BC of the Month, May 2007: Matt Paprocki - Page 4

I have a 37" 1080p LCD by Westinghouse which is a perfect fit for the room. My receiver is a Panasonic 6.1 system, complete with middle of the road JBL speakers. That will need to be upgraded relatively soon as the new HD formats are bringing in new audio types and my receiver doesn’t support them. That’s still a way off until prices come down though.

You've been very vocal about censorship in video games, calling for parents to do more parenting in that regard instead of relying on the game manufacturers to protect their kids. Do you have any practical suggestions for parents who want to monitor the games their kids play? Are the ratings really useful (I ask that in particular because when I was raising my son I never felt the MPAA ratings were useful at all for picking appropriate movies)? Are there any other resources, short of actually buying and playing the game, that parents can use to help them make good judgments?

It’s not so much a censorship issue as it is that this has been going on for 15 years now. I was 12 when this started. Since then, I’ve graduated from high school, spent some time in college, and we’re still at the same dead standstill. Some vocal critics still use games that came out in 1992 to strengthen their arguments, which only makes them look foolish. The same arguments have been pushed all this time, and even when disproved or being flat out wrong in the first place, people still use them against the industry. This ridiculous debate hasn’t evolved in the least.

Parents should have no issue monitoring their kids. The ESRB has the rating on the front and the back, and every game has descriptors. Is it that hard to read a bold letter on a box? Contrary to popular belief, they’re very accurate and careful about ratings assignments.

That’s not to say they’re perfect, but certainly better at policing themselves than the MPAA. Neither the ESRB nor MPAA are backed by any federal law, as this would be against first amendment rights. When you read something in the paper about the game industry fighting against video game bills that would prevent kids from purchasing M-rated games, keep in mind the MPAA has nothing in place to keep kids from buying R-rated videos, and they never have. It’s voluntary based on the retailer. The ESRB isn’t some evil corporation hell-bent on selling your child violence or porn as certain people (*cough Jack Thompson cough*) would lead you to believe.

Article Author: Lisa McKay

Lisa McKay is Blogcritics' Executive Editor. At BC she can usually be found hanging out in the film section. She recently started food blogging at Will Kill for Food.

In her spare time, she watches movies, listens to music, reads, and caters to the whims of two spoiled cats. …

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