Jump to content

Games and the Law


deanb
 Share

Recommended Posts

I don't even think I'd award that. It's clearly the title of the game, not the developer, which is why it's so prominent. And it's a common word, like "Metro". It's not like they named it Sins of a Solar Empire: Firaxis or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

E, for "Everyone".

 

They do have a decent argument though. Walmart won't carry AO (Adults Only) games, the highest they'll carry is M (Mature, 17+). And here is a list of all the AO games ever made: http://en.wikipedia....-rated_products Not many.

 

*Edit* - AO is the only ESRB rating above M.

 

Actually, I'm curious about that. There are tons of adult games that are translated by legitimate companies (JAST USA, for example) which don't receive ESRB ratings. They do have an "Adults Only" warning, but it isn't issued by the ESRB. How does that work?

Edited by Saturnine Tenshi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The destruction of the source code is a bit extreme. Especially given many folks now are kinda looking at games and going "oh wow, we don't have any way to remake these older games because they're in obsolete formats/lost/whatever" and here's a judge purposefully ordering it's destruction. I understand the reasoning but I'd have preferred handing it over to Epic if anything.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

http://www.helpivanmartin.org/2013/01/ivan-martin-free-on-bail/

 

If you never heard, two devs from BI got detained on espionage charges. Now after a long ass few months, they're finally off on bail. These guys were map making specialists, I think. So not having them there was quite a blow to BI.

 

We'll see how it all plays out since the Greek judges are still on strike...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.joystiq.c...t-esrb-ratings/

 

A House bill that would require all games to be rated by the ESRB and ban selling M and AO rated games to minors. It's completely illegal, of course.

 

I just... sigh...

 

*Edit* - Also this:

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/dont-panic-missouri-lawmaker-proposes-violent-game-tax/

Edited by TheMightyEthan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last I read it, the bill was calling for a government rating system, i.e. PEGI. We already have the ESRB, but that's industry regulated (same with CERO in Japan) and for the last few years politicians have been uncomfortable with a "voluntary" system.

 

To be honest, I've seen a lot of foreign gamers respond to this with shock that we don't have a rating system like them, and genuinely confused by the issue. James from Extra Credits said their upcoming "Brazil" episode would cover the pros and cons of industry and government ratings. It's getting a lot of people up on the "freedom" train, but this will end like the rest, "We already have a functional system; lets not spend more money."

 

Sure it's not 100%, but I hope they wouldn't really consider a complete overhaul just so that 0.0001% of retailers gets a fine. Besides, it just takes someone at the proper age to purchase the game, not who will eventually play it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last I read it, the bill was calling for a government rating system, i.e. PEGI.

PEGI is the same as ESRB, industry regulated. It's just it's government enforced. Because there's not much point of a regulation if there's nothing backing it. That'd probably be where you're seeing confusion from foreigners. Especially if bringing up that doing this law would waste money, when it's hardly like ESRB as it exists in it's current pointless form is free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't read much on it but isn't this basically just wanting to make the legal consequences of selling games to minors more serious than just a fine? It would probably keep the same system it has just make it where if you sell a game to a minor you get, I don't know, a free gun so you can release your inner killer (as all gamers have that killer instinct) and then have games get blamed more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are no legal consequences to selling M/AO games to minors, and legally there cannot be. Most stores have their own policies, but there are no government enforced consequences, the same as with movies.

 

You could probably get a little bit of them under obscenity laws, but the Supreme Court has said (stupidly, IMHO) that obscenity only encompasses sex, not violence. So the government could probably get away with a fine for selling Bonetown to minors, but not Manhunt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last I read it, the bill was calling for a government rating system, i.e. PEGI.

PEGI is the same as ESRB, industry regulated. It's just it's government enforced. Because there's not much point of a regulation if there's nothing backing it. That'd probably be where you're seeing confusion from foreigners. Especially if bringing up that doing this law would waste money, when it's hardly like ESRB as it exists in it's current pointless form is free.

Ah, that's what I thought at first too, but I was reading from others that it was "government regulated" as opposed to the industry. Seems they should have been saying enforced, but looking it up further (at least to Wikipedia) not every nation that has PEGI legally enforces it. Wiki Chart

 

Anyway, I'm not too worried about this. Maybe if the government was involved, I wouldn't have had to prove Mature meant, as a 17 year-old, I could purchase Resident Evil 4 as I met the proper age. "Nope, a lot of these things are 18+"

 

Pointed to the tiny "17+" on the cover and payed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...