November 29, 2006
What a difference a year makes.In its 2005 Annual Video Game Report Card the National Institute on Media & Family gave the ESRB a big, red F for accuracy of video game ratings. And it didn't stand for "fine."
That was in the wake of the Hot Coffee scandal, of course. This time around the game industry did far better in the eyes of Dr. David Walsh's organization, earning B's for "Ratings Education" and "Retailer Policies."
Console makers scored an A for their system's built-in parental controls, and big box retailers grabbed their own A for ratings enforcement. Specialty game retailers, however, were tagged with an F.
NIMF spanked parents with an "incomplete" grade, saying moms and dads of young gamers "could be, and should be, doing a lot better..."
The report card is being released today at a Washington, D.C. news conference jointly held by NIMF executive director Dr. David Walsh and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), a longtime supporter of the the organization and its work.
GamePolitics, however, snuck into the principal's office for an advance peek at the grades. Highlights include unexpected kudos for the video game business:
This year we acknowledge the strides taken by... the industry. For example, the major retailers have made real progress in fulfilling their commitment to restrict the sale of mature-themed games.
Industry representatives have also been willing to participate in meaningful discussions, including a national summit we co-hosted this fall.
In the report NIMF acknowledges the increasingly important role of video games in modern youth culture:
The fact is video games are here to stay. Increasingly, they play a large role in the lives of young people.
But the watchdog organization found a significant divide between how parents and kids view gaming:
Parents are falling behind... this year’s parental survey uncovered an alarming gap between what kids say about the role of video games in their lives and what parents are willing to admit... This much is certain: too many of us do not seem to exercise enough control.
While lauding big box retailers such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target, the NIMF report card slams specialty video game retailers, although none are named specifically. Explaining the F awarded to game shops, NIMF said:
Unfortunately, specialty stores seem more interested in making money than anything else. Despite years of scrutiny and repeated promises to clean up their act, it is still far too easy for kids to purchase inappropriate games at such stores.
To be fair, NIMF's secret shopper survey data is based on a relatively low sample size. And, without naming specific specialty retailers, it's difficult to place the failing grade in any sort of context.
NIMF also expresses concerns about game addiction and the contribution of excessive gaming to childhood obesity. The report card calls for more research, saying:
Last year we said that every child who plays video games is undertaking a powerful developmental experiment - the results of which we don't understand... We need more research on the ways interactive entertainment affects child health an development.
The recent National Summit on Video Games, Youth and Public Policy comes in for prominent mention. The report card promises that in coming weeks summit participants will release a "ten-year plan" to limit underage access to violent and sexually-explicit video games.
While the failing grade will surely provoke outrage among specialty game retailers, the 2006 report card isn't likely to send shockwaves through the industry the way last year's harsh criticism of the ESRB did.
Readers can download the 2006 Video Game Report Card here.
Comments
http://www.mediafamily.org/kidscore/chart.asp?ID=11134
Andrew Eisen
Andrew Eisen
YES!!! Their not a bunch of censorcrats after all!! this, my friends, this is something to celebrate.
BTW, here's Daniel Report Card:
Jack Thompson - (F) for being completely and utterly ineffective in his crusades and for getting a judge to file a bar complaint against him
Hillary Clinton - (I) for hiding under some Bush as she tries to align her political forces for 2008
Joe Lieberman - (I) for independent and not having a chance to chair any senatorial committee
State Governors and Legislators- (D) for being incompetent and rubber stamping legislation that is sure to cost their states money in legal fees
NIMF - (D) for rounding up a bunch of researchers who agree with its agenda to some irrelevant workshop
Rockstar – (A) for continuing to stick it to Thompson and his cronies and for being the best damn videogame developer on the planet, I want Bully 2!!!
