Re: Oil Nazis enact video games enforcement act

_KK_@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote...
> On Thu, 29 May 2008 21:01:10 +0000, Richard Eich wrote:
> 
> > _KK_@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote...
> >> On Tue, 27 May 2008 19:18:45 -0500, Sanders Kaufman wrote:
> >> 
> >> > 
> >> > "KK" <_KK_@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> >> >> On Tue, 27 May 2008 12:43:11 -0400, tar~bal wrote:
> >> > 
> >> >>> I just wonder what kind of person has a problem with video game
ratings.
> >> >>> Maybe 12 year olds?
> >> >>
> >> >> Video game ratings are dumb.  They just make the kids want them
more.
> >> >> Same with album warnings.
> >> > 
> >> > That's not ALL they do.
> >> > They also inform parents as to the nature of the content.
> >> > Why do you oppose letting parents know what their kids are up to?
> >> 
> >> I oppose requiring someone to label their product so that parents
don't
> >> have to do their job.
> > 
> > Oh, so the parent is supposed to buy the game and review it, and base 
> > their decision on that?  Except that the license says you can't 
> > return it if opened, so the company gets the revenue regardless of 
> > whether or not the parent will let the child play the game.
> 
> No, dummy.  Show me one game that's out that there's not an immediately
> available free review of.

LMAO.  To paraphrase Nietzsche, beware when calling someone a dummy 
that you yourself are not one.

First, the game developer is vastly more familiar with what the game 
has in it than any immediately-available review.  So having the 
developer provide the rating is a trivial task on the developer.

Second, in order for the parent to do their job -- as you suggest -- 
without the benefit of a rating label then the reviews are going to 
need to provide certain information about suitability for children, 
and at what ages.  Are you going to mandate that?  How is that 
different than mandating a label?  You've simply ****fted the burden 
of who provides the information from a highly effective and efficient 
source (the developer) to a less effective and efficient source (a 
reviewer).  "Less effective" because reviews are written under 
deadlines, and no game will have been completely experienced by a 
review.  They'll miss stuff.  They can't help but miss stuff.

Yeah, that's certainly using the ol' noodle.

-- 
Taxes are not "punishment for success".  Nor are they "theft".  Taxes 
are a royalty paid commensurate to the economic benefit obtained from 
a shared socio-economic system.

"Those who gain the benefit should also bear the disadvantage." 
                                                   - Common Law maxim