of mixed sex to bathe together, or even hop in the tub with mom or dad or other relatives.
In many parts of Europe, it's not unusual for children to have a small amount of wine with dinner on special ocassions.
Either of these would have social workers pounding down the doors so they can "rescue" the children from such an "abusive" environment.
Yes, there should be some definition of what is considered improper or abusive treatment of a child, but the definitions are vague, and basically boil down to "If social services is contacted, there must be a problem with the parents."
So, you're saying the store should have a policy to refuse sales of "M" games to unaccompanied minors, or that the store shouldn't even be involved with any sort of decision whatsoever?
Personally, I think the stores should make an attempt to enforce the ESRB rating - and movie theaters should do the same thing. If it really IS ok for the kid to buy "M" games, have a parent go with him. Or, for stores like EBGames/Gamestop, which have membership/discount cards, do what video stores do - put the parent's decision regarding M games on the card. That way, the kid can come in alone and buy whatever games he's allowed to without having to drag his mom/dad down there (which we all know is just TOTALLY embarassing!)
The rating is voluntary, meaning you don't have to get your game rated by the ESRB.
The fact that most retailers will only handle games with ratings is a separate issue.
The ESRB's rating is not final. It is possible to get the rating changed, and in fact, the ESRB has changed its ratings on some games.
Ignoring all that, it's still possible to sell games within the US without the ESRB, and without retailers.
Now then, using the government to decide what's "OK" or not runs afoul of our first amendment. Basically, it states that the GOVERNMENT may not make laws in which they have to determine what the public can view, read, say, or hear. This is why every single previous attempt made by our idiotic politicians on this matter has ALWAYS been thrown out by the courts - but only after the idiots waste millions of dollars just to get a few favorable sound-bites and photo-ops.
This isn't to say the ESRB is infalliable - far from it. I'm pretty sure that much of the stuff you can accuse the MPAA of from 'This Film Not Yet Rated' also applies (and maybe moreso) to the ESRB. However, our consitution prevents the government from becoming involved with the process any further, which many Americans would agree with.
As for porn...ya got me there. I don't know the whole history, but basically porn is considered in the same category as cigarettes or alcohol - substances that are detrimental to minors, and therefore, are to be restricted by law. I don't know what it takes to make something a detrimental substance. When do we see McDonalds barring unaccompanied children, for instance? After all, their junk is just as addictive and poisonous as cigarettes.
You're obviously not thinking this through, or aren't living in America.
There's a reason that every rating system for movies, games and TV are not - and CANNOT - be government run and it's written into the ammendments to the Constitution. Made #1, as it were...
Also, what alternate dimension do you live in where government programs are actually more *effective* at anything, other than red tape and corruption?
State-by-state rating system would be insane. So, instead of having to deal with just 1 organization, you want companies to deal with 50?! And if 1 state says "Good for everyone" and 1 state says "It's the work of the devil", what would you expect the company to do? Cater to the lowest denominator? Not sell in that state? (oh yeah, THAT'S going to work...)
As for your last point, you really don't understand how things work do you? Retailers can already make the decision to carry a game or not. If WalMart decides they won't carry anything "M" or higher, so be it. The publisher can decide if they want to either live without WalMart, or make changes. It SHOULD be the publisher's choice - NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S.
I've heard of stores (not just Walmart) having policies like this, and inevitably they all dropped it after having the same thing happen with angry parents yelling at the clerks.
Personally, I've never seen a store do this, nor have I seen a movie theater actually enforcing the movie ratings. Last R movie I went to see had the theater about half full of 13-16 year olds...
I'd like it if the stores did try to enforce the ratings, but they better do it for everything - not just games. For instance, have you EVER heard of a store refusing to sell a "R" movie to a kid? Much less the novelization of said movie... Yet, if the politicians had their way, a store could sell a kid "Halo: The Novel", but not Halo the video game. Huh?
Slashdot Mirror
You forgot "Step 4: Profit!"
That's one way to solve the overpopulation problem in China and other parts of SE Asia, Russia, and Eastern Europe...
Yeah, because you know, Canada is such a hotbed of piracy action. Nothing like China, which is producing millions of DVD-9s containing 5 or 6 full-length (mostly-American) movies recorded at VCD quality for $5. A friend of mine came across some in the Chinese markets down in LA. Most of the movies were in English, with Chinese subtitles. A few were dubbed into Chinese, and one was an American movie dubbed into German, subbed in Chinese. Knowing a little of both languges and the movie, I can attest that neither translation was very good. But hey, for about a buck a movie, it's probably good enough for a lot of people.
Besides, doesn't Canada already have something similar to the copyright laws in the US that forbid people from making or distributing unlicensed copies of stuff? Why create something so specific as "no camcorders in movie theaters"? This means it's still not illegal to download a movie via Bittorrent, for instance...