Gamepolitics - (A+) for giving us up to date information, and being objective and fair
Turning a blind eye
I found the INCOMPLETE grade the most interesting part of Dennis’s report. Why wouldn’t NIMF simply fail parents for not following the ratings? Sure, no one said parents had to, not even the ESRB. Ratings are merely suggestions. Parents are free to use them or not use them but they should know they are there. Here’s what NIMF has to say on the matter:
How is that a mixed message? Just because I wouldn’t recommend mature games to kids doesn’t automatically mean they’re harmful to them. NIMF and its ilk are the ones creating the confusion by saying games are harmful, the ratings are broken, follow the ratings.
Andrew Eisen
http://www.mediafamily.org/research/report_vgrc_2006.shtml
Andrew Eisen
So, parents, move that game system out of the basement/bedroom, put it somewhere more public, and pay attention once in a while. ;)
It is sort of confusing to a parent who is new to this though. Why would they recommend you not show it to young kids? What's wrong with doing so? Nothing? Oh, then why does it matter?
Remember, people are inherently inertial, you need a reason for them to change course...
If they're focusing on just games then they should rename theirselves to something different because they're just being hypocrites by not judging movies, comics, TV, music, books, newspaper, etc., etc..
It is all Media after-all.
Or maybe it's just me.
This is their annual video game report. I'm not sure why they don't do an annual movie theatre or TV one...
However, I would like to request a correction in the GamePolitics article. Lieberman is no longer D-CT. He's CfL-CT. Big difference. (We'll caucus with him, but we don't claim him as one of our own anymore.)
I prefer Ind-CT. "Conneticut for Lieberman" is just too silly a party name... ;)
Pix or it didn't happen. I call bullshit cheapshot here. Specialty stores? I guess they mean EB/Gamestop, but they are just as good at enforcing the ratings, at least in my area. And they have more to lose, being that the fierce competition with the Big Box guys means that if they piss off a parent by selling an M game to the kid, they lose a customer, and they have less customers already than the Wal-Marts/BB/Targets. Also, the Big stores havea bigger budget for signage. Unfair, NIMF. I guess Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy aren't interested in making money, huh Walsh. They have only the interests of the kiddies in mind, *snort*
"Last year we said that every child who plays video games is undertaking a powerful developmental experiment - the results of which we don’t understand… We need more research on the ways interactive entertainment affects child health an development."
Developmental experiment? Who the fuck do they think they are kidding? The only way video games have an adverse effect on child development, is with parental absentia. Parental influence will always remain the stand-out strongest influence in child development. That is basic parent/child psychology, and to assert otherwise at the same time calling for proof of their previous assertion is downright stupid.
I say video games cure cancer! Now go out and fund research that proves it! (Pretty dumb thing to say, eh?) To state that playing video games somehow significantly alters child development, when there is no body of research to prove any such thing, and then to call for research to prove this is just as dumb.
Research first, conclusion second NIMF.
“Specialty stores? I guess they mean EB/Gamestop...”
I believe they mean retailers that are not a part of the EMA. Places like Ed’s Video Barn may or may not have ratings policies and they’re not required to because they’re not EMA members.
Andrew Eisen
http://www.d3dgames.com/bbb.html
Also, notice they didn't give parents an F grade and the reason for that, they claim, is because the video game industry is at fault for confusing parents. Baloney. This is the same group that gave all video games, even the good ones, an F grade for causing obesity a few years back, yet there are more factors that must play a role for one to become obese, not just video game playing. That never stopped them from issuing an F to video games specifically.
The reason they don't fail parents is because parents are the NIMF's source of income. The NIMF has books and brouchures to sell, among other items. You think parents would be listening to this group and purchasing their products if they gave them an F grade? Not a chance. Pandering to parents, that's the NIMF for you. Also, one of the biggest parents/teachers group (if not, the biggest parent/teacher group) the National PTA was very critical of the NIMF's report last year. The NIMF doesn't want to burn any more bridges.
Ahh, I see, so it's more of a, "Pay an EMA fee or we give you an 'F'?"
Besides, what are they gonna do, tell people to be careful when doing business with NIMF? Honestly, how often do you call the BBB to inquire about advocacy groups?
However, the person writing the complaint is the same person who "owns" D3Dgames (as you can see when you go to the main page).
