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Previous: Flash fascism | Main | Next: Form instructions
June 2, 2005 12:03 AM
Broken: Amazon's "Kids & Family" list
Kat writes:
I was browsing Amazon for stuff to add to my wishlist, and I noticed that apparently Amazon thinks that Grand Theft Auto 3 is a "Kids & Family" game. Yes, it's #6 on the Kids & Family list of PS2 games.
Ahh, yes. GTA3 instills traditional family values, such as how to find the optimal spot to hide on a rooftop when you have sixteen guns and a rocket launcher, or how it's important to kill a hooker so that you can get your money back.
[I understand that lots of people like this game - what's broken is that Amazon is listing it in a Kids & Family list - which I really don't understand. What if a parent, who knew nothing about the games out today, was looking for a gift for a six-year-old PS2 gamer? -mh]
Are those games M too, Nobody?
Umm, Sue 'Em, the age for M games is 17, and i believe, although i'm not sure, that it's the same in all states. I know Wal-Mart doesn't stock them.
Tragic though the blunder may be, I still have to laugh at it. Heh-heh. Pretty funny.
As far as who-can-sell-what-to-whom: I thought that was up to the retailer? I don't think that there are any laws that put it in the hands of the state.
I work at a video game store and there is nothing i dislike more than when an 8 year old has talked his mom into picking a GTA game. Even though she is over 18 and i can not ID her i do try to point out that it is a Mature rated game and not intended for people under the age of 17. When I am out on the floor and see parents with children trying to make a decision I try to point out ESRB rating an let them know what they mean and where they can find more information if they are interested. I will note that only some of people appreciate what I am trying to tell them, but I feel that if I atleast let them know they will have a better idea of what they are buying for they're children in the future.
Tim,
There are laws in some states restricting the sales of Mature video games to those that are 17 or older, just like the sale of R rated movie tickets. I think Washington state is the latest one to do this.
This is clearly broken, I've been trying to figure out what data their reading to suggest it as a friendly game. Certainly not rating, and sales alone would put it higher up on the list and put some sports games there as well.
When I was looking at this I went back to the original kids family section and it has this text.
Kid-Safe Zone: You are currently in our Kids & Family section, which only contains titles that have E (Everyone) and EC (Early Childhood) ratings. If you're looking for T (Teen) and M (Mature) games, visit our general Computer & Video Games store. Also check out our complete guide to understanding video game ratings.
The icons on the left of it are of an E rating and an M rating. A preliminary search throughout the site shows that every product they are recomending is actually either E or M, so I initially thought that it was a programming glitch displaying the wrong categories. I then searched further and found one Teen rated game which blew out that theory.
I have alerted them to the error, hopefully it will be corrected soon so that parents aren't misinformed. I love M rated games, but I also know a lot of parents are clueless and buy it for their 8 year olds.
If you visit the main "Kids and Family" page it says:
"Kid-Safe Zone: You are currently in our Kids & Family section, which only contains titles that have E (Everyone) and EC (Early Childhood) ratings. If you're looking for T (Teen) and M (Mature) games, visit our general Computer & Video Games store. Also check out our complete guide to understanding video game ratings."
Clearly this filtering is broken on several of the pages in this "Kid-Safe Zone".
Bob,
you mentioned that wal-mart doesn't sell M rated games however that must be a local wal-mart decision.
The last game I purchased was GTA classic collection from my local wal-mart.
Oh by the way Amazon definitely broken.
Walmart definetly sells M rated games although they tend to only sell the big M rated games. You can find GTA there but not Narc, although they chose not to sell other Mature things like Howard Stern's Private Parts, or Sheryl Crow's CD that had a line mentioning WalMart in it. Good new though in most place WalMart will sell you a rifle if you're under 18.
/ Rant rant, grumble grumble... little guy.... illegal immigrant workers.... why I aughta.... walmart broken... /end rant
I think it is up to the parent to read the description of the video game before they buy, I certainly know what I'am paying for.
Broken are the parents who are incapable of explaining the kid that game is game and life is life and the two shouldn't be mixed.
I dont see the problem with letting 8 yr olds play GTA, hell, let em play anything they want to, watch anything they want to as well. my mom never really cared what i watched when i was a kid and i turned out alright, that was when i got to watch tv! i think whats wrong with kids these days is they dont get out enough, i had a BB gun and a bike when i was younger, i would be home by dusk and all was good! those rating things are stupid too, playing shoot em ups an games like GTA are just fun, not real life, thank god i aint having kids!!!
