Author Topic: Rated M or AO? (Read 11032 times)

Mr. Melee · « **on:** June 27, 2007, 10:23:17 PM »

This is something that's been bugging me for quite a while. What is the point of Rated M if there is a Rated AO? First of all, it's only one year's worth of difference, so it seems very superfluous. Second, and more importantly, it seems as if a person is going to undergo some serious and critical change between the ages of 17 and 18 and become mature enough to handle nudity. It all just makes no sense.
I think there should just be a Rated M that is 18+. If you disagree, then you probably understand the seemingly-subtle difference here, so please explain it to me so that I may get a better understanding. As of now, though, the whole thing is superfluous.

MaxVance · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2007, 10:30:43 PM »

The ESRB is probably just afraid to use AO due to its harshness. Besides, stores don't have to not sell M rated games to those under 17. It's just recently that some stores hae started doing that. If games are really that violent, the ESRB should just start using AO more.

Lizard Dude · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2007, 10:34:24 PM »

+ Yes, I agree AO is pointless (at least the age 18 vs. 17 idea).

+ The ESRB is not afraid to use AO. Recent Manhunt 2 ratings have proven this. People just don't usually make games that "bad" because...

+ Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all explicity ban AO-games from being released on their consoles. Only PC games can survive being AO (like the uncensored version of the latest Leisure Suit Larry).

SolidShroom · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2007, 10:42:03 PM »

AO ratings make a game's sales skyrocket though. Like, for some reason I really really really want Manhunt 2 now.

Lizard Dude · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2007, 11:10:54 PM »

AO ratings make the game's sales ALMOST ZERO because the game can't be released on Wii, PS3, or 360, and will not be sold in Wal*Mart, Target, GameStop, EB Games, and all the others.

Your only hope of buying an AO game these days is through direct-download purchase on PC or from a non-huge-chain store. (We had the AO-rated PC Leisure Suit Larry where I work.)

MaxVance · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2007, 11:32:29 PM »

Quote from: SolidShroom on June 27, 2007, 10:42:03 PM

AO ratings make a game's sales skyrocket though. Like, for some reason I really really really want Manhunt 2 now.

You want it simply because the ESRB rated it AO? I thought you wanted it before it was rated.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2007, 11:37:30 PM »

Can parents still authorize minors' purchases of AO games? In Oklahoma I believe my store can't sell AO games (read: GTA:SA original version) at all, but I think the stores in Kansas and Missouri can. I'm wondering if maybe though the person buying it has to be over 18/can't buy it for minors or something.

Robert · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2007, 06:32:18 AM »

Speaking of Manhunt 2, why is everyone banning it? I mean, what's the point of having an AO rating if games given that rating are just going to get banned? The ratings the ESRB give out are supposed to tell you about any explict content on the game, not to ban overly-violent games. If a parent isn't fond of his/her children playing an AO game, then it's as simple as just not buying the game or sitting down with your child to let him/her know what's right and what's wrong before letting him/her play.

I dunno about any of you, but I find censorship and banning to be a big form of government control. Seriously. Why should the government tell me what I can and cannot play?

Glorb · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2007, 06:44:47 AM »

Well, remember that kid in New Zealand or whatever, who was supposedly killed by a kid in a Manhunt-induced bout of rage? It turns out the killer had no copy of the game and was in fact robbing the other kid, who, ironically, was 15 and owned Manhunt. Thus, Manhunt had less than nothing to do with the crime. That didn't stop his family from crusading for video game censorship after that, and now they're calling Rockstar callous and evil because they're releasing Manhunt 2 on the Wii, a little kids' system (never mind Red Steel, Scarface, Resident Evil 4, etc.) I mean, really. Give up the act. They just can't acknowledge that their kid's friend was an evil psycho and that both family's parenting skills are to blame.

I think the ESRB needs to become less strict. For example, the MPAA allows, at most, one usage of the "F" word in a PG-13 movie. Contrast that with the ESRB, which doesn't allow the "S" word to be used in T-rated games. I think it's even okay to have a sex scene in a PG movie as long as it's partly off-camera.

Luigison · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2007, 10:15:10 AM »

GameStop wouldn't sell the original version of GTA:SA after it had been hacked to unlock the sex game. Never mind the fact the 99% of consumers wouldn't be able to access said content. On the other hand, GameStop continued to sell a crappy game which has an underage girl bouncing around topless that anyone with the game could see. On yet another hand, I agree with the Man Hunt 2 AO rating, but don't understand parents who will let little kids watch movies like Saw because they don't have sex/nudity.

Robert · « **Reply #10 on:** June 28, 2007, 08:44:33 PM »

Quote from: Luigison on June 28, 2007, 10:15:10 AM

GameStop wouldn't sell the original version of GTA:SA after it had been hacked to unlock the sex game. Never mind the fact the 99% of consumers wouldn't be able to access said content. On the other hand, GameStop continued to sell a crappy game which has an underage girl bouncing around topless that anyone with the game could see. On yet another hand, I agree with the Man Hunt 2 AO rating, but don't understand parents who will let little kids watch movies like Saw because they don't have sex/nudity.

Really, I don't know why, but there's something about Nudity and sex you don't want your kid to see, whether or not your child has the right morals. I'd much rather see a little kid be playing an M-rated game instead of watching porn. Perhaps it's easier to teach children why killing is wrong than it is teaching them about sex.

I believe that children should be able to watch/ play whatever they want (except porn), as long as they have been tought proper morals and values not to do those things.

MEGAß¥TE · « **Reply #11 on:** June 28, 2007, 11:35:37 PM »

Actually, that's more of an American mindset. Europe has stronger opposition to violence but has no problem with sex. I think this was a point Luigison was trying to make.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2007, 11:54:08 PM »

Referring to Robert's post, I think the whole idea of banning something in order to save us from ourselves is pretty ridiculous too.

BP · « **Reply #13 on:** June 29, 2007, 04:32:27 AM »

Quote from: MEGAß¥TE on June 28, 2007, 11:35:37 PM

Actually, that's more of an American mindset. Europe has stronger opposition to violence but has no problem with sex. I think this was a point Luigison was trying to make.

I never though about how odd that is... Sex is something most people will experience in life, so it should in theory be no problem. However, underage pregnancy is a problem, HIV and other STDs are problems, et cetera. But, of course, so is becoming an insane murderer... I don't know any of this from experience, for the record.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #14 on:** June 29, 2007, 06:20:14 AM »

We are far too afraid of everything these days. Sex being one of them.