Damages the Industry. September 9, 2007

Frontier Developments David Braben had the following to say regarding Manhunt 2 and the gaming industry. Let’s take a look shall we?
“I think at the root of this problem is that there’s still an expectation among parents that ESRB/PEGI/BBFC ratings can be ignored…There have been a few games that have strange ratings like Gears of War (18). That does not make sense to me. Why is it not a 15? Okay, there are some slightly gruesome bodies hanging up in the first section of the game, but this is no more than you’d expect in a 15 film like Alien Vs Predator or The Terminator films…from what I’ve heard of Manhunt 2 (I haven’t had the chance to play it), it is not the sort of game the industry should be making, as it is inevitably going to attract controversy.
While Manhunt 2 might have brought short term gain to Rockstar, it damages the reputation of the industry as a whole, long term. We do need a strong, consistent rating system, where 18 really means 18, and is enforced, and then it may be more acceptable to make such games, or to bring in an additional rating (as in the US) of Adults Only.”





















well [some]stores will even let kids buy or rent M rated games but wont let them rent or buy PG-13 or R rated movies it doesnt make any sense all rules should be enforced
The problem is the rating system in the US is majorly fucked up. AO sounds like porn, but really it’s only 18+ instead of 17+. I hope that worldwide rating system I heard about is going to be released in a year or two.
The M rating should be more like 15+ and then a 18+ rating and then AO for porn games.
ya, it definitely needs to change from where it stands now. If games were rated a bit better, than they will sell better because the parents wont let their kids buy games that aren’t even that bad. Take Fable or Halo for instance. My Dad won’t let me play either because they are M rated, when they should be both around 13+, and I’m going to be 17 in October. Just those should tell you something, especially fable.