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June declared Ratings Awareness Month

EMA joins with other entertainment trade groups to declare a month-long campaign to increase parental knowledge of various rating systems.

As politicians across the country attempt to pass laws that give parents the tools they need to keep violent games away from their children, the industry is trying to make parents more aware of the tools already at their disposal.

June has been declared Entertainment Ratings and Labeling Awareness Month by the Coalition of Entertainment Retail Trade Associations, a group including the newly formed Entertainment Merchants Association. This is the third consecutive year CERTA has pegged June as the month "to increase parents' awareness of the ratings and labeling systems for movies, music, and video games and let parents know that stores, online services, and movie theaters are committed to helping them control their children's access to entertainment that is inappropriate for minors."

One of the reasons the group chose June was because it marks the start of summer vacation for many children and an increase in the amount of time they spend enjoying movies, music, and games. In addition to the EMA, CERTA includes the National Association of Theatre Owners, National Association of Recording Merchandisers, and the Digital Media Association.

45 Comments

  • theshoveller

    Posted May 31, 2006 3:51 pm GMT

    I think something like this is a good step in the right direction. As mentioned earlier, people do things and want things because it's "wrong" to do them or own them. How many people drink excessively under the age of 21, and how many people 22+ don't drink a lot? From what I've seen, the younger people drink because it's illegal, something they're not allowed to do that they want to do because they can't, even though few will admit to it.

    The point is, if the government (or at least enough major companies) were to inform parents/guardians about the ratings system, and site places where they can go to get info on such things, then it is entirely up to the parents as to what their child can and cannot buy. I will admit, sometimes I feel that a game is acceptable for someone under the recommended age, but that's something that one has to decide for themselves. Parasite Eve is an example. It's rated M for Mature, yet I played it when I was about 12-14 years old. There was the occasional swear word in it, and a scene involving a hospital's sperm bank, but I was mature enough at that age to understand that it's all fantasy and that some things were not appropriate for someone of my age. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable game, and still one of my favorites. Pretty much, GTA and Halo are rated M. GTA isn't really acceptable for kids in my opinion, but Halo's ok for someone 13-14 (just no repeating the language.)

  • LordAndrew

    Posted May 31, 2006 8:48 am GMT

    This is cool as long as they're trying to educate people. Just saying it's Ratings Awareness Month won't improve awareness.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted May 31, 2006 6:26 am GMT

    what the.... isn't every month about 50 different things "awareness month"???

  • dalriders

    Posted May 30, 2006 9:46 pm GMT

    i wonder how much they are making.......

  • spurs2k

    Posted May 30, 2006 5:05 pm GMT

    Because *some* stubborn kids will acquire M rated games regardless is not grounds to throw up our collective hands and shrug off age appropriateness or parental accountability. There are obviously a lot of young people that post on these forums who won't get what "all the fuss is about" until theyve matured and tried raising kids of their own. Which in this day and age is probably junior year.

  • alberto2045

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:29 pm GMT

    Like one of you said here it is the responsability of the parents since they dont ever talk to their children about it, parents should start to communicate with their kids

  • comthitnuong

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:28 pm GMT

    BOOOOOOO

  • mutenpika

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:26 pm GMT

    The fact that they NEED a ratings awareness month proves that something ain't quite right. Ah, well: anything to fix it's fine with me.

  • barulez

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:19 pm GMT

    This shows that certain parents need to listen.

  • PhillyEaglesOwn

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:18 pm GMT

    Y dont they just lay off of us, most parents buy the games for kids anyway and dont really care, y should the people that RNT our parent care.

  • gameloverx

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:15 pm GMT

    that's the spirit ESRB keep up the good work

  • UltraTurtle1

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:10 pm GMT

    I know how I'm going to celebrate the grand old holiday of Ratings Awareness Month!

    *Buys ES4 Oblivion*

  • sl33py_boy

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:07 pm GMT

    Dude im like 12 and I just play m games at my friends house

  • Video_Game_King

    Posted May 30, 2006 3:06 pm GMT

    At least Thompson can't say we didn't try to advertise it or that it's a complete failure. If this system is a complete failure, than the MPAA is a horrible system that advertises guns, sex and murder to kids on a minutely basis.