That does make it seem like a conflict of interest, though it's his right.
I checked the bbbonline and bbb.org, bout couldn't find the organization listed either as a business or a charity. I suspect there is someone else you complain to for non-profit organizations (isn't there something about that on the ftc website?).
Still, it's an interesting path to try. Probably won't lead anywhere as Jabrwock said, but it's an interesting idea.
nightwng2000
NW2K Software
And no, you don't have to be a "business" to count. After all, if you look under "charity" on the BBB site, you will notice non-business groups such as the Parents Television Council. Remember them? Their not technically a "business" either.
When a 16-year old wanted to buy "Postal 2", I asked him one simple question. "Can you explain to me the difference between real blood, and red pixels on a computer sceen?" He gave me a satisfactory answer, so I sold it to him. I had bills to pay, and I was lucky to get a sale that day.
I also had a policy that parental consent to play M-rated games was implied by walking through the door. Any time I ever questioned a parent about whether it was ok for their twelve-year old to be playing Counter-Strike, it was always, "Of course. He's mature enough." That's why the NIMF will never give parents a bad grade but will blame the industry instead... and why the parents will still keep buying the titles that their kids want, even the NIMF says they shouldn't.
You're right, in that the BBB investigates "truthfulness" of claims made by charities. But seeing as how their issue with the ESRB is an opinion, the "truthiness" is highly subjective, and therefore outside the purview of the BBB's mandate. Now if NIMF was making outrageous claims about facts rather than opinionated conjecture, then the BBB might have a case to investigate...
Saying the ESRB is "broken" is opinion, not fact. And NIMF is certainly entitled to their opinion, however looney we think it is.
No, check that - he/she is far to civil, hasn't called anyone names, and is willing to respond to polite arguments without sarchasm and more name calling. You have my most sincere apologies.
Seriously, though, while we can of course take the NIMF's report with a grain of salt, I'm pretty darn sure the industry has improved in its efforts. Yes, take it with a grain of salt, but they're still doing better than they were. And parents need to wake up and stop buying M rated games for their six year old children!! The incomplete is because the public in general isn't paying heed to the increased warnings, I'd wager, because there is a stigma attatched (sp?) to video games as "children's stuff" in many people's minds. Of course, how this sort of stigma can continue to live in the light of the game boxes of some games alone must require an act of cognative dissonance!
Bottom line for me - industry is improving and must continue to do so, SOME specialty stores need to improve lots (I'm sure there are others that are doign just fine), and parents need to come back inside from recess.
"Hey guys, remember when we made that big stink over hot coffee and preached about how gaming is doomed and it's all going to be censored and banned?"
"Yeah..."
"And remember all those billes we supported, only to have them shot down in court?"
"Yeah..."
"And remember all that miami guy we allied with, only to realise he's a loon we should keep away from?"
"Yeah..."
"And remember how we raised a panic over Bully and how it'd cause the next columbine, only to learn it's only rated Teen?"
"Yeah... is there a point to this?"
"Well, erm... I'll be honest: our crusade failed, badly. We've got nothing to go by. We're launching attacks and flailing our limbs at nothing. We look stupid already, and if we keep this mess up we're going to look like a bunch of out-of-touch jackasses to the masses, or worce. We need to fix this, pronto! What do we do?"
"The report card is due soon, right?"
"Yeah, but what about it?"
"Gentlemen, start your asskissers!"
But I guess that makes me a sick bastard. Does someone want to become my next meal? {/sarcasm}
I wouldn't reccomend Goatse to anyone. Doesn't mean it'll destroy any or all viewers minds. Do they really find this stuff so hard to comprehend?
Haha. Strange as it is, that's actually a pretty good analogy.
So with the exception of the one B, it looks like this organization is intent on giving everyone either an A or an F. Reminds me of the 1 or 10 user reviews I don't read.
cripples have less trouble getting to the second floor of a two story building with out a elevator
Bridal veils by Olena
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis106/yuccahearings.html