The cold war on the Adults Only rating must stop if gaming is to grow up

Game ratings were designed to open the door for different kinds of content, not limit what can be shown or addressed in a video game.
The idea was that developers and publishers would be given more freedom in their games if it was simple to indicate that some games were aimed at an adult audience. The games were clearly marked that they weren’t for kids, retailers would enforce the ratings, and the stigma of gaming being a pursuit where children would stumble across potentially damaging content would be removed.

[sungam3d]

Tell me about it.
Australian gamers fought hard for an R18+ for our games.
But guess what? Nothing changed. MA15+ games were just re-branded as R18+
We still get contented from our games removed because our lame ass government doesn't think adults can deal with sex drugs and violence.

I thought that was the point of an R18+ rating, to have games available for all adults. But apparently not. Just another way for some old fart to make money by complaining about a game, getting content removed and setting the age rating on it.

Nothing has changed, and nothing ever will as long as old farts are running the show.

[ziggurcat]

Unfortunately, what happens is you get negligent parents that buy these games for their children... and then complain about games being too violent.

[ibrake4naps]

but if the games have an age limit, that's the equivalent of negligent parents buying porn for their kids and complaining about the nudity.

[Naga]

I partially agree. Consider, however, that many parents who purchase video games for their children have a completely different idea of what a video game even is. They consider "video games" through a lens which is dated by their age. They probably think of Mario, Sonic, Frogger, or any number of benign gaming experiences - what games once were.

Gaming, however, has grown up in a big way, and now rivals the mature experience of movies... and many parents don't realize this. This, I think, is one of the reasons video games aren't given the same level of scrutiny by parents. And in that way, it's very unlike the example you bring up of buying porn for children and complaining. The content of the latter is well known and always has been, while the same cannot be said of video games.

I'm not suggesting we give negligent parents a free pass, by any means. I'm just positing a partial explanation for the problem. At the end of the day, however, I think that if parents have raised children in an environment where video games can have such an impact on their conscience such that disrupts their moral compass... the parents have already failed in their duties. Video games have never been the real problem - bad parents have.

[ibrake4naps]

The videogame medium shouldn't be held back from anything film does just because parents are out of touch and think that games are a child's play thing.

[Naga]

That may be true, but I never suggested otherwise. What part of what I said are you disagreeing with?

[ibrake4naps]

My reply wasnt a dissagreement. I was just adding that since it's the problem of the parent's outdated perceptions, games should be rated but not censored...

[MasterD919]

As a kid, I would always play games that were meant for mature gamers. The only effect it has had on me is that I still enjoy playing them to this day.

It truly depends on the person. However, I completely understand the concern as games now a-days are significantly more graphic.

[alexkoepp]

The only thing that isn't in MA games anymore is showing sexual penetration... honestly does the author think this will make gaming grow up? AO games are made, if you are in such a thirst for them go buy them. Better yet when you are at the porn store to buy one just skip the game and buy a DVD or magazine instead...

[xymox333]

This is so stupid. I am getting sick of this, Does every single game made have to be rated MA17+ (Intended for people 17 and up) in the untied states before people are happy?

I swear these so called "adults" need to stop trying to make every single thing in this country for them and them alone. It's like they forget that there are other age groups are something. To be honest most of the people complaining seem to be in there 20s and 30s, they act like the world revolves around there age group only, therefor everything should be for them. Most of the other age groups seem to be fine with gaming how it is.

And for the love of God parents. Will you stop overprotecting your kids! Generation Z might be the last group of non-babied people born if parents keep this up. I understand wanting to keep your kid safe, but come on!

How do expect your kid to learn anything about life, if all you ever do is protect them, baby them, and deal with all of there problems for them. It is really hard for some kids after being raised like that to have any form of independence. Why? Because they got used to mom and dad doing everything for them.

[jessupj]

You have completely and utterly missed the point. Well done sir.

It's not about wanting more AO games. It's about giving developers the freedom to add whatever content they feel is necessary for their vision and it's also about giving adult gamers the choice of what games they want to buy instead of letting 3rd parties decide for them.

You do understand how immoral that is? Been forced to let a 3rd party decide what you can and can't buy.

You could even argue it's unconstitutional and against basic human rights.

I'm not asking for more AO games. I'm asking for the short sighted, stuck in the past 3rd parties to stop babying gaming and give the industry it's freedom.

[CrossingEden]

@jessupj, You basically just said that every developer should be allowed to put whatever they want into a game without taking any of the responsibility for it. If game developers wanna put whatever offensive content they want into a game then they need to take responsibility whenever that content is offensive to a large majority of people. That's how adulthood works.

[BQ32]

Truth is, AO rated games absolutely should be allowed on consoles. Now retailers have the right not to carry them i.e. their policy with pornography, but the console makers should not have the right to limit adult rated game content, especially if they do not limit other adult rated content such as xxx Blu-ray/DVD or streaming pornographic websites. The fact that they do, shows that games are treated differently for consumption then other modes of content, implying a younger less mature audience. This however just is NOT the case any longer if it ever was, so the author is correct, the industry needs to grow up. Also they should get their act in gear soon because interactive pornography is a huge untapped market ready to explode with new technologies such as the occulus rift and other VR headsets.

[Hicken]

I largely agree, but I think a big part of why console makers don't allow the games- and really, they do allow them, on home consoles, anyway... except Nintendo- is that retailers here in the West won't stock them. If JUST the major game retailers went back on this, it wouldn't matter if Walmart and others held firm; that's why porn can still be made, because they have outlets that will sell the movies even if Target doesn't.

But as long as stores like GameStop refuse to carry the games, then it's really just a waste of time.

Of course, this isn't the case everywhere. In Japan, you ca find some Adult Only games on consoles(though admittedly few), because there are plenty of retailers willing to stock said games.

Personally, I don't see any real reasons why they SHOULDN'T be allowed.

[Ogygian]

I don't see why the author goes on to say that they'd personally like to steer clear of them. I would stay clear of the AO games where violence, sexual content and taboos are used gratuitously, in such a way that they are the point of the game rather than the devices used to create a greater artistic product, but these are the elements which many great arthouse movies include.

If developers use thse factors in a mature way to create surreal and possibly eye-opening experiences then the "arthouse game" could become far more prevalent and important than it already is.

Saying that you'd steer clear of these games is part of the reason nobody wants to stock them; because many adults aren't mature enough to pick up an AO game without blushing.

[smashman98]

What could an ao rating bring to the table besides more sex I mean if that's what your into I won't judge and so shouldn't anyone else but the ao rating barely ever presents game designers from telling a mature story. I dontbsee the ao helping the industry grow in a positive way but to be fair ive never seen an example that showed ao can help the industry grow

[ShaunCameron]

I think the industry have never gotten over the Atari/Custer's Revenge fiasco. And that's why they're not that interested in doing AO-rated games. At least in the case of hardware-manufacturers.