Genesis Firsts: The Rating System

[Melf]

Every game you buy nowadays has an ESRB rating on the cover. What few people realize is that the system has its origin in the Video Game Ratings Council that used to evaluate games for the Genesis. Some may hate having a rating system, but it was an important step at keeping the government from censoring the industry, and Sega was the first to take the plunge. Our article (http://www.sega-16.com/forum/../Genesis%20Firsts-%20Rating%20System.htm) tells the tale, so sit back and enjoy!

[David J.]

Only once the rating systems where enforced on me, yet when I went back to the store a week later and had the same person ring me up, she didn't ask me for ID or anything like that.

Very odd...

[Melf]

I got carded at TRU when I bought Vice City. There I was, a 32 year-old man with my university faculty ID AROUND MY NECK, and the bitch asks for my license...



Sigh!

[David J.]

I was 15 at the time, yet when I went back to the store I wasn't carded. Why I will never know.

[j_factor]

I thought it was really weird how much publicity Night Trap got from the whole thing. When Night Trap was released, it didn't get much attention. A few months later, everybody wants a copy of this CONTROVERSIAL game. A lot like that stupid 2 Live Crew record.

[j_factor]

Good article, but it fails to mention how NEC had a sort of "system" (if you can call it that) of putting warning labels on games starting in 1990. Unlike the VRC, their system was to either have a warning label or not -- much like the advisories on audio CDs.

[Melf]

I glazed over the warning labels, to show that there was some degree of advisory activity, but it wasn't anything strict or uniform.

[Mendicant]

I always thought it was hilarious that the videogame ratings system started because *some* people didn't want their children exposed to "mature" content; but in the end, having an established ratings system meant the companies were free to do whatever they wanted as long as it was rated properly, and most kids still ended up getting the games one way or another.

[David J.]

I grew up playing Doom 2 and I never went out and shot anybody.

[Obviously]

A few years ago if I hadn't shaved in a few days then they'd let me buy an M rated game at Wal-Mart no question's asked. If I was clean shaven I'd always have to dig out my license. Wal-Mart is the only place I've ever seen the ratings system actually enforced.

I grew up with games like Mortal Kombat and Doom as well. I think violent forms of media can effect people psychologically. There's no debating that really, but then you have the level of which it effects people which is very negligible. I remember having played shooters for long periods of time when I was younger and the only effect they would have is give me a little adrenaline and testosterone, nothing permanent and nothing damaging.

I suppose if you have trouble distinguishing fiction from reality then yeah, you should stay away from violent video games, but otherwise I feel video games help to control violence by giving you a safe zone to wreak havok in instead of doing it in real life. I remember a study where inmates were given violent video games to play and it caused an over all drop in violence and hostility in the prison.

[GeckoYamori]

Video games can affect people like any other form of media. It's just an easier scapegoat, cause it's new and alienating to the older generations, who happen to be the ones that have worked their way up into powerful and influential positions. With the advent of VCRs in the 70s, 'video violence' became a hot debate in Sweden and probably the rest of the world. Before that, it was those satanic comic books (In spite of the ridiculous comic codes). In 1980 an american senator tried to ban synthesizers from regular instrument shops. It's all about old conservatives and their incapability to accept that the world changes.

[ary incorparated]

All games where barable on genesis none of em was really voilent or had sexappeal,even some snes roms have it some nude asian girlz etc just picture,hmmmmz,nooh there justb printed.my little niece played mortal combat 3 die hard,Hard she could do the line fatality and she was 8.