Age restriction/classification idea for games

[rossatdi]

The majority of people in the "No violent games" vs "No censorship at all" debate tend to come down on the "Practically no censorship but with age restrictions for various ages." This makes sense. I would be happy for my 16 year old kid to play CoD4 or L4D or GTAIV but probably not my 12 year old.

One might also agree that a high percentage of annoying online players are typically under the age restriction of the relevant game.

So why not (and I except there are difficulties) require a verification of birth date when registering for xbox live or playstation network. I'm sure this could be done instore easily (ID must be shown to buy an account) or through an online verification system.

Then any account would be unable to play age restricted game.
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Obviously all this would require advertising to parents but could it work? I kind of see kids getting a gamertag from a young age and it literally being an online passport type thing. Just a thought. Maybe it could be a crossplatform form of ID?

Sounds awfully facist now I think about it. Damn.

 

[The Stonker]

I would say it depends on the emotional growth of the person.
Like once when a Chinese kid or Thai don't know killed a man and stole his car just to see if it was as easy as in GTA4.

 

[Tsuki Tanaka]

Microsoft does have Parental Controls built in to the OS of the system, but most parents are too stupid and ignorant to know that it's even there. Sony might have one, as well, but I can't really recall; this doesn't apply to me, and Sony doesn't blatantly advertise it the way Microsoft does, so I can never quite remember. xD

ANYWAY

The point is, there are things similar to what you're proposing already in place, but it really comes down to the parents, and this isn't really going to change, either; once someone threatens to take away this freedom of parental choice, someone out there is going to ***** and complain and throw a fit about being told how to parent their children.

I'm not saying online passports, etc. are bad ideas, it just couldn't realistically work as long as there are stubborn, stupid, ignorant people out there.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Because it won't work. On Xbox Live, the majority of idiots may be 13 and younger, but on the internet?
Not so much. I personally know quite a few girls who, at age 11, were vastly more intelligent than the average 20 year old I'd meet on the webs.

But how do you know they weren't the same people? (besides that you know them personally and erm...)

All you have to go by is what a person puts in their profile.

 

[beddo]

Unfortunately that suggestion would not really be acceptable. Giving up a child's right to privacy for the sake of censorship/age restriction is far too big a trade. It's really not something a private company has any business knowing.

Clearly age restrictions on software boxes do not work. I think the only way do it it would be using technology. Only sell consoles to people who are over 18 and make it their responsibility to set up age appropriate profiles on the console.

The set up should be made very easy, a step by step method for the adult who bought the console. The set up method should be clearly displayed on the hardware's box so that the guardian is aware of the feature and its function.

Then any games would have content flags. This would stop the player from accessing unsuitable games on that console.

Microsoft have already done this however, it is not clear enough to parents in my opinion.

 

[rossatdi]

It just seems like if a good way of stopping kids gaming underage could be designed and implemented with the parents not having to do too much then it might help the whole industry by calming the horror stories.

 

[beddo]

Because it won't work. On Xbox Live, the majority of idiots may be 13 and younger, but on the internet?
Not so much. I personally know quite a few girls who, at age 11, were vastly more intelligent than the average 20 year old I'd meet on the webs.

How do you have any idea how people are on the internet? Did you just get it connected or something? Also, how do you measure people's intelligence?

Your post raises a number of other questions.

 

[Rahnzan]

If I had a kid, and he wanted a videogame, being a gamer myself, I would buy the game and play it myself from start to finish, go online and check on the cheats and easter eggs, and after that I would make an assessment per individual game whether or not I think my child should play this game.

We dont need censorship, we need guidance and thought. Censorship is lazy. How much WORK can it honestly be to get into your son's or daughter's hobby and guide them? I'd like to see one honest to god concerned parent tell me he hasn't got the time to play a video game to see if it's alright for his kid.

 

[beddo]

I would say it depends on the emotional growth of the person.
Like once when a Chinese kid or Thai don't know killed a man and stole his car just to see if it was as easy as in GTA4.

That's called a lie or a false excuse. Criminals will exploit whatever means they can to try and get a lighter sentence.

 

[fix-the-spade]

It just seems like if a good way of stopping kids gaming underage could be designed and implemented with the parents not having to do too much then it might help the whole industry by calming the horror stories.

Parental controls?

Follow instructions, set limit and password. 5 minutes and bang, done, never have to worry about again.

I realise this is beyond a lot of parent's initiative but still, the option and ability is already there.

 

[Rahnzan]

Parental controls?

Follow instructions, set limit and password. 5 minutes and bang, done, never have to worry about again.

I realise this is beyond a lot of parent's initiative but still, the option and ability is already there.

