ESRB Now Censoring Game Trailers that have Age Verification!

Scrubking

Scrubking

CAGiversary!
[quote name='Gamasutra']New notices sent to Gamasutra from D3 Publisher and Take-Two are implying the ESRB is seeking new oversight to officially rate publisher-produced game media and trailers in a similar manner to the film industry.

The first notice came from D3 Publisher, whose forthcoming action title Dark Sector has not yet been rated by the ESRB. "We recently received a ruling from the ESRB," the statement reads, "stating that the two officially released Dark Sector gameplay montages have been deemed to contain excessive or offensive content; and to this end are not to be available for download or viewing, regardless of being placed behind an age gate."

"In order to comply with this ruling," says D3, "the ESRB has requested that the two Dark Sector gameplay montages be pulled immediately upon receipt of this notice and no longer made available for view by consumers." The notice is quick to point out that "your ability to capture direct feed footage for distribution on your site" is not covered by the policy.

Shortly thereafter, a similar notice from the 2K Games arm of publisher Take-Two arrived, noting that "the ESRB requires that all trailers for Mature ("M") and Adults Only ("AO") rated games be appropriately age-gated" -- specifically warning regarding footage of the company's The Darkness title due for release this week.

"Game publishers that do not comply with the age gate requirement are subject to enforcement actions by the ESRB," the statement warns, though it makes no mention of precisely what penalties exist for non-compliant sites.

In a follow-up to the initial emailed statement, a Take-Two representative told Gamasutra that its new trailer for The Darkness has been rated separately to the game by the ESRB.

This implies that official game trailers are now being rated by the organization, and that the rating for the trailer could differ from the overall game's rating. The ESRB has not yet responded to Gamasutra for further comment and official statement on the matter.[/QUOTE]
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14454

Banning Manhunt 2 wasn't enough. Now they want MORE POWER!
I guess they haven't kissed the NIMF's ass enough.
 
previews for movies are rated too.


what does "properly age gated" mean...like those dumb things that ask you to put in your birthdate?
 
[quote name='Apossum']previews for movies are rated too.


what does "properly age gated" mean...like those dumb things that ask you to put in your birthdate?[/QUOTE]

Yea.

The ones you can just put in any numbers you want as long as you'll be over 18.
 
[quote name='Apossum']previews for movies are rated too.


what does "properly age gated" mean...like those dumb things that ask you to put in your birthdate?[/quote]Yep.

I think they should institute age gating at movie previews instead of rating them. Make you enter in your age in a little keypad at your seat, and if you aren't over 18, you get knocked the fuck out by some blunt object.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']Yea.

The ones you can just put in any numbers you want as long as you'll be over 18.[/QUOTE]


yeah, i just hit random numbers, usually making me 90 years old :) kinda like when they used to have those for porn sites. or so I've heard.
 
[quote name='Scrubking']"We recently received a ruling from the ESRB," the statement reads, "stating that the two officially released Dark Sector gameplay montages have been deemed to contain excessive or offensive content; and to this end are not to be available for download or viewing, regardless of being placed behind an age gate."[/QUOTE]

No one else is angered that the ESRB says that you can't watch even though you may be of age? I don't mind the age gates, but don't treat me like a child and say "No!"

And does the ESRB even have ability to legally impose fines?
 
Expect game images to be next on their hit list. Didn't R* release some Manhunt 2 concept art with people having sex? Oh Oh, time for the BAN STICK.

NIMF - 2, Gamers - 0
 
I hope GT gives the ESRB the big "fuck you" over taking down the Dark Sector videos.

ESRB is getting a littel too crazy. Sure, age gates are easy to bipass no matter how old you are, but it's just the fact that the ESRB seems to think they are just that powerful and can do whatever they want.
 
Something tells me that there may be some serious legislation looking to drop on the ESRB in the very near future. This move strikes me as them very visibly trying to say, "gee wilkers, we do our jobs Mr. Bush and Ms. Pelosi."
 
In light of recent interview with ESRB, the company has a long way to go to convince me that they will be doing their job at least as well as MPAA does. I know a lot of you think that MPAA sucks really bad, but in light of the fact that ESRB can "rate games out of existence" and MPAA can not do that to films, I'd take MPAA ratings against ESRB ones - anyday.

I will also say that in theory I have nothing against this practice, despite finding it a bit superfluous. Whether or not ESRB and gaming sites are out to restrict any adult content from responsible adults is something that "only time will tell" but I think you can gather from this post what I'd put my money on...


The bottom line, however, is that this is all politics, and judging from what some of people who worked in video game retail, irresponsible parents will buy the fucking game for their dipshit kids.
 
