Parents Television Council Attacks Videogame Retailers

[TheRightToArmBears]

Thats actually bad.... in GAME (European/British Game Store branch) We're pretty much on pain of jail time instructed to ask for ID for 16+ and over games...

It sucks but...Adults come into the store and buy them for their kids and to my disgust it isn't illegal. As long as they doll the money and make the purchase there's nothing I can do, even if their little hellspawn is standing next to them pulling the puppet strings.

To be honest, I don't want to sell GTA4 to a kid. That to me is morally irresponsible.

I see what you mean, but I personally wouldn't have too many problems over selling a 16 year old CoD, although I probably wouldn't fo the sake of keeping my job.

I think the best way out of all this crap is if there is some better education set up for parents. Unfortunately, I doubt Yee or the PTC will listen.

 

[Tim Latshaw]

Sounds like they're really that desperate to get attention back to them with those declining numbers they have.

This seems the most likely scenario. The timing and the way the study was targeted is screaming, "Hey, concerned peoples! Look at us; we're being relevant! Please join us and give us money!"

 

[Macgyvercas]

Oh for fuck's...When will these nuts just shut up already?! Seriously, stupidity like this is one of the reasons I'm so cynical.

I hope the Supreme Court sides with us and crushes this arguement once and for all.

 

[SonicWaffle]

By taking statistics out of context and painting them in an incredibly negative light, the PTC creates the impression of gross negligence or incompetence on part of videogame retailers, when in fact they're actually doing more to comply with the relevant guidelines than anyone else. The PTC isn't stating facts here, it's issuing propaganda.

Why would they do anything else? They are a propaganda group. They have a strong message, and naturally will massage statistics and other data into correlating with their message, just like every other propaganda group, government report, news report etc. The reason they exist is to accomplish their goal, so expecting them to neglect an opportunity to push their agenda is just silly.

Oh, and FYI 'source' is typoed at the end of the article ;-)

 

[Woodsey]

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

They may never have seen a pair of tits or some violence until they were 35, but kids have been getting their hands on stuff they shouldn't for a long time, and you're never going to catch every piece of illicit material. It's not actually going to do any damage.

 

[trophykiller]

I've actually found that the most messed up kids I've met actually don't play games. Eat that one PTC.

 

[UnravThreads]

The laws in Britain exist so the child's parent or guardian can determine what their child is capable of understanding properly and not have others interfere. The gradings are a guideline for parents and law for everyone else to prevent others allowing a child to be presented with potentially 'damaging' media.

It doesn't matter whether you think they are being irresponsible, you don't know that child or the moral stance of their family. In all probability they are being utterly irresponsible but it isn't our place to deny them the decision.

Pretty much. My mum knew what games I was getting because she had to get them for me (GTA, basically!). I couldn't go into GAME or Gamestation and get GTA of my own accord, I had to get her to get it for me. When San Andreas came out, again, she knew I was getting it because she bought it for me. Yes, all I had to do was give her the money and ask her to get it for me, but that law meant she knew what I was getting. Even though I'm 21 in December, she still knows if I bring GTA or other games of that ilk into the house because I tell her.

I, personally, think it's a brilliant law. I'd rather that, in a situation like this, the retailers are overbearing with checking for ID. I've been ID'd for gaming magazines!

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Seeing as America is only 400 years old and was settled by political extremists (dissidents against the king), I have to wonder whether all this (from the position of logical people) rampant idiocy is merely the teething pains of a nation.

Did the British Empire have this sort of crap about the European continental art influx I wonder?

 

[SonicWaffle]

It sucks but...Adults come into the store and buy them for their kids and to my disgust it isn't illegal. As long as they doll the money and make the purchase there's nothing I can do, even if their little hellspawn is standing next to them pulling the puppet strings.

Which is odd, because if you were to do that with alcohol or cigarettes, there'd be big fines. I realise that the two are not really comparable in terms of the damage they do, but that shouldn't matter in the eyes of the law. If something is illegal then it's illegal.