  • FuguNabe

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:57 pm GMT

    Hmmm... personally these don't mean much to grown people. I can only see the kids and teens getting upset because they can't get their dosage of carnage and violence. Well frankly I see this as a good thing for parents to be more aware of what they buy for their kids. That way morons like Jack Thomson would lay off the industry and have less to complain about. Well not that it effects me in anyway since I'm nearly 30 and don't live in US.

  • Beyorkin

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:55 pm GMT

    Increased parental awareness should result in decreased liability for game makers when impressionable gamers do silly things.

  • shaddix55

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:42 pm GMT

    I don't think this is going to be enough to stop children from buying the games that should not be with them in the first place. The games that are already out there can be burned/copied, sold, and bought from other people and there's nothing any of these committees can do about that.

  • hungfar

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:38 pm GMT

    Not a bad idea at all. It's just a shame that you have to throw ratings in the faces of parents for them to realize they exist.

  • Merl57

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:35 pm GMT

    Good for them hopefuly, well unlikely so that the politicians will cool down but Im sure they wont.

  • roadrunner1178

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:10 pm GMT

    It ultimately falls on the parent(s). If they are worried about what there children are playing, they need to pay close attention. I always monitor what my stepson rents or borrows from his friends and everything turns out alright. This "Awareness Month" can only help others.

  • darklink676

    Posted May 30, 2006 2:08 pm GMT

    This is a waste of time. I mean come on, dont politicians have better things to do like help poor people. Grow up America.

  • TheRagingGamer

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:57 pm GMT

    "kids will just get their parents to buy the games for them anyway, i mean the more they ban something the more desirable it gets"

    And that would be the entire point. The entire reason for the ESRB is to make parents responsible for what their kids play instead of the industry. The goal of the ESRB isnt to make sure no kids anywhere play mature games -- the point is to require parental involvement in the decision since minors are not of the proper capacity to make decisions for themselves.

    The ESRB protects the industry from responsibility of children getting ahold of potentially inappropriate material. Anyone who isn't a minor mad that their mom won't buy them Trus Crime can see that.

  • Goze

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:49 pm GMT

    That's pretty lame, and reeks of political correctness.

  • -BC-Soldier91

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:35 pm GMT

    Fight the Power!
    The goverment cannot enforce entertainment, its not possible and if it were I'd leave....which If this continues...I will.

  • Rej72380

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:23 pm GMT

    This should give parents some time to talk about what video games are appropriate for their children.

  • bryehngeocef

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:19 pm GMT

    What parents need to do is sit down with their kids, and actually play Halo or GTA, or RE4 or whatever it is 14 year old dudes play these days, and discuss it with them.

    I watched R-Rated movies and listened to NWA when I was growing up in the 80's. Because my mom was willing to give a crap about I was into as a 12-15 year old, and talk to me about the message that the group/filmmaker was putting out there, I had a good perspective on how the world really works.

    We didn't have too many M Rated games back then. I guess Wolfenstein or Doom would have been. Pixelated monster blood and killing hookers are really two different things, but the message in both cases was, and is simple.

    HANG OUT WITH YOUR DAMN KIDS!!!

  • schulza

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:14 pm GMT

    Everytime I see stuff like these the first thing that comes into my mind is "why should parents be educated or helped to take care of their childrens, shouldn'tthey be aware of what their kids are playing?????"...... and according to the US government, apparently not.....

  • walrus1

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:11 pm GMT

    umm this earns one big fat WHATEVER

  • faizali86

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:11 pm GMT

    lol. these groups only exist for 2 reasons

    1. to create job opportunities
    2. to give parents a false sense of security/well being

  • Zakukun

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:11 pm GMT

    Borkrav, without the ESRB, Jack Thompson would have already won. It's a good system.

    As far as game awareness month, I support it. The biggest problem that games have faced is that parents don't look at what their kids are playing, nor do they check the ratings at all. Maybe this way we'll have fewer dumbarsed lawsuits over someone's kids getting hold of a gun they shouldn't have gotten or driving off in a car and into a crowd of people.

    At least this is a more worthwhile use of spending than all the porkbarrel projects Congress has passed just in this term alone.

