Darkmoon vs. Ratings

A while back, people decided that movies as a whole needed a ratings system. So the put their heads together, found the stuffiest people they could, and made a ratings system. These stuffy people then became the board for which all movies were reviewed.

Over time, the ratings people became more relaxed, less stuffy. But, parents in the interim, became more stuffy. They saw their children doing things "they never would have done in THIER youth," saw an easy out in video games, and blamed the games.

So, a group of stuffed shirts, similar in make up to the stuffed shirts over at the movie's board, got together and made a rating's system. So it was that 10 years later, people are still up in arms about the negative effect video games are having on children, and yet, while school violence we actually hear about may be up, generally, children of today are much like children of 10 years back.

Here's my thoughts of Ratings, Violence and Sex, and Video Games. Yeah, so a little violence to a really small child can be scary. But, a 12 year old should have a general concept of what's right and wrong. If he doesn't, that's the parent's fault, and no amount of blaming video games will make that kid any less of a freaking moron.

Organizations that point a finger at games, game companies, and stores that sell games to everyone should really be pointing a finger at the parents. Honestly, if the parent can't curb their child from seeing something they think is bad, then that parents really are to blame if the kid takes it wrong.

I think ratings are good, to an extent. They help people know what kind of content is in a game. But ratings cannot be the be all and end all of the answer. You can't just say "well, we made a rating system, so no child will play a game unless they are of the right age." But similarly, you can't say that just because a kid plays something the rating's board feels is inappropriate for him or her, you can't go "well, obviously the retailer is to blame, for they sold it to the minor."

It's all about blanket solutions and PC answers. No we mustn't blame the parents, of how would they know any better? Peh. They could take a freaking look at the rating. Hell, they could try playing the game. I'm sure their 8 year old could teach them how.

People irritate me, honestly. I really wish all this "active" groups would stop trying to make sure everyone is protected and actually open their eyes to how the world actually works.

But hey, maybe I'm wrong. I'm just one guy. A guy that's played video games since I was 6, watched really violent movies since I was 8. A guy that never has killed anyone, pays my taxes, doesn't steal, and who's worst offense is taking a candy bar when I was 12. And it wasn't cause Donkey Kong told me to.

Every time people say that video games are ruining the children, all I have to do is look around and myself and my friends and think, "well we aren't ruined."