Taking the Media Guide To Task

Blogcritics have an excellent deconstruction of the Family Media Guide which reports what it considers to be the most ultra-violent material for parents to willingly purchase for their children:

Do you see a pattern here? I have my hand raised; I'll get this one. All of these games are rated M for Mature by the ESRB. The reason the Family Media Guide has to put this list out is because - and only because - parents obviously cannot read and understand the ESRB rating system. Well I take that back, these "Family Groups" are attention whores when it comes to anything remotely resembling GTA.

On the back of the box for Condemned it says: Mature (17+) Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language. Let me translate: When you hit someone over the head with a lead pipe, blood squirts out; this game is really violent; you will hear people say things like "Fuck You!" in this game. Was my translation needed? Do I have to answer that?

-- The Anniston Star Links Our Article To Family Media Guide

They break down the titles as well, pointing out that they share the fact of being well-known and also, generally good games. The real problem I have is that NIMF's material seems to be turning into a most wanted list for the media to start to attack, as if just by making some kind of "ultra-violent" top ten, it's justification for making egregious leaps in logic about just how much your PS 2 can brainwash you. I do, in general, support NIMF and what they're trying to do ... but a lot of their press releases are little more than chest beating and witch hunting that seem to gain far more traction with the fearmongerers than the parents.



tagged: game, gaming