$10/ticket is too much when you consider that your average moving going experience consists of:
* 10 minutes of TV commercials.
* 20 minutes of movie previews (most of which you've already seen or really don't care about.)
* a mis-balanced, overly loud sound system.
* a theater packed full of kids (in a R movie?!) chatting on cellphones or waving laser pointers around.
* paying $5 for a 16oz pop and small popcorn.
Or if you wait 6 months, you can get the same movie on DVD for $15-20 and watch it in the privacy of your own home. Not that I buy many movies on DVD. Netflix is much cheaper.
Yeah. Besides, smeg is a much better expletive, and it's not a made-up word.
Have him personally go to each and every computer infected with the botnet spammer software, and clean it. If this requires a full system restore, be sure that all user data, settings and applications are migrated and re-installed as well.
When he's done with that, have his organs removed for transplant. At least then he will have left something positive behind.
Lack of countermeasures does not imply permission.
Do you have bars on your windows? No? Then it must be OK for me to break into your house. After all, I'm not commiting a crime here, otherwise you would have put appropriate countermeasures in place, right?
Oh, and excessive noise IS considered a crime. Don't believe me? Invite your local death metal band over to your place for an unbridled jam session at 3am, and see what your neighbors do. Well, it IS their fault after all. They could have installed better sound proofing on their houses, right?
Yeah...spoken like a true spammer.
Spam is tresspassing, fraud (on several different levels), theft, among other things.
This bozo has been spamming millions of messages a day, every day, for several years.
Sure, you could argue he's done nothing worse than maybe stealing a penny here, a penny there. However millions of pennies quickly adds up to several tens of thousands of dollars.
That doesn't include the countless hours people have spent manually deleting any spam that makes it through whatever filtering system they're using, the cost of the filter itself (some corps have easily spent $100k+ on their email filtering hardware/software)
Furthermore, it's not as if this bozo doesn't know his garbage is unwanted. Why else would he, and the other scum like him, spend so much time devising ways to defeat the filters and get his ads through? Hash busters, image-spam, haywyre encoded javascript, are just a few techniques that were clearly developed to slip through the filters and into users' email boxes.
65 years? Sounds about right to me. Knowing our screwy legal system, he'll probably end up barely spending 1 year in prison due to good behavior anyways.
Casual gamers generally don't buy game consoles. Think about it. You have to buy the console, which cost hundreds of dollars, and then the games are $50-60 each. On the other hand, the PC that most people already have is probably capable of playing the few games a casual gamer would be interested in and the games cost a lot less.
Yeah, I know that all 3 console makers are offering what could be called "casual games" via their respective download services for $10, but you still have to buy that console up front, and then figure out how to get it connected to the internet. Not necessarily something a casual gamer is going to want to be bothered with.
As for the Wii's overall popularity, I think part of it is due to parents buying one for their kids, and discovering they can play it too (Nintendo still has a very strong "family friendly" stigma attached to it). Another part are people who bought one because it seems trendy - these are the same people who bought a PS2...only to realize a few months later that the reason they hadn't bought a console before is that they don't really like video games. Not that this is going to matter to Nintendo overall... As with GameCube, their core of in-house titles had already guaranteed a profitably console. The extra sales from the buzz is just icing on the cake really.
It'll take more than a simple firmware upgrade or a better graphics chip to bring the Wii into the HD era...
Many older games are just going to look awful when upscaled to HD. If you look at the XBLA's arcade offerings, you'll see that they actually redid the graphics specifically for HD resolutions.
Sure, it's a sure thing that Nintendo's next console WILL do HD, but I don't think it's realistic to think that we'll see "WiiHD", in 2011. More likely, we'll see a whole new console (Wii2? Thrii? HDii?) in 2012.
How will the graphics become outdated? Yeah, HD is selling more and more each year, but even by 2010, most industry experts only estimate about 50-60% of homes will have a HDTV. Even then, Nintendo still has a largely "Family Friendly" reputation, meaning that even mom & dad get a big HDTV, the old TV will simply move into the playroom, taking the Wii with it. After all, isn't that what happens to all old electronics already? Buy a new computer? Kids get the old one. New DVD player? Kids get the old one. Etc.
From another standpoint, you have older, hardcore gamers, salivating at the thought of playing older titles offered via Virtual Console - some of which go all the way back to the original NES. You want to talk about outdated graphics...and yet these titles will continue to sell.
Between these two market segments, I don't see there being a problem with Nintendo staying out of the HD market entirely this round. Most people still don't - and won't - have HD during this generation. ESPECIALLY the so-called casual gamers who are still willing to buy a console.