[quote name='botticus']Yep.

I think they should institute age gating at movie previews instead of rating them. Make you enter in your age in a little keypad at your seat, and if you aren't over 18, you get knocked the fuck out by some blunt object.[/QUOTE]

:lol:

This ESRB fiasco is getting out hand. Just tell ole Jacky & pals to go to hell already.

[quote name='MarioColbert']In light of recent interview with ESRB, the company has a long way to go to convince me that they will be doing their job at least as well as MPAA does. I know a lot of you think that MPAA sucks really bad, but in light of the fact that ESRB can "rate games out of existence" and MPAA can not do that to films, I'd take MPAA ratings against ESRB ones - anyday.

I will also say that in theory I have nothing against this practice, despite finding it a bit superfluous. Whether or not ESRB and gaming sites are out to restrict any adult content from responsible adults is something that "only time will tell" but I think you can gather from this post what I'd put my money on...


The bottom line, however, is that this is all politics, and judging from what some of people who worked in video game retail, irresponsible parents will buy the fucking game for their dipshit kids.[/QUOTE]

Which is pretty terrible, as the MPAA is a shitty corrupt organization in and of itself
 
[quote name='-Never4ever-']Which is pretty terrible, as the MPAA is a shitty corrupt organization in and of itself[/quote]

Amen to that, but out of two evils....


As I said: I see nothing wrong with rating systems. Despite the fact that this is an awful example, the ratings for TV shows do their job: they display a symbol that means "stay away if offended by whatever" which is what some parties need, I guess.

I don't should not give a shit about rating bodies, because they aren't for me. The fact that one can have a direct effect on whether or not games live or die is enough for me to be weary over them rating much else. Especially since they are likely to apply "video game" ratings (which are enriched by the whole "murder gesturing" point that's been blown up beyond reasonable) to videos that aren't likely to feature similar content.

The slippery slope argument is bound to be made sooner or later.
 
[quote name='1UP']The ESRB's outline for adhering to the ARC Principles and Guidelines is extensive, and details how the ESRB examines "ESRB ratings and truth and accuracy in the selected content, violence, sex, alcohol and drugs, offensive verbal or bodily expression and sensitivity to people's beliefs or handicaps." In the above examples, violence was the issue. There, the ESRB's criteria are extensive. As it judges a piece of media, the group considers:
Graphic and/or excessive depictions of violence
Graphic and/or violent depictions of the use of weapons
Graphic and/or excessive depictions of blood and/or gore
Allusions or depictions of acts of verbal or physical abuse toward children
Allusions or depictions of violent or degrading behavior toward women
Allusions or depictions of torture or other violent acts toward animals
Allusions or depictions of torture, mutilation or sadism
Violence toward a political or public figure
Allusions or depictions of acts of arson or fire play
​
We've contacted the ESRB for further clarification on how, for example, the Gears of War video was flagged so late, but the timing of the ESRB clamp down isn't so peculiar, given the Manhunt 2 incident last week. Is this a knee-jerk reaction to the recent media frenzy that's shined another spotlight on the industry's tango with interactive violence or just a wacky coincidence? The latter seems a bit much, don't you think?[/quote]
The new trailer for GTAIV will feature a lot of WALKING it seems.

EDIT: From the Horse's Mouth. (I know it's in the quote, but you need to see it)
 
Did you guys read the Sexuality part? First one speaks of violence. Second one speaks of Necrophilia AND OTHER SEXUAL ACTS.

When I think of a sexual act, I don't think of Necrophilia. Sure, I might get all crazy and think about something unspeakable, like, genitals being touched with a mouth, or even completely crazy: sex with a condom on - clearly NOT for procreation. But if you wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me to list all sexual acts I could think of, the one I won't list is NECRO-fuckING-PHILIA. Because that means DOING IT WITH A CORPSE.

I claim this without merit: any organization listing Necrophilia as their top choice for an example of a particular sexual act should not be allowed to place tags even on a bag of peanuts (warning: this shit contains nuts!). Even if you want to talk about offensive images, listing Necrophilia as your example of an offensive sexual act is like listing "bukkake" as your top example of "group sex."


[quote name='Rei no Otaku']So it's ok to allude to or depict torture, degrading behavior, verbal abuse, and physical abuse towards adult men?[/quote]
Not if that man "holds public office." In other words, violence against kings is a no-no. Everyone is tangibly a public figure, so the only people they allow to depict violence against is the homeless. Good thing you can't set them on fire, though.

I've read nothing in there about diembowling elves.
 
