The ESRB enacts new plan -- no one is safe

Before we begin, let's outline the best quote: "It all boils down to parental responsibility." We're of course talking about the ESRB rating system and its enforcement. A new initiative was enacted recently involving a seal of approval for participating stores (imagine a "GameStop recommends this title!" sticker... or something.) and a mystery shopper program (which are always fun).

In the article from Rocky Mountain News, a 15-year-old was sent into a set of different stores in attempt to purchase GTA: San Andreas. Every store prevented him from purchasing it. What does this portend? Stores selling games seem to know that a young kid shouldn't have something like GTA in his hands. This brings us back to the quote about parental responsibility, because a majority of the young gamers getting M-rated games come down to the parents who buy the games initially. Check out the article for more info on that, but we're here to talk about the PS3 and next-gen gaming.

There's such a push for realism in the next-gen race that the ESRB has really grown inconsistent. Look back at the PSX and some of the MA games. Resident Evil, for example. Violent? Sure. Bloody? Pixelated, but sure. Mature themes? Campy zombie movies/games aren't really mature, but let's say yes. Back in the day, yes, it was bad but not really anymore. In the next generation, it's entirely possible to shoot off pieces of a zombie's face. Unless a game involves some type of animals, it seems the next-gen is going to be riddled with MA-rated games. And really, some Teen games are sitting on the edge (look at the language in Final Fantasy 7... if they didn't have the #@%#$!@ all the time, it would have been MA). But is this bad? Not for the aged gamer. However, the market seems to be narrowing its demographic, and the poor 13-16 year old audience may not get to play some of the "great" games coming out because the ESRB is tightening its hold on stores. For what? It's given that "the video game rating system is purely voluntary and carries no force of law". So why is it really that important to enforce? It's up to the parents to say what's right for their child, not the stores. Let us game!