"M" is for Dick-Bag - Making use of video game rating systems
"M" is for Dick-Bag - Making use of video game rating systems
As much as I feel the ESRB video game rating system is necessary, I wonder how many of us need to know (as a decision point before purchasing a title) how many times we might hear the term- Dick Bag. There seems to be a level of specificity that goes beyond the notion of informative description.
We've come to accept the limitations of the MPAA ratings for movies - vague as they are. G is for kiddie fare. PG may contain some violence and adding a 13 means you may hear the word "fuck", but only once. R is just a good way to make a film. But what if the MPAA began listing all the profane terms as the ESRB does with video games?
Would gamers or parents make different decisions based on game characters saying "shit" rather than "fuck"? Or the number of times it's uttered? Hey, does anyone know what sort of chit-chat goes on in public schools (actually, all schools) these days?
I applaud the ERSB's efforts, but dissecting a game's dialogue seems counter intuitive to assisting a consumer's decision to purchase. Even I don't buy games based on level of profanity. The whole idea of a digital laundry list of foul language in a game seems like over-kill. We feel the M-rating kinda says it all. We expect some profanity - comes with the territory.
On a side note: we will not be purchasing Borderlands 2 unless they continue the usage of the term Dick Bag ;)