 

[Kurokami]

I just find it ironic this is a council of parents bitching, maybe instead of going out concerning themselves with how gaming retailers are treating children they should watch their own. I'm fine with the idea of not wanting to have retailers selling to underaged kids, but exactly how do the kids sneak it past the parents?

 

[Dragunai]

"What do you want to do today brain?"
"The same thing we do everyday Pinky TRY TO DESTROY THE GAMING WORLD!"

Clearly these guys consist of old age pensioners, over zealous christians, bleeding hearts and whiners who collectively have NOTHING to do other than ***** about stuff that doesnt affect them but seeing as children play these games it must be evil because they aren't reading Dickens, Studying the bible / homework or in a school / library / church somewhere being good little conformists doing exactly what they are told to.

Apperently free will in the entertainment industry is wrong.

"Parents Television Council" ...

I feel sorry for the children of these "Parents"

Most people play videogames on pcs or hook their PS3 / 360 through high def 22 inch monitors so no this is not television and if im being pedantic a monitor is not a tv.
In fact being super anal about this I will raise the point that a Television "watchdog" Should be out there whining about TV shows on TV that come through a TV but seeing as Family Guy isnt making new episodes and is basically untouchable they just go after the games industry instead.

You sad, sad people.
You know what might cheer you up and take your mind off whining?

Here hold this lump of white plastic while I push this button, HA! Now your playing Modern warfare 2! THE HORROR OF THE FAKE BLOOD AND SIMULATED WAR TIME SCENARIOS!

OMG THE SHEER HORROR OF IT ALL.

Surely this is the end of days!

I think I'm going to momentarily step into the circle of failed personalities on this site who quote Yahtzee to seem intelligent / funny:

It went along the lines of "A video games controller is about as realistic of an actual guns controls as 'something offensive about something'" probably another shot at the wii.

so yeah...

Down with the PTC!

 

[Charli]

Really I would have expected this grade of material from the beginning. It's not a problem as all it takes to counter is pointing out that all other media is doing worse and therefore it's above socially acceptable levels.

It sucks but...Adults come into the store and buy them for their kids and to my disgust it isn't illegal.
To be honest, I don't want to sell GTA4 to a kid. That to me is morally irresponsible.
.

The laws in Britain exist so the child's parent or guardian can determine what their child is capable of understanding properly and not have others interfere. The gradings are a guideline for parents and law for everyone else to prevent others allowing a child to be presented with potentially 'damaging' media.

It doesn't matter whether you think they are being irresponsible, you don't know that child or the moral stance of their family. In all probability they are being utterly irresponsible but it isn't our place to deny them the decision.

Yep and the few parents who are aware I have no problem with, it's those sleepy eyed, obviously ruled by their kids, idiots who don't even look at the boxes and their screaming brat is jumping up and down yelling at them to hurry up...

It's almost insulting to sell them something far too sophisticated for their tiny brains to understand past "BLAM BLAM DEAD, RAWH, *VIOLENCE*" ...And don't get me wrong I have neighbors with that problem, watching them play video games is like watching an ADD child play with the medicine cabinet... So very very wrong, and no concept of what they really are...

I don't want to police video games. I love video games. I want parents to understand their kids better. Giving a child of twelve something like Fable 3, I have no kicks with, they'll probably get it and even enjoy it. It's giving 7 year olds Call of Duty that I disagree with.


But that's just me, you only quoted a fraction of my post, I disagree with the parents in America whole heartedly.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Why would they do anything else? They are a propaganda group. They have a strong message, and naturally will massage statistics and other data into correlating with their message, just like every other propaganda group, government report, news report etc. The reason they exist is to accomplish their goal, so expecting them to neglect an opportunity to push their agenda is just silly.

That's a valid point, but the instances of minors being able to buy R-rated movies are much higher, and as a media watchdog, rather than just a videogame watchdog, you'd think that the PTC would be more concerned over those figures.