Agreed. They have no one to blame but themselves for lack of initiative. (Should have rolled a character with more Dex.)

 

[rossatdi]

It just seems like if a good way of stopping kids gaming underage could be designed and implemented with the parents not having to do too much then it might help the whole industry by calming the horror stories.

Parental controls?

Follow instructions, set limit and password. 5 minutes and bang, done, never have to worry about again.

I realise this is beyond a lot of parent's initiative but still, the option and ability is already there.

Do you think it'd be worth the industry getting together and launching a small ad campaign to this end? Makes sense from a PR point of view (I happen to work in PR & PA).

Something like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo making a joint ad campaign with simple instructions to enable the content control.

 

[Rahnzan]

Do you think it'd be worth the industry getting together and launching a small ad campaign to this end? Makes sense from a PR point of view (I happen to work in PR & PA).

Something like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo making a joint ad campaign with simple instructions to enable the content control.

If you want my opinion, I find nothing intrusive about anti-drug campaigns. I wouldn't terribly mind a 'Parents - play with your kids' campaign.

 

[rossatdi]

I wouldn't terribly mind a 'Parents - play with your kids' campaign.

I lol'd. Maybe that's not quite the message we want to send?

 

[Rahnzan]

Sick sick minds I tell ya <o<. Ya see what you want to see, tells more of you guys than of me. ;P

 

[Clemenstation]

If I had a kid, and he wanted a videogame, being a gamer myself, I would buy the game and play it myself from start to finish, go online and check on the cheats and easter eggs, and after that I would make an assessment per individual game whether or not I think my child should play this game.

While I agree entirely with the rationale here, by the time you've finished doing all this 'research' the kid has probably

a) played the game somewhere outside the home

or, more likely

b) become interested in the Next Big Gaming Spectacle, meaning you have to play THAT game now...

All in all, a sweet plot to get more gaming time in (don't worry baby, I'm just killing all of these people so little Timmy won't have to), but probably a little idealistic to put into practice.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Do you think it'd be worth the industry getting together and launching a small ad campaign to this end? Makes sense from a PR point of view (I happen to work in PR & PA).

Something like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo making a joint ad campaign with simple instructions to enable the content control.

That's... not a bad idea actually.

I think uniting the three of them would be the hardest part. Perhaps getting them to each pay a nominal fee so someone like the BBFC can make the advert would work.


It would be hilarious if a TV/newspaper campaign advertising console parental controls ran. The UK would echo to the sound of 14 year olds screaming "why the fuck doesn't Gears work anymore?!"

Because they'd never behave like twats.

Touche...

 

[Rahnzan]

If I had a kid, and he wanted a videogame, being a gamer myself, I would buy the game and play it myself from start to finish, go online and check on the cheats and easter eggs, and after that I would make an assessment per individual game whether or not I think my child should play this game.

While I agree entirely with the rationale here, by the time you've finished doing all this 'research' the kid has probably

a) played the game somewhere outside the home

or, more likely

b) become interested in the Next Big Gaming Spectacle, meaning you have to play THAT game now...

All in all, a sweet plot to get more gaming time in (don't worry baby, I'm just killing all of these people so little Timmy won't have to), but probably a little idealistic to put into practice.

Interesting counterpoints. But I'm a gamer. A stay-up-all-night-and-beat-that-game-into-submission gamer, personally I wont have those issues and I'm rather conniving so I could probably stall my 'kid's' attempts to play the game. For one if you tell him right off the bat (age 3, 4, whenever the heck he decides 'wow videogames!') what the law of the house is, he'll generally come to respect those terms and trust in my judgement, especially since if I BUY a game and I say he can play it, it's in the house so its not like he has to wait for Christmas. I'm a gamer, I'd want the game too.

 

[rossatdi]

Do you think it'd be worth the industry getting together and launching a small ad campaign to this end? Makes sense from a PR point of view (I happen to work in PR & PA).

Something like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo making a joint ad campaign with simple instructions to enable the content control.

That's... not a bad idea actually.

I think uniting the three of them would be the hardest part. Perhaps getting them to each pay a nominal fee so someone like the BBFC can make the advert would work.

It would be hilarious if a TV/newspaper campaign advertising console parental controls ran. The UK would echo to the sound of 14 year olds screaming "why the fuck doesn't Gears work anymore?!"

It'd be glorious wouldn't it? No more whiners or singers.

 

[fix-the-spade]

It'd be glorious wouldn't it? No more whiners or singers.

I doubt it'd stop singers. My old clan used to sing Queen songs to wind up the other team, worked a treat too.
On the plus side the singers would sing half decent songs you could sing along too, as opposed to whiney voiced umbrella elle elaa for the millionth time.