113 replies to this topic

[Jourdy288]

I was reading an old issue of EGM when I came across an article on the ESRB. That got me thinking about the Pandora (near automatically, in fact) and I began to wonder; what could we have for a ratings system? I doubt the ESRB/PEGI/OFLC etc. would look at games for the Pandora, so perhaps we could have an internal board to do our own ratings like SEGA?

I'd love to take part in something like that, in all honesty I think I'd be quite useful in that department.

[Xian Long]

mature content

no mature content

[Vorporeal]

Seeing as you're not old enough (technically) to play M-rated/AO-rated games, you wouldn't be a very good candidate for doing ESRB-style ratings.

[Consequence_9]

I was reading an old issue of EGM when I came across an article on the ESRB. That got me thinking about the Pandora (near automatically, in fact) and I began to wonder; what could we have for a ratings system? I doubt the ESRB/PEGI/OFLC etc. would look at games for the Pandora, so perhaps we could have an internal board to do our own ratings like SEGA?

I'd love to take part in something like that, in all honesty I think I'd be quite useful in that department.

are you serious? if you know how to operate a pandora chances are you're already old enough for rating systems to not matter. Ratings are all bull anyway.

[darien]

If it's on the App Store, most it could have is boobs if I recall correctly. Other than that, if I'm the author of the game, it will have obscene language or sometimes suggestive cursing. There's your ESRB ratings.

[craigix]

If it's on the App Store, most it could have is boobs if I recall correctly. Other than that, if I'm the author of the game, it will have obscene language or sometimes suggestive cursing. There's your ESRB ratings.

I'm not too worried if it has more than boobs, but it can't just be porn. There is a fine line and I guess we will know it when we see it.

[MDave]

If it's on the App Store, most it could have is boobs if I recall correctly. Other than that, if I'm the author of the game, it will have obscene language or sometimes suggestive cursing. There's your ESRB ratings.

I'm not too worried if it has more than boobs, but it can't just be porn. There is a fine line and I guess we will know it when we see it.

You might get bitten in the ass by some country's law if you don't look into it now and not when it's already too late

[God Ginrai]

If it's on the App Store, most it could have is boobs if I recall correctly. Other than that, if I'm the author of the game, it will have obscene language or sometimes suggestive cursing. There's your ESRB ratings.

I'm not too worried if it has more than boobs, but it can't just be porn. There is a fine line and I guess we will know it when we see it.

So no port of GP LadyKiller? ;P

-God Ginrai

[Wolenber]

I know for the US at least, all he'd have to do is slap a warning when you enter the site that says it may contain adult content, and that would cover anything they decided to put on it. I'm sure for most other countries a generic warning up front would work too.

[Jourdy288]

Naturally I'd avoid anything too violent seeing as I'm too young (and quite frankly, don't want to deal with) that sort of thing, and what exactly is it you plan to put in the App Store?!

I'm getting my little sister one of these things, I'd hate to... ugh.

@Consequence9:
I do think that the ESRB has gotten worse in it's ratings, too lenient in some areas, too restrictive in others. However, I still think we need a ratings system, all our own.

[NLS]

Can't people just mark their own apps/games as they see fit in the description?
If I were to make and app with boobs in it, I'd be responsible enough to warn anyone in the description that it's not for kids. That way, you don't need whoever works on the app store to verify and rate everything that's uploaded. Same would go for extreme violence.

Edited by NLS, 02 January 2010 - 01:30 AM.

[atomicthumbs]

Parental Alarm Factor

[Wheels]

I'm not too worried if it has more than boobs, but it can't just be porn.

So if we include some other stuff it should be okay?

[Jourdy288]

@NLS:
Totally agree.

I'm totally sure (ok, somewhat sure) that our developers are responsible enough to warn you of that kind of stuff, but what I had in mind was something more along the lines of, say, more minor things. Suppose your game contains the word 'dadgummed' (not that it should...) and some parents allow it, some won't. That kind of thing should be in the ratings system, get my drift?

My parents let me play whatever I'd like, but I'm very selective in my games.

Also, I think that we should have, for those dadgummed little things, perhaps just a mention of this in the description, while for situations where kids shouldn't be/it could be offensive to some there should be a universally recognized warning.

[DaMummy]

really? this is what we're gonna sink to? we're just gonna go from an open source community to a full blown "industry" w/o ever passing go and collecting our $200?