My personal theory is that the PTC is pushing this angle specifically, because for music and film, there's no chance of laws being established which regulates their sale, whereas for videogames, that's currently a very real proposition.

 

[Danish rage]

Well i dont like either part in this. But to be fair and as a dad myself, i DO think Gamestop have some responsebillety in conjunction whit the parents to make sure 11 year olds dont find there way to my Call of duty session. Or at least to the headset.

In my humble oppinion i would prefer a age rating for owning a headset.

 

[Artina89]

Oh for crying out...
They are completely flying now. Attempting to find somthing slightly wrong, somthing that also applys to film and music even more so.

I love Charlie Brooker. That video has just encapsulated what I want to say to these people. Here's an idea PTC. How about you actually play a couple of games before you make wild sweeping statements about videogames. Play some Mario, Little big planet or something and then you will probably find that videogames aren't all bad.

 

[paragon1]

Oh for fuck sake. When will these braindead fools stop trying to destroy a medium that they don't fully understand.

- Edit -

Wait a minute... did I read that right? The "Horrors of videogames"? I think that this proves that what we have been saying all along is true. They have absolutely no comprehension of the medium, and, now that people are starting to see them for what they are, they are so desperate to find some shred of indecency in the industry. Its pathetic really, and I pity them.

I don't. People like that are the bane of a freethinking society, and we'd all be better off without them.

 

[chieften]

I'm taking a stats class right now and I am finding a few not so small errors in the PTC's methodology, the biggest being that they only took one sample. They should have at least done 3 and then averaged them together. although ideally they would do at least a dozen, kick out an outlier and then plot some fun Z-scores and other sexy statistics to get a more accurate percentage.

 

[Dastardly]

Why would they do anything else? They are a propaganda group. They have a strong message, and naturally will massage statistics and other data into correlating with their message, just like every other propaganda group, government report, news report etc. The reason they exist is to accomplish their goal, so expecting them to neglect an opportunity to push their agenda is just silly.

That's a valid point, but the instances of minors being able to buy R-rated movies are much higher, and as a media watchdog, rather than just a videogame watchdog, you'd think that the PTC would be more concerned over those figures.

My personal theory is that the PTC is pushing this angle specifically, because for music and film, there's no chance of laws being established which regulates their sale, whereas for videogames, that's currently a very real proposition.

The bigger problem here is that PTC is a singular body that can speak on its own behalf, hire spokespersons, farm a few media outlets, and probably save a mint on the whole process by some stretch of "non-profit organization" tactics.

The "video game industry," however, isn't a singular body. There isn't a panel or council who can speak on behalf of "the industry." What that means is that the PTC has a microphone from which to spout all the propaganda, but the video game industry doesn't have as convenient a means to fight back. Otherwise, they could simply put their own findings out there in the press (regarding the success rate of their rating system over others) and embarrass the hell out of the PTC.

Until the industry gets over all this ridiculous in-fighting and forms, somewhere, a cohesive body of policy makers (or at least talking heads) that can get mainstream press time, we won't be able to counter the PTC's guerilla tactics. It will also mean spending some money, which makes it even less likely.

 

[permacrete]

The responsibility to monitor and regulate a kid's video gaming ultimately falls entirely upon the parents. For a retailer to refuse a sale of an M rated game to a minor is a courtesy and convenience to parents, not a replacement for parental oversight. It will always be possible for a kid to get an older sibling or friend, or a crazy uncle, etc. to buy an M game, a dirty magazine, an R (or X) rated movie, booze, a controlled substance, etc.

Some things are inherently dangerous (like drugs & alcohol) and need rigorous control. Video games, even ones that have buckets of blood, viscera, graphic beheadings, or (horror!) a single nipple visible for two seconds are not among the dangerous things, and these censorship lunatics need to be shut down by the courts, conclusively.

Ultimately, free speech is going to include some shit you don't want your kids to hear. It is your obligation as a parent to deal with it like an adult. The ratings are there to help you out, not to do your job for you.