Science and Society

All of this would be unnecessary if parents actually PARENTED

Here comes the censors! The guys who play Manhunt are in their 20's and 30's. Get rid of the ratings system altogether and just sell the games no matter how violent they are. Maybe parents can go ahead and start parenting when they actually have to see what their kids are doing instead of just looking at the rating.

No to censorship!!!

"Manhunt 2" should be rated as "E" for "Everyone." Let the little, innocent kids have a taste of what violent/horror games are all 'bout.

When are people going to learn that a good portion of video games are NOT MARKETED FOR CHILDREN!? These types of games are marketed for adults. The catch 22 is that most places refuse to sell AO games so that makes it hard to even sell the game. It's not the job of the producers to dictate what kids can and can't play, that is a parent's job. Stop relying on the government to protect your children from video games and do your job as a parent.

Love it. Lets censor music, movies, games and everything else. Soon we will be a sterile society. Any expression of individuality will be stifled. Just remember as the bullet enters your brain, you will love and thank Big Brother for keeping you and your family safe from reality.

As a liberal I'm amazed there are democrats who are trying to regulate this more. This is ridiculous. How much more of a warning do u need besides M for mature. IT's MATURE for crying out loud which means you shouldn't be letting kids play. Should the violent games come with electronic buzzers to remind parents not to give these to kids. This is getting out of hand leave the video game industry alone.

when are parents going to understand that these games are not meant for their minors ! They are meant for the rest of us in our 30's and 20's . I don't appreciate some parents getting ticked off because her kid played a violent game and then take away my right to play it. Parents need to stop being ignorant and start to be real parents . just becuase something is labled video game does'nt mean it's for kids , just like movies , just because it is a movie does'nt always mean it's for kids . To all parents out there please do your role as a parent is suppose to and just say no to your kid if he or she wants to play a violent game . I'm a woman in my 30's and I enjoy these games but I also know they are not real , which by the way some idiot kid out there may or may not .
Don't sensor what I should and should'nt play it's my business!

I agree w/ Scott. Anyone who is allowed to purchase an M rated game is pretty much the same guy who will get it when rated AO. The AO rating just limits WHERE it can be sold (porn shops), therefore limiting exposure and availability to the market. This will ultimately limit their profits as well. It does seem unfair that someone can control how much money one makes just by labeling it. Parenting should be the parents' job anyways.

You know what? I don't want politicians telling me what I can and can't play, watch or do (as long as it is legal). These kids are marketed at adults, not kids.

Yea, I agree with alot that is said here. The government doesn't need to be in my life. They need to focus on protecting the country from other countries. Can't say terrorists, cause if you think about it, the fathers of our country can be considered terrorists. Anyway. If parents parented, instead of just throwing their kids in front of a tv, or buying them whatever they want just to shut them up, we wouldn't be in this predicament anyway.

News flash: IF THE GAME IS RATED M DON'T BUY IT FOR YOUR KIDS.

I have played through this game.It is an m rated which clearly marked on the box.I am an average middle class tax payer.The game it self is entertainment no different than the b movies from Hollywood.It is my right to play this or any other game if I wish too.stop steping on our right's!!!!!!!!!!

-Yeah, I agree with everyone above. The government telling us what games we can and can't play? THIS IS BLASPHEMY!!! and it is the parents fault that the kids are getting ahold of the rated M games. So why blame it on everyone else? Oh, well, this battle will probably never end...

It seems like the government is asking for more useful ratings, not censorship. It seems unreasonable to ask a parent to play all the way through 10-20 different games before deciding which one to buy for their kid. By making the ratings more informative, you're not censoring.

I agree with Wes. Everyone talking about censorship is doing it to stir up controversy. There is nothing about censorship in the letter (for anyone who bothered to read the actual transcript). The point is, the current ESRB rating system is useless and to some degree, unenforceable. Further, there have been numerous news stories on how poorly stores like Toys R Us and Best Buy regulate sales. If there were steeper fines for selling games to minors and better regulation, and if the ratings were much clearer and concise, it would make my job as a parent easier. For all of the 20 somethings squawking about how 'parents should do a better job' remember that when you're a parent, at the end of a long day dealing with a child who it's your job to protect from the stupidity and senselessness that's being pushed at children from all directions. Why not give parents the benefit of the doubt and ask the industry to do a better job of regulating. It's ridiculous that Rockstar doesn't even give an inch in their news releases. At least acknowledge that the risk of a kid getting their hands on this game is real and make a promise to be more vigilant rather than hiding behind the first amendment.

The ESRB is doing their job, and parents should be looking at the ratings so that they dont buy a game like this mature title from Rockstar for there kid. The Big stores need to enforce the ratings and not sell a tilte to a kid in a age group it is not entended for. ID kids buying these games. Cause if your old enough to play it you should have an ID. If they revise the rating system it will just get more confusing and make the job of rating these games, movies, and the such more difficult and that could cause problems.
On the censorship issue they are not trying to censor just to protect the youngster that may not be able to understand that it is not real the game/movie.

There is no protecting kids from the stupidity of their parents. When I was younger I played violent games and never felt the urge to go out and rob or kill someone. But my parents taught me right from wrong at a young age. They also imparted the knowledge I would need to tell the difference from reality and fantasy. I believe that they can make a stink about violence in video games the day that I can turn the news on and NOT hear about suicide bombers and other equally violent events.

Freedom to tweak! We should be able to make any changes we want to hardware and software we own!

Freedom to tweak! We should be able to make any changes we want to hardware and software we own!

i agree with libby i think if parents can really see what there kids are playing maybe they will finally start to care but until then ket kids be kids =)