Hello, everyone at the escapist!
I've been browsing the forums for a while now, so i thought i'd join up.

So, first off.

What's everyones views on censorship of games?

mine; If the parents think the kid can play it. then it's up to them, frankly, there's an 18 (or, M) on games that arn't intended for younger than 18-year-olds for a reason.

EDIT: I just noticed: "If the parents think the kid can play it. " Please don't take that the wrong way, i dont think skill has anything on maturity XD

Oh hey we got some threads like this already, i think you'll find the search button is very handy at times but just not to be a jackass i'll give my opinion.
Basically yours. Parents decision if they think their kid is mature enough to play then let them.

The parents should be responsible, Plain and simple.

If children go on a killing spree, don't blame games, blame neglegent parents for ignoring the game age rating. In england it is most funny, because THE AGE NUMBER IS ON THE BOX.

There are threads like this, but, what the hell; I'll contribute rather than critize.

Games have labels based on what degree of violence/vulgarity they have in them. The reason the ESRB puts an 'M' label on, say, GTA, is because they don't want children to be exposed to the sex and drugs (and gunplay) in it. But honestly, how immpressionable are today's children? The child in California...wait, no, I'm sure that's not it - the child who blamed a robbery he commited on his playing of GTA. Do you really think he was stupid enough to play GTA and think 'Hmm, I could do this!' No, the game didn't cause him to rob that store, he robbed the store and plamed it on the game. Most games aren't even based in reality. They're based on, say, being a space marine, or an assassin in the 11th century. If a parent thinks their kid can play a game just to have fun, then by all means, screw the label. Do you think everyone who's playing GTA 4 right now is 17(18 in Europe)? No. And do you think everyone playing it is going to become a gun-toting thug? Almost certainly not. Games don't create violence, violence creates games.

Hey welcome to the forum. I gurantee no matter what thread you start some pedant will tell you it's already around somewhere. ALthough, from my understanding, everyone who's used to search button to double check has come up blank.
Seriously, it's really dull to have every second post tell us it's already been done. We haven't all been here from day one so you'll have to forgive our ignorance.

Anyway, if I think my nipper is EMOTIONALLY MATURE enough to play an age rated game that he maybe considered too young for I'll play through first to make sure it's not too severe, or at least make sure he doesn't play it on his own. Basically, he's my son, so he's my responsibilty. And noone elses.

The_Deleted:
Hey welcome to the forum. I gurantee no matter what thread you start some pedant will tell you it's already around somewhere. ALthough, from my understanding, everyone who's used to search button to double check has come up blank.
Seriously, it's really dull to have every second post tell us it's already been done. We haven't all been here from day one so you'll have to forgive our ignorance.

Anyway, if I think my nipper is EMOTIONALLY MATURE enough to play an age rated game that he maybe considered too young for I'll play through first to make sure it's not too severe, or at least make sure he doesn't play it on his own. Basically, he's my son, so he's my responsibilty. And noone elses.

I applaud you. When I was working at Wal-Mart over summer break, I gave a parent of the day award (never told them about it, of course. That would be weird, though I sometimes wanted to), and you'd have won it hands down. Need more parents like yourself, sir.

Censorship of anything is bad, nothing good can ever come of it. If everything isn't ok, nothing is.

The_Deleted:
We haven't all been here from day one so you'll have to forgive our ignorance.

Never! You must be awesome from birth and know every thread made evar!

Anyway, I think that all these age ratings are a joke. You can clearly tell that they mean nothing to most parents by playing ten minutes of Gears of War online. For a game meant for people 18+ you get a lot of people that are -15.

The_Deleted:
Hey welcome to the forum. I gurantee no matter what thread you start some pedant will tell you it's already around somewhere. ALthough, from my understanding, everyone who's used to search button to double check has come up blank.
Seriously, it's really dull to have every second post tell us it's already been done. We haven't all been here from day one so you'll have to forgive our ignorance.

Anyway, if I think my nipper is EMOTIONALLY MATURE enough to play an age rated game that he maybe considered too young for I'll play through first to make sure it's not too severe, or at least make sure he doesn't play it on his own. Basically, he's my son, so he's my responsibilty. And noone elses.

can I be your kid...