I'm fairly sure that the parent would know not to buy a game for a six year old with the words "Grand Theft Auto" in the title.
"Grand Theft Auto" doesn't really make sense.
I don't get whats the "Grand" part about...would it be easiler to call it "Auto Theft" omg!
"or how it's important to kill a hooker so that you can get your money back."
AHEM.
I hate it when people who have never seen the game say this. It's just not true.
I tried. It's the same random drop any other person makes.
Chapters.indigo.com lists the book Maus under Humour and Comedy.
They've had it pointed out to them a couple times (by me) -- no change.
Hey stupid!,
The term "grand theft auto" was a legal term long before the game was made. Theft is the general term of a crime. Grand has to do with the monetary value of the crime (not how wonderful it is). Grand theft is usually a felony, whereas petty theft is a misdemeanor. But I digress.
Tim- Everything is in the hands of the states, unless it's in the constitution!
I guess I just assumed no wal-marts carried M games, just because dinky little wal-marts here in Florida don't.
Amazon is broken, although it's probably just human error/stupidity.
Notes:
1. Game ratings are the same in all states
2. GTA is gay, Driv3r is better
3. I think Halo and Halo2 should be rated T
4. Parents should moniter more closely what their kids play.
5. My "friend" got GTA for X-Mas. I played it and hated it.
6. You can kill hooker in the game
7. I think the man who thought of this game is going to hell.
: End
You can kill anyone in the game.
If you kill a hooker (not recomended), you don't get your money back.
Grand Theft Auto.
Theft is something stolen.
Grand Theft is something stolen worth over $1000 (a grand)
Grand Theft Auto means that you stole a car that's worth over $1000, as most cars are.
Except those hippy vans. Those just give you a misdemeanor :D
That's nothing. The folks down under banned this game from general release! Go to imdb.com, try to find the list of movies/games banned from Australia and you'll see what I mean.
Not broken (backend anyway).
This person navigated OUT of the "Kids and Family" Section and is viewing the Overall "Top Sellers" list.
an Interstitial Page would help here.
Martin Middelmann> no, they didn't it's definatly under kid's and family, go to the page yourself and look at the path bar at the top...
Computer & Video Games > Kids & Family > PlayStation2 > Classic Games & Retro Arcade
meaning that your looking at all the classic/arcade games that are for ps2 and are in the kids and family category (by the way, it's up to #5 now)
The only thing broken here is a programming error.
If the section only contains E and EC games then M games shouldn't be there.
However, the ESRB system is a piece of garbage. The guidelines are based on random criteria that aren't published. It might say "blood and gore" (suprisingly, these games rarely contain blood or gore)
but there aren't any definitions for that that THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN SEE.
Furthermore, the parents need to explain that:
video games != (does not equal) real life.
and that the 2 shouldn't be mixed.
If the parents can't explain this then they aren't qualified to have children.
If they need to rely on an ESRB rating system it just shows how lazy they are to actually research anything.
Furthermore, anything that says "Explicit language". Have you been in a public school lately?
I walk through the halls of my high school and hear all of these words no less than 10 times per day. And this isn't some run down, piece of junk school either.
This is a high rated school which routinely scores high in CSAP (colorado student assesment program) and other standardised test scores.
Another thing, I actually learned the definition of "heritic" by playing halo two. Three days later, we were taught that word in my Geography class. Yet, it didn't make me any more violent or have any of these side effects that are suppoised to come from playing video games.
It's moved up to place 5 on the list now.
I guess this is popular amongst the Classic Game/Retro Arcade loving Kids & Family,
Reminds me of when I decided to pick up a cheap copy of GTA at a store once...
What I didn't know was that there were 2 discs, Install and Play... but, I only got the install disc. "Now insert the play disc."Er... what play disc?
Reminds me of when I decided to pick up a cheap copy of GTA at a store once...
What I didn't know was that there were 2 discs, Install and Play... but, I only got the install disc. "Now insert the play disc."Er... what play disc?
Comments on this entry are closed
Previous: Flash fascism | Main | Next: Form instructions
I agree it is broken. Bad move on Amazon's part.
Posted by: Kris at June 2, 2005 02:20 AM