New Legislation Targets "Deceptive Game Ratings"
- August 07, 2006 10:19 AM PST
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A new measure called the "Truth in Video Game Rating Act" aims to stop what congressman Cliff Stearns calls a "deceptive rating of video games."
Game Politics reveals that Republican congressman Cliff Stearns has sponsored the "Truth in Video Game Rating Act," a new law that would require the ESRB to play through every game prior to issuing a rating. ESRB president Pat Vance feels that the act is unrealistic and notes that some games take "100 to 200 hours plus" to beat. Vance also defended his position in a hearing on Capitol Hill, explaining that the ESRB rates over a thousand games a year and that the company does not have time to play games all the way through.
Another key aspect of the act is that publishers would be held accountable for any hidden content, ala the "Hot Coffee" scandal that rocked the games industry last year. The ESRB would also be forbidden from "grossly mischaracterizing" video game content, which could stem from the re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion earlier this year for its violent scenes. The Federal Trade Commission would judge whether content has been "grossly micharacter[ized]."
The act would also investigate whether or not the ESRB rating system is effective in its current form, and would investigate the possibilities of a peer-review process and a new ratings system.