Great feedback : D

I'm sorry i didn't use the search but like, yah know, i'm lazy. I didn't wanna strain my eyes looking through searches to make sure im a golden egg in a pile of shit (A.K.A OPINIONS).

But anyways, games dont make kids killers. As this quote from Scream proves:

"MOVIES DONT MAKE PSYCHOPATHS!!! MOVIES GIVE PYSCHOPATHS IDEAS!!" end quote.

btw. IM SCOTTISH ;O

Games shouldn't be censored, but they should damn well make sure when they're releasing a game that there's an appropriate age rating on the front of the box. Not one of those crappy advisory ones either, a proper one, like the movie industry uses. You wouldn't take your child to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so why would you let them play Manhunt? It's illegal to sell an 18 rated DVD to a child, and the same should apply to games.

In short- don't censor the content, just make damn sure it's not going to get into the hands of kids.

you know slug has a point about 'they give pyschopaths ideas', I waited through a bomb threat seminar(i don't care if it isn't spelled right)and they gave out the names of explosive materials as examples and told us where you could buy them(i tried to just see if they were kidding and they weren't, the bombs they talk about worked). None of the speakers really seem like terrorists when they were wearing police uniforms...

anyways they gave us the knowledge and know-how for potential terrorism, what the hack man?

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
In short- don't censor the content, just make damn sure it's not going to get into the hands of kids.

Yes but that is the problem, say if an adult goes out an buys the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on DVD who is to ensure that it isn't for a child. All that can be done is not to sell it directly to a child.

I know I'm completely alone on this and nobody else in the world agrees with me, but maybe if we didn't censor children so much, they wouldn't find the things we're censoring so fascinating?

conqueror Kenny:

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
In short- don't censor the content, just make damn sure it's not going to get into the hands of kids.

Yes but that is the problem, say if an adult goes out an buys the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on DVD who is to ensure that it isn't for a child. All that can be done is not to sell it directly to a child.

But it's then the adults responsibilty. The guy who sells the film / game to an adult cannot be held responsible for who the adult gives it to.

runtheplacered:
I know I'm completely alone on this and nobody else in the world agrees with me, but maybe if we didn't censor children so much, they wouldn't find the things we're censoring so fascinating?

Absolutely not. There is some truth to this. It's fairly common knowledge that if you tell a child (& some adults) not do something without telling them why they shouldn't they will find out for themselves, be it game, music, film, drugs or electricity.
You need to give people the correct info (which the ERSB does to some degree). But as I've said already, responsibilty ultimatley comes down to the vendors & /or parents.
Parents seemed to be weak willed these days, and pester power holds alot of sway for those who don't have the balls to stand up to their own kids.

runtheplacered:
I know I'm completely alone on this and nobody else in the world agrees with me, but maybe if we didn't censor children so much, they wouldn't find the things we're censoring so fascinating?

See where this breaks down is the fact that without a certain amount of censorship (parental or otherwise) there would be no protection from the content that would be otherwise be (or desired to be) kept away from ANYONE not deemed...emotionally mature enough to handle it. It's not the fascination that is the issue, it is the intimacy and accessibility of questionable content.

EDIT: Just to be clear...I'm speaking of protection for those who are obvious minors, and the right of parents to say 'not in my house, bud'. Any censorship beyond the household i feel is...disingenuous.

While I'm here, my avatar isn't TOO revealing is it?... i mean.. you don't see anything so.... DONT CENSOR MEEEE!!!!!11ELEVENONEONE!

Anyways, I think everyone that has spoken on this thread should be on the BBFC (or whatever ratings board you have in your countries) Because we've came to a good conclusion in less than 2 days.

Parent's choice. In the end it's all about MATURITY.

yeah. parents responsability.

I was playing stuff like Turok before I was 15. In my opinion, if a child is mature and responsible enough to differentiate between games and reality, they can play what they want.
People that think it's a good idea to shhot someone because they did it on DOOM are probably mentally unstable and should be in special care - playing games should be the least of their worries.

I don't know what you're trying to say

we're censoring games?

in GTAIV, Niko throws out fuckbombs all the time, he goes to stripclubs (pretty tame ones incidentally), and goes home and bangs his girlfriend (most of whom scream really wierd things during sex)

in God of War, there are breasts all over the place.

