Rhode Island Attorney General Partners with ESRB in Ad Campaign

Rhode Island Attorney General Partners with ESRB in Ad Campaign

August 10, 2007
lynch.jpg

Another state attorney general has expressed support for the video game industry's rating system.

Rhode Island's Patrick Lynch (D, left) announced yesterday that he would participate in a public service announcement (PSA) campaign designed to raise parental awareness of video game content issues. The campaign, which begins this month, will feature radio and TV spots. Lynch, who will appear along with his daughter, 12, and son, 11, said:
Before children and teenagers grab the controls to play a video game, we’re asking parents to control the types of games their kids play by checking the game’s rating. Most parents routinely check the ratings of movies before taking or allowing their children to see films, and I’m honored to join with ESRB to ask parents to use that same level of vigilance concerning video games. It’s up to us, as parents, to take every measure possible to increase protections for our children. Using the excellent ESRB rating system is an extremely important and positive step.

ESRB president Patricia Vance, who joined Lynch for the announcement, said:
We are very proud to have the support of Attorney General Lynch in reaching out to Rhode Island’s parents to raise awareness of the ratings and urge parents to use them when buying or renting games.

In 2006 the ESRB worked out similar arrangement with the attorneys general of Utah (Mark Shurtleff) and Georgia (Thurbert Baker). Pennsylvania A.G. Tom Corbett has also expressed support for the ESRB as well as for built-in parental controls in game consoles.
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Submitted by GamersRyno - August 11, 2007 at 9:31 pm -0500
THIS is what politics should be! Indivualism, government is there to educate and not restrict, and fundamental appreciation for parental rights!
Submitted by terrible tom - August 10, 2007 at 4:28 pm -0500
Many of us realize the significance and implications of the ESRB and the ratings they have in place, however, some individuals wish for those ratings to not only reflect the opinions of parents but the the opinions of all gamers. Some people just don't like organizations that serve parents to have so much power over how the entertainment they purchased is rated. But I digress.

Overall this is a good step in the right direction. The industry does need this badly. This needs to continue and then there are a couple other issues that the industry needs to take care of for the consumers. Issues such as those surrounding Consoles, Retailers and the ESRB. To me those issues are what really matter and this just makes me say thats nice and move on.
Submitted by DragonBomber - August 10, 2007 at 2:15 pm -0500
Bravo for the balls to actually educate rather than push for wasteful legislation. We can dispute the motives of the ESRB all we want, but government working within the system of ratings to educate parents on game content is what the industry needs right now. The ESRB is what allows us to have games without laws telling us what we may choose. It just would be nice if more people took the effort to be aware of the implications and significance of the organization and its ratings.
Submitted by Terrible Tom - August 10, 2007 at 1:05 pm -0500
would = should. I need to start screening my posts before I press the enter key. Sorry.
Submitted by Terrible Tom - August 10, 2007 at 1:04 pm -0500
I think the ESRB plays into the "protect the children" garbage we hear so often. Sure its slightly better than legislation but only by so much. The ESRB is unwilling to listen to consumer demands where as legislation wouldn't really have a choice and would pretty much HAVE to listen to consumers. But regardless of that fact the ESRB is still better than legislation. I hope for the day the ESRB wakes up and starts serving all video game consumers rather than just the ones with children. Also for the day people to understand why they would be serving all video game consumers instead of just children. Wake up.
Submitted by Zigs - August 10, 2007 at 9:30 am -0500
I dunno, personally I think the ESRB is horribly flawed. I don't really see this as a good thing. Yes, it beats legislation, but he's not really taking an anti legislation stance either.
Submitted by jonc2006 - August 10, 2007 at 8:34 am -0500
nothing against him but this whole "protect the children" thing is really starting to make my ears bleed.
Submitted by rdeegvainl - August 10, 2007 at 8:37 am -0500
It seems as though it the legislative branch that wants to legislate, ignorantly might i add, while the judicial branch is seeming pretty competent on this issue. hope they keep judiciating correctly in the future.
Submitted by upgray3dd - August 10, 2007 at 8:15 am -0500
Now that's what I like to see. Bravo, Lynch :)
Submitted by kurisu7885 - August 10, 2007 at 7:03 am -0500
@hayabusa75

