Beyond the ESRB
Recently, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (the body that rates the games) announced that they would – finally – add more detail about why games get the ratings they do. This is something I’ve been advocating for my entire career and it took them 5 years, but they finally did it. So why didn’t I post about it? Sour grapes isn’t the right word and I don’t feel slighted or wounded really – I’m just disappointed. Here’s why…
As many people know, GamerDad.com was founded with three basic principles/goals in mind. It’s a parental service but I’m also an activist, so GamerDad was going to change things. The argument has changed and I’ll leave it to others to estimate how much we are responsible for that but it’s well known that I wanted to:
A. “Go Beyond the ESRB” by explaining the ratings and giving parents detail not found on the box.
B. Convince the world and the ESRB that GAMERS & PARENTS should be rating the games.
C. There should be a new rating between E and T and one between T and M.
Point A just happened. Point B happened a couple years ago. Point C happened halfway, there’s an E-10+ rating now.
So, I proved somewhat prescient and can pat myself on the back for that. What I want is acknowledgement. Simple courtesy. I’ve had long conversations with the ESRB where their rep argued that they couldn’t go into extra detail, they rightfully changed their mind but in their release they quoted WhatTheyPlay. There was no mention of me. Nothing. Despite my hammering this point home for 5.5 years straight now.
I’m a simple parent. A parent who is a gamer and I’m trying to help people. If you could see my taxes for the past 5 years you’d know, I’m doing this for something other than money. But what’s most disappointing is that allies of mine – people who really know better – didn’t even bother to give me a nod when reporting the story. Outfits like Joystiq and Kotaku, and even Crispy Gamer, who I work for, didn’t mention my activism in this area. Not even GamePolitics and Dennis MacCauley definitely knows better…
So that’s why I wasn’t doing cartwheels at last weeks announcement. I was pleased, very pleased, and proud too. It’s not really about me, seriously, this is a great thing the ESRB is doing. I guess I just feel I deserved some kind of credit. It’s lonely writing about games from Milwaukee Wisconsin and a little reflected glory can make a winter much warmer.
Oh, wait, someone did mention me! I want to thank the Santa Rosa CA Press-Democrat newspaper for being the only entity that I’m aware of that mentioned me (and WhatTheyPlay) when they reported this story. Click here for the link.
See? I’m big in Santa Rosa. That’s something!
PS: I want to thank my writers and remind them that they are part of this victory too. The mood is changing regarding videogames. We are making a difference. We will continue to do so. It’s what we do.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Hey, you’re right. Dennis didn’t mention you at all. He also didn’t cover your PAX thing (he did last year) and he didn’t mention your review sale to WTP or your Library ALA keynote. Did you make the ECA angry or something? GRIN
I saw you at Techsource and it was great. Why doesn’t the industry support that? It’s beyond me. That’s why we can’t trust them. WINK
November 18th, 2008 at 10:55 am
ABSOFREAKIN” LUTELY DUDE!
GP snubbed you, I’d be pissed, I al;most posted about it but didnt. HA! Think theyll link this?!? LOL Fight the power man. I saw you at PAX two years running and I think they oughta put you on TV. You’re better than any industry spokesman because your REAL!
November 18th, 2008 at 11:00 am
For the record, I’m not pissed at the ESRB (or anyone really).
They’ve been very good to me and the rep I mentioned has worked very hard to give me the few – but awesome – opportunities I’ve had to work with them. They also send journalists my way and may have had something to do with WTP contacting me.
I don’t actually feel they owe me credit for this or had to mention me in their press release.
But
I do think I deserved a heads up and being quoted supporting this move would have been good for my profile – and more honest, I believe.
All this pales in comparison to the fact that they ARE doing this and they SHOULD have been doing it all along. I’m glad I could help, but I don’t want this post to turn into an ESRB (or GamePolitics) bashing thread if possible.
I thank you for the compliments too. I’ve been known to accept slaps on the back in leiu of money before.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I want a 15+ rating, for game like Blacksite, or splinter cell chaos theory.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Oops! *pats gamerdad on the back*
November 19th, 2008 at 11:25 am
They need to just redo the system so that it works better.
I mean come on there is only one years difference between M and AO. Teen is entirely too big. It goes from 13 to about 16-17. What they need is people like you to create a system instead of trying to appease the government. Their solution will only stem the stream of complaints for so long.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Andrew, sounds like you’re a visionary who’s vision has unexpectedly and suddenly come true. I have to admit, you’re very cool and generous here. Don’t know why they’d snub you, maybe it’s because they don’t control you? Huh. All the more reason to work WITH you.
Anyway, keep looking forward and accentuating the positive. You’ve had some bad times, time for some good ones.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:58 am
That first line is really well put.
I’m being kind because I advocated this idea forcefully but didn’t come up with it. I created the Kid Factor and we were the first to directly address ESRB descriptors but I also had a massive heart attack last year and successfully sold off and got out of the “review grind business” and into the speechifier-writer-expert-blogger business model, this doesn’t sting so badly. I passed this on to WhatTheyPlay and CommonSense. The ESRB is competing with them with this proposal, far more than it’s going to affect me and what I do.
I’m adaptable.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
It’s funny you write this — when I saw this announced on Joystiq, I was like “Man, I can’t believe this — gamerdad will be pissed”. Maybe they can at least “see the light” after the fact and call you in for consultation. You’ve got a lot more experience in this than they do.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Andrew, you’re a bigger man than me. I saw it and I was so angry. I decided to wait and see what you said about it. If they weren’t trying so hard to pretend they’d come up with the idea as if no one else had ever thought of it I wouldn’t be so mad.
Right now, their summaries are pretty awful. They don’t match up the clauses in them with the actual descriptors, so there’s no connection between them to help parents learn the connotations of the descriptors. They’re still too short and cryptic. I’m hoping they’ll improve. Is there any system where people can send them feedback about them anyone is aware of?
My biggest concern is they don’t mention any of the things that may contradict or not fit their descriptors. So if they don’t have a descriptor tagged for alcahol, but there are quests involving If there are things that might be a concern to a parent they don’t tag (such as the presence of weapons that look like guns in an E game, illegal activities that don’t involve blood and gore) it doesn’t get mentioned. As we all know, that can be a telling ommission.
That article in the Press Democrat was awesome. I like how they mentioned you and What they Play first. And even better, in the last paragraph they openly awknowledge that parents would be playing these games too!
November 19th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I’m 100% on your side here GD!
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 am
Thanks for the kind words everyone.