NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store Games

June 15, 2009

The ESA & ESRB (which is owned by ESA) have recently begun a push to bring the videogame industry's content rating system to that wild frontier of gaming known as the iTunes App Store.

The ESA plan has now received support from a rather unexpected source.

Dr. David Walsh of the National Institute on Media & the Family has weighed in with an endorsement of ESA boss Mike Gallagher's offer to have the ESRB rate App Store games. In a statement released late on Friday, Walsh said:

Michael Gallagher deserves considerable credit for his foresight in identifying the latest challenge for parents, the gaming industry and the ESRB. As gaming technology continues to advance and games become more accessible via online downloads and phone applications, parents will need new tools to keep inappropriate games out of their kids’ hands.

Gallagher took a great first step offering to work with Apple to ensure inappropriate content does not make its way into kids’ lives. I hope Apple accepts his offer and reaches out to other organizations like the ESRB and non-industry groups who are concerned about this issue and can offer valuable insight.

GP: As GamePolitics reported last September, the National Institute on Media & the Family was the recipient of a $50,000 grant from the ESA Foundation.

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Comments

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by TBoneTony on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:54.

I would not listen to a single thing that NIMF person says.

No matter what he tries to say or do, he should have no verbal impact to persuade his political speech on anyone.

Even though I feel that ESRB ratings on App store games is perhaps a good idea, it is hard to see if it would work if Indie developers have to suffer from high costs.

Or at least allowing an AO rating for games via download to avoid any controversies of M rated games that contain a few questionable elements that might give headlines to the NIMF to attack the Videogame Industry as they so often have done in the past.

TBoneTony

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by lumi on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 16:25.

I think this is a good thing. ESRB handling App store games is fine, and will hopefully cut off some potential controversies before the MSM gets a chance to blow them out of proportion, as they undoubtedly will.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 16:06.

Well, at least unlike a certain other white haired critic Walsh is willing to admit whe nthe industry does right.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by DarkSaber on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 16:48.

Well, he will just so long as the cheque clears, at any rate.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by MonkeyPeaches on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 15:38.

What kids can offored an Iphone?

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by DarkSaber on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 15:42.

The same spoilt ones that are Apples usual demographic.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by DarkSaber on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:32.

What a difference a cheque makes.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by Adamas Draconis on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 11:27.

Agreed, but then it's the NIMF's, so they are just playing their normal hypocrite card.

Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by DarkSaber on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 11:31.

Yeah, never mind all those nuisance facts that proved they were scaremongering/out-right lying, that cheque proved the ESAs worth far more.

I wonder what Walsh spent it on.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: NIMF's Walsh Lauds ESA for Pushing ESRB at App Store ...

Submitted by Dexee on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 12:15.

Probably Ale and....

Well, you get the picture.

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