I didn't consider that, but looking it is quite possible.
Submitted by Chibi Sylphe - August 10, 2007 at 8:00 am -0500
I like the fact that he's actually trying to set the example as a parent. Kudos to you, Mr. Lynch.
Submitted by BmK - August 10, 2007 at 7:33 am -0500
This is good. Another politician who believes education rather then legislation is the answer.
Submitted by E. Zachary Knight - August 10, 2007 at 6:50 am -0500
I really need to contact my state's attorney general and convince him to do this. This would so help to get rid of the stigma here. I'm Oklahoma by the way. We currently have one law in court and the other may never get voted on. But such a step for the AG would help a lot.
Submitted by CyberSkull - August 10, 2007 at 6:21 am -0500
Now if we could only get lawmakers to endorse it.
Submitted by hayabusa75 - August 10, 2007 at 5:29 am -0500
@kurisu7885:

More than his name, I think it's noteworthy how young he appears to be. Maybe he's a gamer himself?
Submitted by Shoehorn O'Plenty - August 10, 2007 at 4:41 am -0500
"Before children and teenagers grab the controls to play a video game, we’re asking parents to control the types of games their kids play by checking the game’s rating."

It's an unfortunate thing that they have to ask the parents to do this, when they should be doing it already.
Submitted by kurisu7885 - August 10, 2007 at 3:59 am -0500
And another note, does anyone find the name Lynch ironic for someone who is trying to help? It seems to be the word for what some try to do to the industry :P
Submitted by kurisu7885 - August 10, 2007 at 3:50 am -0500
sweet, chalk up another one for the good guys.
Submitted by Harlan Townsend - October 9, 2007 at 5:36 pm -0500
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http://www.freewebs.com/hzmcjr/1.html
Re: Rhode Island Attorney General Partners with ESRB in Ad ...
Submitted by tmaximus89 - April 6, 2009 at 9:33 pm -0500

The ESRB is unwilling to listen to consumer demands where as legislation wouldn't really have a choice and would pretty much HAVE to listen to consumers. Thats how.

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Posted 03/16/10 at 11:45am
JDKJ: Have you tried partnering with an organ grinder? If you do a good job, passerbys will fawn over you and throw change in your tin cup.
Posted 03/16/10 at 10:59am
ZippyDSMlee: JD is jsut pissy cuse he is not getting enough attnetion...hey neither am I damnit!!!!
Posted 03/16/10 at 10:18am
Valdearg: @Cminer: LMAO. I was about to say the same thing. The typical Youtube comment implies they've been at it for years.
Posted 03/16/10 at 10:17am
CMiner: JDKJ: That happened years ago. Look at your average forum poster/youtube commentor/etc for proof.
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JDKJ: BREAKING: Goodall Institute for Primate Research teaches chimpazee how to type and post to the Internet.
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ZippyDSMlee: Afirejar:Left you a warm pile in the Venezuela/censorship article. :P
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Andrew Eisen: I'm still here and I'm doing a lot of behind the scenes work (as time permits me). But it's true, I've only written one piece under the new GP but if that Facebook/JT bit is the last thing I write for the site, I’d be okay with that.
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ZippyDSMlee: I suppose its not inane enough for petes muses*giggles*
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:55pm
PHX Corp: It had the Video Games tag on it, I thought that it had been a video game law that was concerning it
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:54pm
JDKJ: And what happened to "Senior GP Correspondent, Andrew Eisen, reporting from San Diego [and who has a better finger on the pulse of GP's readership than some others]?" Huh? Did he fall victim to the Night of the Long Knives?
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:53pm
Andrew Eisen: No, but my one example was not meant to cover the entire spectrum. Besides, multiplayer is a big part of video games.
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:50pm
Andrew Eisen: PHX Corp - Are you referring to AB 847? I haven't read the bill but the summary doesn't appear to apply to video games.
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:49pm
DarkSaber: 2 mediocre games do not "a big part of video games" make.
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I suspect that'll fall victim to the "pass." Wrong side of the fence. It's North Korea we aren't supposed to like.
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DarkSaber: Although, following the "MW2 Made Lots of Money" excuse for a story, GP would be hard pressed to justify WHY they passed on it.
Posted 03/15/10 at 03:47pm
Andrew Eisen: DS - Not necessarily. See recent Ubisoft stories.
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Andrew Eisen: Except, aside from following up on an earlier story, GP frequently reports on internet censorship and net neutrality issues (the internet being a big part of video games and all).
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