In some regards, I agree with you. Games like Final Fantasy, to pick an easy example, aren't strictly RPGs, other than allowing you to imagine what it'd be like to be the character in the game. Then again, that would make even PacMan an RPG...
Anyways, I see console RPGs as a sort of an emerging medium in which to tell a story. They have elements of a movie, mixed in with a couple of game elements which is mainly in the form of a combat system. The player isn't superfluous, since he's required to make the decisions for battle, and in some cases, character building.
The overall experience is meant to be more interactive and engaging than just reading a book or watching a movie. The idea is to give the player some sense of accomplishment in _assisting_ the character achieve their objectives. I think this is the core difference between American and Japanese games. The current generation of RPGs are just the results of evolution along these two subtle, but very different, philosophies.
In your rush to paint all PS2 RPGs with your broad brush, you missed out on games like Shadow Hearts and Xenosaga.
Granted, they're still J-style games - you're locked into a fixed story with a fixed set of characters, with optional side-quests offering only minor distractions from the main story.
Most of the PC-RPGs I've played have been pretty bland when it comes to story and character development (other than stat-building that is...) I wanted something with more of a story, and J-RPGs filled that need, even though it did mean giving up other areas.
What I don't understand is why these must be seen as extreme opposites of each other. Fallout offered you a good open-ended story that you could control while not making you break out the calculator to figure out the optimal way to build your character, lest you end up with in an unwinnable situation.
Actually....yes they do.
If no(or very few) PS3s sell between now and then, would you feel comfortable releasing a game you've just spent $30mil making on a console that doesn't have a large enough market to make back your money?
Sure, FFXIII will sell consoles, but how many people do you know will be willing to pay close to $800 (PS3, game, better cables, tax) just for _one_ game?
There are already very unsubstantiated rumors that many PS3 titles have been delayed simply so that the publishers can take more of a 'wait & see' attitude with the PS3. Poor console sales isn't going to encourage publishers to release games for it.
I'm guessing Square probably had a contract with Sony for FFXIII to be released as an exclusive on the PS3 - which is probably part of their announcement that FFXIII will be a "franchise" with titles going to other consoles and handhelds.
However, if the PS3 really doesn't improve between now and then, look for Square to try and wiggle out of their contract by announcing a "collector's edition" for at one or both of the other major consoles.
Whoops, you're right. I meant LCD, not LED.
My dad bought the Taurus when it first came in out '84 or so. He spent extra to get the electronic LED dashboard. Had all sorts of nifty things like different computational settings to show how many miles to the gallon you were getting, average speed, etc. Well, unfortunately the bulb for the panel didn't last very long. After about 8 months or so, it would burn out. The bulb itself wasn't too expensive - maybe $3. However, getting to it required 2 mechanics 2 hours to remove the entire dashboard, 1 minute to replace the bulb, and then another 2 hours to put the dashboard back.
One time he got pulled over by a cop. The cop asked "Do you know how fast you were going?" to which dad honestly replied "No." The cop saw that the dashboard was burned out, and let him off with a warning.
That's what my previous phone would do. Turn the backlight on HIGH, and beep.
Then, with its dying gasp, it would play the shutdown animation and music, which also would turn on the backlight.
Really now, why do cellphones have these long, stupid start-up/shutdown animations?
The other stupid thing about my previous cellphone was that it didn't have any sort of keylock, so when I'd put it in my pocket, I'd end up with 2 dozen shots of my keys in the dark.
Cellphones, overall, are a bad technical feature.
I seriously hope that idiot goes through with this. It'll be amusing to watch Microsoft counter-sue idiot into oblivion.
Isn't there a law about threatening a lawsuit? Could this finally be the last straw that causes idiot to be disbarred entirely? Not that he couldn't still hire another idiot to act as his attorney, but I suspect it'll become more expensive for idiot to continue threatening companies in this manner.
I would say that in the past, the casual gamer was not interested in buying a relatively expensive, dedicated piece of electronics that was only good for playing games. If you were just interested in short/simple games, your current PC was plenty. Between online sites like YahooGames, and relatively cheap games in stores, there was no need for a game console. At the same time, if you DID buy a game console, it's because you're interested in the more complex/hardcore games available for it.
Think about it. Even if you wanted to take a popular casual game, like Bejeweled, and make it a Playstation release, it'd probably end up costing $30 due to the license fees. Furthermore, casual gamers would need to buy a Playstation just to play it. It wouldn't sell.
Now, what the 3 consoles have done this time around is start to make those types of games available via download at much more affordable prices. I still can't see someone buying a Xbox360 just to play UNO and Cataan online, though. However, if there was already a gamer in the house, others can now enjoy the console.
