May 4, 2008 -
The attorney general of Rhode Island has warned parents about the mature content in Grand Theft Auto IV, according to Legal Newswire.Of the best-selling, highly controversial game, A.G. Patrick Lynch (left), a Democrat, said:
As video games become more realistic and in many cases, more violent, parents must become more vigilant before buying them or letting their children use them.
Also, retailers and salespeople have a responsibility to better inform parents how violent these games actually are. Grand Theft Auto IV is obviously rated 'M' for a reason, and parents need to keep a game like this away from their kids.
In August, 2007, GamePolitics reported that Lynch had joined with the ESRB in an effort to educate parents about the video game industry's content rating system.
Comments
The ultra sheltered kids could have a meltdown as they have no idea how to handle something.
Yeah, except you have the parents who don't care about their kids. Look at those two deadbeats who left an infant in their car while they watched the Kentucky Derby at some betting place in NYC. And of course the ones who can't smack the hell out of their sexually out of control teen daughters due to child services getting involved and claiming abuse.
It probably isn't Jack. But if it is, I'd really like to know how he thinks this game is being marketed to kids? The ads don't show anything that would make it appealing to kids a la Joe Camel. Gaming magazines are read by a broad spectrum of ages; adults of which I'm sure comprise a good chunk. As for his assertion of it being adverstise on the likes of WWE, well it's been pointed out before how much of a contradiction that is. I'd like him to prove how Zelnick is trafficking porn. Oh, and to please stop breathing, too.
I'd also like someone to explain to me how his idea of having companies like Take Two refuse to let retailers sell their games doesn't make any sense either from a business or economic stadpoint. I mean, I know most businesses in a capitalist-based economy don't work that way, but could someone please give me specifics? The reason I ask is I will probably be discussing this with my family in the near future over dinner and I want to be able to know what I'm talking about.
MORAL PANIC
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Papa Midnight
He did label himself an attorney and didn't have any unwarranted slashes in his writing, so I think it's a fake.
But you know, I can tell you from first hand experience you can tell parents its extreme adult content, even go as far as to describe to them in detail the content, but for some of them no amount of talk will convince them.
Or it will convince them, and then their kid says "but I own other M rated games!" and they decide to buy it anyway. What exactly can retailers do at that point?
Every time I hear people at my local Gamestop try and tell ignorant parents what GTA IV contains all I hear from the parents are "Shut the fuck up and ring me up. I don't need to be told how to parent." or some variation of the sort. The ESRB has a website that parents can go too and look up information on a game their kids want, and the information is also printed on the back of the game's box.
You cannot educate parents who do not care in the first place, yet then again these are the some parent who blame everything under the sun other than their crappy parenting when their child does something wrong.
Also M 17+ means that while it says not suitable for those under 17, that is only a recomendation and opinion of the ratings system that is the ESRB.
In the end, it should be the parent who decides when it comes to an M17+ game if their teenager is 13 or 15 or in their teens.
But it MAY not be suitable for those under 17. NOT something that says it isn't allowed for those under 17.
First we as gamers and game industry must get rid of that fear of Videogames making people turn into killers until we can see parents starting to understand to rating system, because it is clear that for years of school shootings and people who never played videogames yelling about Videogames making people turn into killers that is the real problem and is one of those reasons why some parents are hostile to those trying to inform them because in their mind, a retailer trying to inform them about the violence is no different than a politician shouting anti-gaming slogens.
well that is just my own opinion of what might be the problem.
It has been proven countless times in court rulings that the courts believe parents not government or industry should set the standards over what comes into the home, and that the research purporting to prove negative effects on children are not credible.
Games are just like movies and books. Video games have pictures, graphic design, concept art, sounds, music, stories, and narrative and are entitled to a similar protection. There is no evidence to support the claim that video games are more harmful than TV because the player controls the action.
Until there is evidence I recommend all these politicians who are obviously only after their 5 mins of fame concentrate on the real issues affecting their constituants. Not non-issues like this.
BLASPHEMY~!!!!!
I see nothing wrong with this public statement. Kudos.
Actually most everybody knows not all games are for kids. But they want them to be. There are a lot of people who want everything made kid friendly so they don't have to put any effort into parenting. You get what you put in, dickbags.
Yes I agree thier are people like that like the Parents Television Council. Moralistic prudes like that want everything to be family friendly even if it's obviously intended for mature audiences. Here's a good example, they went after shows like Nip/Tuck and The Shield which are obviously intended for adults and wouldn't really appeal to kids. Hell I started watching "The Shield" after I heard them bitching about how bad it was.
Isn't that the best part? That most kids aren't even interested in these shows until these "family" groups start mouthing off? HAHAHAHA! It's so damn ironic!
One apparently.
Me as a gamer-parent fully appreciate the fact that someone out there really appreciates games and is concerned about our children at the same time.
Now lets hope that non-gamer parents will cooperate with the fact that this is a MATURE CONTENT game and shouldn't be taken for granted. Its tonnes of fun, but children might misjudge it - or worse get influenced.
I think it is only a political stunt, even he is not bashing anything.
Because parents are dumber than politicians.