It’s an infrequent but vexing side-effect of gaming’s universal appeal that sometimes lawmakers will fling needless projectiles to halt the controversial, objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient material of video games. Removal of materials that are salacious or otherwise considered morally uncertain is constrained on behalf of the safety of under-aged infants and parents.
Censorship through age restrictions is a futile proposal. It’s a system that has been revised and reshaped so much that it has become rendered meaningless. This hints that the VSC (Video standards Council), the new EU law, that rates games to a PEGI specification to try ensure retailers are abiding by them is an inadequate and definitive law which has only contributed to the rampant routine of below legal age gamers playing titles that are age restricted. It all echoes the question of whether it is the fault of the parents for disregarding the content rating of video games when buying it for their child or if it is in fact an incompetent law imposed onto retailers. Game retailers can now be prosecuted and even imprisoned for selling age-rated video games to under-age children. Those are severe punishments, and it has already been announced that retailers are working closely to guarantee that those principles are carried out. Although it is positive that such standards are being met it still raises new problems for not only the UK but for many other countries selling video games. The biggest problem for EU law councils is ultimately out of their authority; parents and children. Minors are frequently finding ways of getting around the rating system with unaware parents constantly picking up these contentious mediums to satisfy their whimpering cubs. Suppressing content that is deemed unsuitable towards youngsters through age stipulations should be viewed with user discretion and judgement by parents who buy these sorts of (M) rated video games for their children. Instead, a majority of parents don’t review age restrictions on video games and they don’t think mature rated games affect their kids, according to one of the most recent polls.
Data compiled by gaming price comparison and swap site playr2.com indicates that 1,221 parents of children aged 17 were asked if they check the age restriction of their children’s video game; by which 64% of parents feedback said they do not. 55% were already firmly aware of the age classification in video games but did not think age restriction mattered in video games.
This is clear pressure on parents who accompany their child into a game store and then are talked into buying a game on behalf of their child. It is not the fault of the parent who condones the exposure of inappropriate content; they are just simply misinformed on the subject of such content. With increasing prominence of age restriction, perhaps this is an area where the video game industry needs to start re-evaluating age restriction; by penalizing parents from buying video games that are clearly for their child? As harsh as it may sound, it is the only way to prevent unhealthy exposure of mature rated video games to infants.
'But Dad, all of my friends play it!'
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