Overclock.net banner

[MCV]UK crime commissioner calls for new 'Adult Only' game age rating (Updated)

2K views 42 replies 34 participants last post by  Stilldawn 
#1 ·
Quote:
Northamptonshire's police and crime commissioner Adam Simmonds wants a US-style Adults Only (AO) rating to help parents identify games with particularly brutal content that goes beyond what could normally be expected in a PEGI 18 game.
Quote:
"A new Adult Only rating alongside parental locks on consoles will better support parents in safeguarding their children. If companies fail to do this, games involving extreme violence or sexual content should be banned altogether."
Source

Is the UK about to go the way of Australia and flat out ban games that it disapproves of? Please delete if re-post.

Edit/Update-
Quote:
UPDATE: MCV has obtained a full copy of the report referenced, which is entitled 'Online Safety: A Report by Northamptonshire Police & Crime Commission'. It doesn't contain any references to proposed changes to the UK age ratings system, which appears to be a context used only in the Northants Police press release linked to above.
(Thank you tubnotub1 for the update)
 
#2 ·
I hope they don't ban but at least get some grip on 18+ games and stop kids from buying them. Sick and tired of these kids without proper nuts screaming into mics on online games.
 
#3 ·
I remember when I was a wee lad playing Rainbow Six online on "The Zone" and seeing the little squares of blood when someone gets shot. I was scared if my mom found out I was playing such a game with blood in it hahah

And yes, you're welcome if I made you feel old.
smile.gif
 
  • Rep+
Reactions: DMills
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Semedar View Post

I remember when I was a wee lad playing Rainbow Six online on "The Zone" and seeing the little squares of blood when someone gets shot. I was scared if my mom found out I was playing such a game with blood in it hahah

And yes, you're welcome if I made you feel old.
smile.gif
These days it's the opposite of that. These days they are probably "doing" your mom when you're scared she finds out about the blood.
 
#6 ·
So the "crime commissioner" has a say in game ratings? That is the wackest thing I've seen in a while.
 
#8 ·
why don't they just put cameras inside people's homes to make sure kids aren't playing "violent" or "sexual" video games.
 
#9 ·
Tbh i would like this to mean more violent and extreme sexual content games to be released.

Simply another layer on top of the 18+ mark, that would be good, little jimmys mom will buy him any game as long as it shuts him up for a hour so ratings dont effect anyone really.
 
#10 ·
i do think that the selling of '18' games needs to be controlled more. Whats the point of having the suggested age if a 10 year old can come in and buy it.
It should be a legal thing, you must proove your age if you don't look it. what the parent does when they get home is up to them, but if they have to be the ones buying it they may actually look at the game and notice what it depics (GTA games come to mind)
 
#11 ·
It's not the kids' fault for playing games that's beyond their age, it's the parents fault for authorizing payment and letting the kids buy such games, but what makes me laugh is this was all over the news this morning in the UK, it's the parents that are complaining that kids are getting violent and blaming the games.
 
#12 ·
I played games like Carmageddon, Grand Theft Auto and Half-Life when they came out. I was around 11-12 years old. Nobody stopped me and i have to say that i consider myself pretty normal. I would even say that games saved my life from all that **** i experienced and witnessed during my childhood. Gave me some enjoyment, something to addict to.
Otherwise i would have gone more with alcholol and who knows what.

I noticed long ago that people who are behaving extraordinary agressively when they are in their teen years seem to continue that way when they grow in their 20s and others just normalize and blend with the society. Ruined childhood can be burden for all your life.

Just something to think about. I don't think that games are the real issue.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ikon View Post

I played games like Carmageddon, Grand Theft Auto and Half-Life when they came out. I was around 11-12 years old. Nobody stopped me and i have to say that i consider myself pretty normal. I would even say that games saved my life from all that **** i experienced and witnessed during my childhood. Gave me some enjoyment, something to addict to.
Otherwise i would have gone more with alcholol and who knows what.

I noticed long ago that people who are behaving extraordinary agressively when they are in their teen years seem to continue that way when they grow in their 20s and others just normalize and blend with the society. Ruined childhood can be burden for all your life.

Just something to think about. I don't think that games are the real issue.
Games are an easy scapegoat. I loved Carmageddon, Half Life, Quake (I went totally crazy first time I played Quake, incredible game) and was a semi-professional Quake III player. Interestingly I haven't grabbed a railgun to frag the noobs who piss me off in real life.

It takes a lot more than games for people to become violent and society is to blame for most of it but much easier to blame parents, games and films than actually look at something as complicated as society.

As for this crime noob making himself look stupid, this is the 'free' Western world where governments will protect you from yourself whether you like it or not. Am I happy I no longer live there.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Liranan View Post

Games are an easy scapegoat. I loved Carmageddon, Half Life, Quake (I went totally crazy first time I played Quake, incredible game) and was a semi-professional Quake III player. Interestingly I haven't grabbed a railgun to frag the noobs who piss me off in real life.

It takes a lot more than games for people to become violent and society is to blame for most of it but much easier to blame parents, games and films than actually look at something as complicated as society.

As for this crime noob making himself look stupid, this is the 'free' Western world where governments will protect you from yourself whether you like it or not. Am I happy I no longer live there.
For the coincidence, im posting this from Yangshuo, China right now ( though just traveling, i spend in asia 7-9 months a year.). Cheers!

edit, for the sake of the topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Liranan View Post

Oh lawd, Yangshuo is gorgeous! I live in the south of the province and four hours by high speed rail from Guilin. You should post some photos when you can, I'll add some of the ones I took in Yangshuo to the thread. Just send me a link to the thread and we'll show how beautiful some parts of China are.