[quote name='Zen Davis'][email protected]

Contact her and let her know how you feel. The president of the ESRB. I personally am boycotting any new games and only buying used games until they get off this power trip.[/QUOTE]

After seeing how hell bent the ESRB is to promote the misconception that games are for kids and thus games need to be censored I don't think any amount of emails will help the situation.

What I would like to see is a lot of bad press about the ESRB and some websites like IGN, etc have the balls to ask mein Fuhrer Patricia Vance why the ESRB deems any sexual content to be automatically AO even though tons of movies have varied levels of sex and nudity and pass for an R rating everyday. Ask the bitch some hard questions and keep asking them until she squirms!

[quote name='ESRB']If a third party site insists on carrying a trailer for an M-rated game without placing it behind an age gate, our guidelines require the publisher to request that such trailer be removed and/or provide an edited version of the trailer to be used in its place.

However, the mere presence of an age gate does not permit a publisher to simply put whatever content it wishes into the trailer. All trailers must still conform to ARC's Principles and Guidelines, which prohibit the display of excessively violent content or any content likely to cause serious offense to the average consumer.[/QUOTE]
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/principles_guidlines.jsp

Absofuckinglutely ridiculous!
 
[quote name='DJSteel']like this is a big deal...[/QUOTE]

By the time people like you consider something a "big deal" it will be far too late.
 
This is fucking riddiculous.

The ESRB has gone way to far. I've been such a fervent supporter of them in the past, but these last two weeks are turning me completely against them.
 
Can we have one mega thread for all these conversations about how the ESRB are communists and they're censoring everything we want to play/watch/read/eat? Seriously there's like 5 threads on this site with little more than people whining about not being able to play a "pure" version of the Manhunt 2, and this thread links right up with the same type of complaints.

It's gettin' old fast. These are just games, guys. And for the conspiracy theorists among us, go find an additional hobby, maybe.
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']Did you guys read the Sexuality part? First one speaks of violence. Second one speaks of Necrophilia AND OTHER SEXUAL ACTS.

When I think of a sexual act, I don't think of Necrophilia. Sure, I might get all crazy and think about something unspeakable, like, genitals being touched with a mouth, or even completely crazy: sex with a condom on - clearly NOT for procreation. But if you wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me to list all sexual acts I could think of, the one I won't list is NECRO-fuckING-PHILIA. Because that means DOING IT WITH A CORPSE.

I claim this without merit: any organization listing Necrophilia as their top choice for an example of a particular sexual act should not be allowed to place tags even on a bag of peanuts (warning: this shit contains nuts!). Even if you want to talk about offensive images, listing Necrophilia as your example of an offensive sexual act is like listing "bukkake" as your top example of "group sex."
[/QUOTE]

Ha ha ha. Great rant. I thought the same thing when I saw that.
 
[quote name='daroga']Can we have one mega thread for all these conversations about how the ESRB are communists and they're censoring everything we want to play/watch/read/eat? Seriously there's like 5 threads on this site with little more than people whining about not being able to play a "pure" version of the Manhunt 2, and this thread links right up with the same type of complaints.

It's gettin' old fast. These are just games, guys. And for the conspiracy theorists among us, go find an additional hobby, maybe.[/quote]

I'm going to have to go with the age-old forum response and say "Then don't read the threads."

Although these are "just games" the implications of deciding what is safe for adults to see stretch far beyond the medium itself. The recent over-zealousness of the ESRB is concerning to me. It's just as concerning as the MPAA which will allow a movie about women getting tortured for an hour and a half to get an R rating, but slap an NC-17 on a movie that has non-violent sexual content.

M and AO ratings should be merged into one 18 and over category. It makes no sense to have an M for 17 and older and an AO for 18 and older. As if 1 year makes any difference. Just make M 18 and older and be done with it.

Also, if it is legal to sell an unrated version of a movie, why can't game publishers just release unrated versions of their games? There is no legal power behind either the MPAA or the ESRB so they can't legislate what can and cannot be sold. That decision is made by the retailers so let's let them decide.
 
[quote name='lebowsky']That decision is made by the retailers so let's let them decide.[/QUOTE]

That's part of the problem: Wal-Mart sells such a huge percentage of games that they wield way too much power. They won't sell AO games (and probably wouldn't sell unrated games), so that's a no-go for any publisher who wants to make profits. :(

I agree that having separate M and AO ratings seems really dumb.
 
Having your game rated by the ESRB is voluntary, not law. But Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all fully support the ESRB by not allowing an unrated or an AO game on their consoles.

I agree, there should be a "Teen" rating which would be the equivalent of PG-13 (which is in place now) followed by an M 18+ rating, which should be able to have content similar to R rated movies.
 
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