In Manhunt, you can decapitate someone with a strip of barbed wire, and cut out their throat with a broken bottle.

Games aren't censored

There is a rating system designed to keep these games out of the hands of children, but that's not censorship.

It doesn't work, kids play them, but that's cause most parents are stupid.

This has been done before hasn't it?

I've not searched personaly so can't tell you.

I am in favour of censorship. I don't want a KKK game.

Knight Templar:
This has been done before hasn't it?

I've not searched personaly so can't tell you.

I've been posting here a month and I've seen it at least 6 times.

but that's ok, I really don't mind repeat posts.

You don't have to respond, let the mods handle it if it's an issue I say :)

shatnershaman:
I am in favour of censorship. I don't want a KKK game.

I would hope that it wouldn't be censorship involved in that, but rather good sense on the part of the designers.

censorship is an entirely different pony to showing restraint

censorship is someone coming along and saying "YOU CANT DO THAT"

and I'm fairly certain that the gaming industry has basically come back and said "YES WE CAN"

the only "censorship" involved in gaming is done by the companies. There is an Adults Only rating in the ESRB. No big games have it, because all the major distributors will not stock AO games.

So they keep things in the M rating, which can get pretty gritty and still maintain an M

that AO rating is a tough egg to crack, Manhunt 2 was threatened with it, and they toned it down just a bit.

but still, that's not censorship. They would have been totally in their rights to make the game, and get the AO rating. And then the stores would be in their rights to not stock it.

Altorin:

the only "censorship" involved in gaming is done by the companies. There is an Adults Only rating in the ESRB. No big games have it, because all the major distributors will not stock AO games.

Wait are you talking about games being made or being sold?

AO ratings are avoided for big budget game developers because stores won't carry them.

So I'm talking about both games being made and games being sold

but by games, I mean games with large budgets, like millions of dollars, that need to make up costs before making a profit

Altorin:
AO ratings are avoided for big budget game developers because stores won't carry them.

So I'm talking about both games being made and games being sold

but by games, I mean games with large budgets, like millions of dollars, that need to make up costs before making a profit

Then whats the arguement? AO is bad enough to not be made. Can't control the little flash games on da interwebz. Done.

I could ask you the same question, but I tire of this, lol

Altorin:
I could ask you the same question, but I tire of this, lol

Then lol your self to sleep with a lollaby.

Uhm i don't know if this is the same in America, and other out-side-of-the-uk-countries but
Over here, we have 2 different rating systems. theres the ones that use like the movie style (15), (18) things, but these mean it is ILLEGAL to sell or knowignly permit someone below that age to have the game. BUT! The other is a totally different thing it has like 3+, 12, and 16. and these it's fine for a 4 year old to come in and buy the 16 one because these ones arn't strictly law.

s-l-u-g:
Uhm i don't know if this is the same in America, and other out-side-of-the-uk-countries but
Over here, we have 2 different rating systems. theres the ones that use like the movie style (15), (18) things, but these mean it is ILLEGAL to sell or knowignly permit someone below that age to have the game. BUT! The other is a totally different thing it has like 3+, 12, and 16. and these it's fine for a 4 year old to come in and buy the 16 one because these ones arn't strictly law.

No, they are simply guide lines, but the BFCB will impose mandatory age ratings should they see fit.

My vote goes against censorship, as I feel that spewing on about freedom of speech and all that and then turning around blocking out whatever the board or government or whoever runs the show feels to be inappropriate would fit in as hypocritical in my logic. I realize that some things are not necessary for children to be getting into, but again, that would be, again, their parents responsibility to care for their children.

On that note, I wonder if Mr. Thompson has ever ventured onto these forums...

You cannot see protecting those who would be harmed by any media as an insult to freedom of speech or choice. While we should be allowed to view whatever we see fit as responsible adults we also have to remember that others may not have a fully developed mental capacity, for whatever reason, for understanding certain actions and comprehending the consequences of a given action should they try to copy it.
Anyone who has kids will tell you that as they grow they will pretend to be whatever they have been influenced by, in my nippers case it's The Hulk, Batman Hellboy, Optimus Prime & Spiderman. Now imagine a less responsible parent subjecting the child to porn, violence and racism and what affect that would have on an infant.

If we want the freedom to speak we also have to be mindful of whom we are speaking to.