  • BassForever2

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:11 pm GMT

    I agree, stop wasting money on fixing video games, spend more money on the war, or, paying of the American debt, or, finding a new powersource to replace oil, or, fixing the imigration problem, or (goes on for 5 hours).

  • JLCrogue

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:03 pm GMT

    Politicians are wasting time and money on this. They should be doing more worthwhile things, like fixing social security (socialist stupidity).

  • Blackstaff

    Posted May 30, 2006 1:03 pm GMT

    "borkrav
    Yea, so liek ESRB are liek total noobs.....kids need m games....it teaches them life lessons, like killing prostitutes to get their $ back.............(san andreas)..lmao, and also, esrb doesnt stop kids coming to their frends house to borrow a m game, so nothing stops kids from getting m games......ESRB should just give up.....theyre really pissing me off......its a free country, and there shoud not be any age limits on what you can or cannot buy.......ESRB is ESRB, BUT THEYRE NOT THE LAW

    ok noobs, rate ure stupid games......

    I dont look at the rating when I buy a game...

    These ratings are just decreacing a conpanies sales....Someone should SUE ESRB for doing that....We dont need ratings to limit what me buy..,...we can make our own desitions....next thing u know they will keep keds from byind icecream"

    Can someone say genious? And also... spell check?

  • smiley17O

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:53 pm GMT

    what they need to do is aware parents of what there kids do on xboxlive. like team killing and arguing and cursing over xboxlive plus they start to get mad cause they die and get called noobs

  • Lord_Bafford

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:49 pm GMT

    sure another attempt to condone game violence and other related stuff....
    well I wish you guys luck
    seriously no matter how hard you impose the rules on, there will always be "someone somewhere" playing games that are rated M or something they are not supposed to...
    whats the point?!?!

  • NeoJedi

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:40 pm GMT

    Hmmm... dunno what to think of this exactly. Let's just hope it gets things done.

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:35 pm GMT

    Well thats good hope good stuff comes out of this and not the other way around.

    I think the ESRB have been doing a good job and most stores do not let you rent or buy a video game unless you show proof that you are eighteen or older.For games that are M.

    Well I hope this will go in there favor.

  • YellowPik

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:30 pm GMT

    Good news. This is what politicians should be pushing, not banning violent games. Hopefully this will help parents make better choices on what to buy.

  • borkrav

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:29 pm GMT

    Yea, so liek ESRB are liek total noobs.....kids need m games....it teaches them life lessons, like killing prostitutes to get their $ back.............(san andreas)..lmao, and also, esrb doesnt stop kids coming to their frends house to borrow a m game, so nothing stops kids from getting m games......ESRB should just give up.....theyre really pissing me off......its a free country, and there shoud not be any age limits on what you can or cannot buy.......ESRB is ESRB, BUT THEYRE NOT THE LAW

    ok noobs, rate ure stupid games......


    I dont look at the rating when I buy a game...

    These ratings are just decreacing a conpanies sales....Someone should SUE ESRB for doing that....We dont need ratings to limit what me buy..,...we can make our own desitions....next thing u know they will keep keds from byind icecream

  • spurs2k

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:26 pm GMT

    It is a parents responsibility to monitor their children's activities and expose them to experiences that will make a positive impact on their development. Simply because a child wants something badly does not mean that a parent should cave in and get it for him regardless of the age appropriateness. If parents, as in your example, cant make those decisions then it is the goverment's responsibility to its citizenry to safeguard youth. No one, or very few, want that hence the ESRB is using this as an opportunity to educate parents on how they can make informed decisions.

  • borkrav

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:26 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • SNKrock

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:23 pm GMT

    The more they put it in the news, the more parents will be aware. How many parents you think visit gamespot and watch a video review before shufflin off to wal-mart. Whatever keeps they crazy a$$ kids from runnin up on me on a highway tryin to 'jack me for my ride!

  • decebal

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:20 pm GMT

    yeah sure...

  • ness3k

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:18 pm GMT

    I guess that's cool?

  • meischris39

    Posted May 30, 2006 12:17 pm GMT

    i wish they would just lay off, kids will just get their parents to buy the games for them anyway, i mean the more they ban something the more desirable it gets

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