The Wii has been successful because it offers a combination of casual games, along with an easier controller, which removes much of the complexity that scares off many non-gamers. Sure, to you or I, something like the Playstation controller is second nature, but imagine if the last time you played a video game, you only had 1 stick and 1 button. The DualShock has 16 buttons (if you count L3, R3, Start and Select) and 2 sticks. My mom panicked the first time we tried to get her to play a game. Eventually, she started playing Katamari, because you can ignore most of the buttons.
Exactly.
;)
Which makes me wonder... If video game characters had "home lives" would their video games be things like "Office Cubicle"?
I can just see Snake sitting in front of his TV playing this muttering "This game rocks! Oops, more TPS report coversheets to fill out! Woo-hoo! Man, I wish I could get paid to play this game. I'd play it 10-12 hours a day! Well, that's enough for now, I gotta get to work and bust that convuluted terrorist plotline by Friday. Where's my cardboard box?"
In some parts of the world, what is considered "normal" activities for children would end up having the parents arrested for child abuse/neglect.
For instance:
In Japan it is not unusual for children of mixed sex to bathe together, or even hop in the tub with mom or dad or other relatives.
In many parts of Europe, it's not unusual for children to have a small amount of wine with dinner on special ocassions.
Either of these would have social workers pounding down the doors so they can "rescue" the children from such an "abusive" environment.
Yes, there should be some definition of what is considered improper or abusive treatment of a child, but the definitions are vague, and basically boil down to "If social services is contacted, there must be a problem with the parents."
So, you're saying the store should have a policy to refuse sales of "M" games to unaccompanied minors, or that the store shouldn't even be involved with any sort of decision whatsoever?
Personally, I think the stores should make an attempt to enforce the ESRB rating - and movie theaters should do the same thing. If it really IS ok for the kid to buy "M" games, have a parent go with him. Or, for stores like EBGames/Gamestop, which have membership/discount cards, do what video stores do - put the parent's decision regarding M games on the card. That way, the kid can come in alone and buy whatever games he's allowed to without having to drag his mom/dad down there (which we all know is just TOTALLY embarassing!)
The rating is voluntary, meaning you don't have to get your game rated by the ESRB.
The fact that most retailers will only handle games with ratings is a separate issue.
The ESRB's rating is not final. It is possible to get the rating changed, and in fact, the ESRB has changed its ratings on some games.
Ignoring all that, it's still possible to sell games within the US without the ESRB, and without retailers.
Now then, using the government to decide what's "OK" or not runs afoul of our first amendment. Basically, it states that the GOVERNMENT may not make laws in which they have to determine what the public can view, read, say, or hear. This is why every single previous attempt made by our idiotic politicians on this matter has ALWAYS been thrown out by the courts - but only after the idiots waste millions of dollars just to get a few favorable sound-bites and photo-ops.
This isn't to say the ESRB is infalliable - far from it. I'm pretty sure that much of the stuff you can accuse the MPAA of from 'This Film Not Yet Rated' also applies (and maybe moreso) to the ESRB. However, our consitution prevents the government from becoming involved with the process any further, which many Americans would agree with.
As for porn...ya got me there. I don't know the whole history, but basically porn is considered in the same category as cigarettes or alcohol - substances that are detrimental to minors, and therefore, are to be restricted by law. I don't know what it takes to make something a detrimental substance. When do we see McDonalds barring unaccompanied children, for instance? After all, their junk is just as addictive and poisonous as cigarettes.
You're obviously not thinking this through, or aren't living in America.
There's a reason that every rating system for movies, games and TV are not - and CANNOT - be government run and it's written into the ammendments to the Constitution. Made #1, as it were...
Also, what alternate dimension do you live in where government programs are actually more *effective* at anything, other than red tape and corruption?
State-by-state rating system would be insane. So, instead of having to deal with just 1 organization, you want companies to deal with 50?! And if 1 state says "Good for everyone" and 1 state says "It's the work of the devil", what would you expect the company to do? Cater to the lowest denominator? Not sell in that state? (oh yeah, THAT'S going to work...)
As for your last point, you really don't understand how things work do you? Retailers can already make the decision to carry a game or not. If WalMart decides they won't carry anything "M" or higher, so be it. The publisher can decide if they want to either live without WalMart, or make changes. It SHOULD be the publisher's choice - NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S.
I've heard of stores (not just Walmart) having policies like this, and inevitably they all dropped it after having the same thing happen with angry parents yelling at the clerks.
Personally, I've never seen a store do this, nor have I seen a movie theater actually enforcing the movie ratings. Last R movie I went to see had the theater about half full of 13-16 year olds...
I'd like it if the stores did try to enforce the ratings, but they better do it for everything - not just games. For instance, have you EVER heard of a store refusing to sell a "R" movie to a kid? Much less the novelization of said movie... Yet, if the politicians had their way, a store could sell a kid "Halo: The Novel", but not Halo the video game. Huh?