Ethical Dilemmas -- Page 2
- November 01, 2005 18:03 PM PST
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Corruption lies at the heart of the problem, or so the advocate for greater governmental control over game ratings would have the public believe. Ask, and despite very vocal attacks on even unassuming titles such as The Sims 2, he's got no issue with software makers collaborating hand-in-hand with legislators to remedy the status quo.
But the way the system currently works, you can't believe the people in power, charges Thompson, who freely compares Doug Lowenstein to Joseph Goebbles, Hitler's PR man. The problem as he sees it? They're all on the take.
Because both the ESA and ESRB are funded directly by the gaming industry (members include Activision, Electronic Arts and Sega) he claims, overseers aren't above promoting lies, misconception and base propaganda.
Never mind whether these claims are factual; more tellingly, they've served to expose shameful, long-standing rifts within the development and publishing communities once kept carefully concealed. Translation: all's no longer well in the Mushroom Kingdom. And, naturally, it's the people behind chart-topping smashes such as Halo 2 and God of War who're being made to suffer.
A brief survey of game makers confirms it... a palpable undercurrent of distrust surrounding the ESRB pervades.
Or, as one developer, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, sums up, "People look at the entity as a necessary evil... and a bit of a joke."
Resentment's been seething for some time -- you're only hearing about it now because individual companies lack the power to confront the organization. Come out in opposition against it, they say, and there could be hell to pay.
Mind you... it's not mandatory you get a game rated or even associate with the ESRB. But assuming you decide to do so, submission costs only $2500 ($4000 for a rush job) readily payable by check or credit card. As for physical labor involved, one simply posts off a document detailing any questionable in-game content and a reel of video footage highlighting all potentially offensive material.
An iterative process, should you be unhappy with the rating assigned or sticking points arise, resubmission will set you back another $2500. The fee for reissues/repackages and wireless/cellular phone games is $250.
Along with the initial mailing, publishers also sign a legally binding contract subjecting themselves to the ESRB's rules and regulations. The agreement gives the institution the power to impose fines and penalties upon those who don't abide by its guidelines.
As for the reality of the situation, good luck getting your game into a major retailer without an official rating attached. And given the country's current moral climate, it'd practically take a pardon from Jehovah himself to slip a disc bearing an AO stamp (intended strictly for those aged 18 and up) onto shelves.
Even receiving an M (must be 17 to purchase) versus a T (13 or older) designation can be disastrous, creating millions in lost revenue due to reticent parents and smaller sales distribution channels. In short, angling for adult audiences versus teenagers or kids is the surest way of guaranteeing stores either shun your product or order it in much smaller quantities.
"Retailers are sensitive to customers' needs," says Hal Halpin, president of trade body the Interactive Entertainment Merchants' Association (IEMA), whose members account for over 85% of all gaming-related sales transactions. "There's not the same sensitivity between a T and an M rating as there is between an M and an AO, but in the former case, [a T-rated title] would enjoy broader demographic appeal."
Critically acclaimed God of War has its M-rated share of spinal-breaking gore.
