Ok so I admit it, I played Mortal Kombat when I was a kid. I think I played Resident Evil as a kid as well. I mean I equate some of that to be the equivalent of seeing an 15 as a kid. But the problem is, some games are just not right for some kids to play. Some kids are mature enough to say, "hey this is a game only and I understand its not real and its not ok to act like the characters in game", and if a parent feels like there kid is mature enough to handle something with a bit more excessive violence or adult themes then that's fine. However some kids just shouldn't play it if there not ready for it and some parents just don't recognise that some games aren't intended for kids. Its a tricky issue and I can see why this issue of legally enforced game ratings have come into play.
I think PEGI do a great job of rating games, they even have a website called ask about games which is a great idea for a site. They actually tell parents what a video game is about rather than going "oh video games are for kids" etc. Which is brilliant and Video Game ratings are actually better than any other industry. I think video games shouldn't be coming under fire for not being tough enough, I think they should be congratulated for actually providing detailed ratings. On PEGI games there are symbols for parents who don't read the warning that a game has drug use, sex etc.
At the same time though, I think games have really changed and the themes they hold are obviously geared towards a more mature audience. Apparently the average age of a gamer is actually 37. So people should really take that into consideration. I mean I dont think a game thats targeted for an older audience should be toned down for kids. I mean yes in some cases its good if they tone it down so that 12 year olds can play a bit more of a mature game but I think that's another issue really.
There needs to be more games aimed for that 12 rating as that could deter some from going for COD. Sure Call of Duty isnt as bad as some games but at the same time it would be nice if there were more games for 12 year olds that didnt treat them as kids. I remember being a bit frustrated by that myself. I just hope this new rating allows for that. Its been quite a while since I've seen a game like XIII which was a 12 and I think there should be more.
I just hope that this actually makes some parents think before they buy games although I can see some parents still buying games for there kids. I just hope that the sales people are smart enough to just refuse to sell a game if its clear there buying it for there kid. At the same time, I hope they dont just go, "oh I'll only buy games that have there favorite tv series on the box," because there are some great games that have a 3+ rating that are amazingly creative and fun. I mean Rayman Origins is one of my favorite games from last year and I'd gladly reccomend that game to anyone and everyone. There are games like Elite Beat Agents which is completely wacky but it must be pretty good for reaction speeds. There are also games like Zelda which are brilliant games for everyone and it encourages puzzle solving.
But at the end of the day its dependent on two main things really, parents realising that some games aren't meant for kids and developers making more games targeted towards that 12 rating. I think it'll be interesting to see how things go and whether parents will get more informed or even if developers do try and target games for a younger audience due to this form of rating.
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