We're not completely off topic
biggrin.gif

Who would sit in the House of Lords and Commons if they did this?
We can do that. Right now i got less then 5 pictures (im pretty lazy with the camera sometimes), but im working on it.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by driftingforlife View Post

But it still won't stop the bloody parents buying it anyway. 18 = Adult already.
Exactly this - it's already illegal to buy an 18 rated game, yet it's completely the norm for ~12-15 yr olds to have them anyway. What's the difference between "illegal to buy unless you're 18+" and "illegal to buy unless you're an adult"? I don't see one, other than yet another red flag on the box to try to stop parents from doing something that they're already aware of and doing. If they don't know that a 15+ game or an 18+ game with the markers for sexual content, drug use etc have that stuff, then that's their own problem IMO. It's written clearly.
Quote:
it's the parents fault for authorizing payment and letting the kids buy such games
letting the kids buy such games - in this case, that literally means walking into a store with their money and buying it for them. You're supposed to, by law as far as i know, be refused to get served (like with alcohol, tobacco, gambling stuff etc) without ID unless you look waaay over age (25+ for alcohol etc). Sure you could probably walk between shops until somebody serves you, but most of the time i think it's just parents buying the games for their children - or older peers buying it and passing it down
 
#18 ·
I played Serious Sam when I was a kid and I'm pretty normal(I think).
I problem isn't games, the problem is that kids aren't getting social attention from parents.
Kids aren't dumb that they can't understand the difference between a game and real life, just learn them that.
These days almost every woman works as well, not enough time for the kids.
 
#19 ·
I saw this this morning on GMB (Good Morning Britain) and they was interviewing a mother with her two sons who were around 12-14 age I would say from the look of them, speech etc.

They didnt name any games but from from my guess they were talking about GTAV and COD. Now the mother was saying that there shouldnt be violence in game and calling for adults only game rating but whats the point of these ratings if you insist on buying adult games for children.

I did email the show stating that parents shouldnt buy children games who arent old enough if they didnt want them exposed to violence etc....

surprise surprise it didnt get aired or mentioned - only the comments against the games and industry were:rolleyes:

EDIT: i have played these 'violent' games since i got my first ps1 back in 96 (PC few years later
biggrin.gif
) and I have turned out fine
thumb.gif
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxFTW View Post

Tbh i would like this to mean more violent and extreme sexual content games to be released.

Simply another layer on top of the 18+ mark, that would be good, little jimmys mom will buy him any game as long as it shuts him up for a hour so ratings dont effect anyone really.
Problem being that high adult ratings can lead to the AO / NC17 situation where 95% of companies refuse to stock a game/movie.

I really dislike the idea of age ratings, all that's going to do is make companies self censor in order to get a wider target market.

Maybe in favor of content tags like the ones PEGI has (violence, foul language, sexual content, fear/terror, drugs etc.)
 
#23 ·
Been gaming since my vic20, online over the years I have gotten trolled in game, abused in side/voice and beaten by glitching etc, just the usual mother stuff etc but near every time its by someone who isn't even the legal age to play. The chat is often worse for kids than the game and its mostly kids who make it vile, fine the parents when the kids are caught playing I say.
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Semedar View Post

I remember when I was a wee lad playing Rainbow Six online on "The Zone" and seeing the little squares of blood when someone gets shot. I was scared if my mom found out I was playing such a game with blood in it hahah

And yes, you're welcome if I made you feel old.
smile.gif
The earliest I played was Rainbox Six 3 on the Xbox, I didn't have my own PC at the time. My mom would get this disturbed look every time she seen me playing it. I never did get why. Back then it seemed like online gamers were much more mature. The little kids were normally quiet and very friendly.

It's sad. My grandfather's generation was able to walk down the street with a shotgun in his hand at 10 years old, yet this generation can't buy a piece of entertainment media at 17.
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by driftingforlife View Post

But it still won't stop the bloody parents buying it anyway. 18 = Adult already.
^This. If you are old enough to star in a porno you are old enough play any damn game you like. 18 is an adults only rating already.
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by burning-skies View Post

I saw this this morning on GMB (Good Morning Britain) and they was interviewing a mother with her two sons who were around 12-14 age I would say from the look of them, speech etc.

They didnt name any games but from from my guess they were talking about GTAV and COD. Now the mother was saying that there shouldnt be violence in game and calling for adults only game rating but whats the point of these ratings if you insist on buying adult games for children.

I did email the show stating that parents shouldnt buy children games who arent old enough if they didnt want them exposed to violence etc....

surprise surprise it didnt get aired or mentioned - only the comments against the games and industry were
rolleyes.gif


EDIT: i have played these 'violent' games since i got my first ps1 back in 96 (PC few years later
biggrin.gif
) and I have turned out fine
thumb.gif
They would. The whole TV and movie industry wants to get rid of video games so they can generate more ad revenue from people watching their drivel instead of playing games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rndomuser View Post

That should include ALL of games with online multiplayer part
biggrin.gif
If you read the ToS to both PSN and XBL, you need to be 13+ years old to register and you need to be 18+ years old to play online.

Adult Only ratings will change absolutely nothing.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top