Podcast for 7-4-2011

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Thankfully, the ESRB hasn't yet gone the route the MPAA rating system where it becomes an abusive way to shut down any movie for any reason with no accountability.

[MrBogosity]

Because it's more of a voluntary system; the MPAA is a cartel. There is no such cartel that I've seen with video games.

[AnCap Dave]

On the Robert Reich video, the comments reek of stupidity and cult of the omnipotent state.

@snipzor Ron Paul wants to get rid of all the regulatory agencies--they're not in the Constitution. The big corps would love that. They would then be totally free to pillage the middle class (they're not far from totally free now). Ron says he just wants us to be free, but without regulatory agencies we can be fed poisoned food, drugs, water, and forced to breath filthy air. Without regs, banks are free to ruin our economy. Without regs we can't sue the corps when they poison or cheat us.
Jack194343 1 week ago 2

To quote Randy Orton, "STUPID STUPID STUPID!"

[FSBlueApocalypse]

Thankfully, the ESRB hasn't yet gone the route the MPAA rating system where it becomes an abusive way to shut down any movie for any reason with no accountability.

The ESRB is weird, in general it seems they've gotten more lax on what will get a M vs a T. I think if something like Uncharted 2 came out in the late 90's it would've gotten a M rating.

But on the flip side you do see them occasionally throw down the "Adults Only" hammer of doom on games like Grand Theft Auto, Fahrenheit, and The Witcher even though they're on par with other M games.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Because it's more of a voluntary system; the MPAA is a cartel. There is no such cartel that I've seen with video games.

Though, isn't Blockbuster and Walmart's refusal to sell certain ratings their voluntary choice?  Albeit, not a very wise one considering the MPAA's blatant bias?

[MrBogosity]

They're making their decision based on what customers want. Apparently more customers don't want their children exposed to that than want to buy it.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

On the other hand, nobody wants a ratings system tainted by bias.  Remind me, why is the MPAA THE ratings system with no competitors who might offer a much more fair and better explained system?

[kiri2tsubasa]

On the other hand, nobody wants a ratings system tainted by bias.  Remind me, why is the MPAA THE ratings system with no competitors who might offer a much more fair and better explained system?

Duuurrrrr....If we do that who will protect the children.  After all, it isn't our job to do tha...that was painful just to write down as a joke.  I suspect that something like that may come up as reasoning against something new because there are people that are so lazy that they do not have any interest in deciding for them selves what is appropriate for their children to watch.

As a gamer, I can say that (probably with some bias) the ESRB is possibly one of the best rating systems we have in the US, at the moment.  Are their flaws, most likely, but the questions is, can they learn from their flaws and adapt to newer trends in the market.  I like to think they have (the ratings and listing what made the rating what it is, excessive language drug use, etc).