Wait a minute. There's porn on the internet???!!! Yeeee-haaaaah!!!

This just in...

GAMESTOP VP BOB McKENZIE WAS RUSHED TO MT. ZION HOSPITAL THIS MORNING, SUFFERING FROM DAMAGED GENITALS. DOCTORS REPORT HIS INJURY WAS DUE TO REPEATEDLY STRADDLING A FENCE.

Hate to be the cynic here, but sounds to me like McKenzie was playing to the gamer crowd a bit. My money says GameStop won't carry any AO games in at least the next two years. Any takers?

By the by, would be interesting to follow up on this story a year from now to see if anything has changed at GameStop.

I think it shows that maybe, finally, retailers are starting to see themselves properly as part of the industry.

To me, they are just as much a part of the video game industry as developers and publishers are... I would dearly love to see a lot more involvement by them in things. Unfortunately, my experience is that they tend to act like all they are there is to sell things that just happen to be games, when infact they are the front line troops of the industry, and responsible for much bad, or good, press.

While I think the “can’t say we would, can’t say we wouldn’t” line is a cop-out, I am encouraged by McKenzie’s claim that GameStop would examine carrying AO titles on a case-by-case basis. That’s much preferable than a blanket “we won’t carry AO games” policy.

If you don’t want to carry porn, fine (sorry Water Closet: The Forbidden Chamber). Recognizing that not every AO game is a hentai game is a step in the right direction.


Andrew Eisen

To expand on my previous point, the console manufacturers should do the same thing: license AO titles on a case-by-case basis.

Nintendo and Sony knew what was in Manhunt 2 so we know they had no problem with the content, just the rating. That’s a silly reason to refuse a license, no?

Just like with the retailers, if you don’t want porn on your console, fine. Just recognize that AO games are not necessarily porn.

Oh, and let’s just conveniently ignore the fact that any console that allows the user to browse the internet already has porn on it!


Andrew Eisen

He's not taking a stance on the issue because he doesn't have to.

"OK, here are the choices, and do I really want my son or my daughter playing it. Is that OK?"

What the on earth...

What is it with wrong with these people? That's the wrong question. Why do they always mix-in kids in this entirely, obviously adult only discussion?

I just don't get it, must be an american thing. Please, for crying out loud, ask why a resonsible adult shouldn't be able to buy the game for himself Leave those kids out of the whole question. The game is not for them. Not. For. Them.

@ Tammej

The question he posed wasn't as irrelevant to the "real" discussion as a lot of people seem to think. If "the children" weren't a factor in this whole equation, there wouldn't be a problem to begin with. If console manufacturers didn't have to worry about the perception of "porn on their children's toys", they'd eat up the opportunity to sell more material.

Neutralizing the "child factor" would alleviate the biggest source of pressure for these console manufacturers to save face by wagging a finger at "adult" games.

Selling AO games should be as easy as keeping them behind the counter away from kids and only selling them to people who come in and ask for the title and show appropriate ID. It's simple and doesn't require any cordoned off areas in the shops. At the very least it is a start and gives adults the opportunity to buy games that they are allowed to. If this was done, then the ESRB's rating wouldn't be considered to be such a terrible thing on the PC versions. As has been said already, consoles are another matter and up for the big 3 to decide how to proceed.

Yeah these AO games aren't for kids, but kids keep getting mentioned because the public perception is that video games are FOR kids. Once video games become respected as an artform, we'll see more people fighting for video game developers to create what they want to create.

There was a time when rock and roll music wasn't considered art, but just the work of the devil, and that it would warp kids minds.

@Lorolin

You're forgetting a very importance point... if the ESRB wasn't around, we'd have some far worse then what it is now. People plead ignornace on the issue no matter what system is in use.

The ESRB is still an indepent rating group like the MPAA is. It is not a government afflicated organzation, they have no legal control or bounary. Even if it shows flaws at times, it's still easier to fall back on when it comes to informing people of game content.

You realize given enough time, if the industy didn't rate itself, the government would do it for it... which would result in a deeper censorship then anything the ESRB could do.

@Daneil

There's a social aspect to this, acceptance. When was the last time you heard someone viciously attack an unrated movie, not many I'm sure. Movies have left the scapegoat era and most people don't even give them a second thought about them being good or bad. Wal-Mart's no AO or NC-17 policy was created before the time of violence video games or unrated movies, and from my understanding (From working there) is that the policy has never really been revised other then required ID checks for those who appear under the age of 27 for unrated, R, and M-rated games.