Just got word from the ESRB:
Rockstar's upcoming Bully has been assigned a T (Teen 13+) rating with content descriptors for Crude Humor, Violence, Sexual Themes, Language and Use of Alcohol & Tobacco.
Currently, on the game's official site, Rockstar is displaying an image of Bully bearing the familiar T (13 & older) rating.
There has been much speculation that the game would receive an M (17 & older), but we can put that to rest now.
In the wake of a contentious relationship with officials assigned to defend his Louisiana game law, anti-game violence attorney Jack Thompson says his next stop will be in Salt Lake City. Thompson plans to testify on video game violence before the Utah House next week.
Although he has not responded to GP's e-mail request to elaborate, it seems likely that Thompson will appear before the Judiciary Interim Committee which meets on September 20th. Lame duck Rep. David Hogue (R) is on the agenda to discuss "material harmful to minors."
GP readers may recall Hogue's failed attempt to pass "games as porn" legislation earlier this year. Indeed, some of Hogue's remarks bore an uncanny resemblance to Thompson's rhetoric. Hogue said at the time, for example, that Red Lake Minnesota school shooter Jeffrey Weise "literally trained himself on Grand Theft Auto."
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Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB, has been named to Next Generation's list of the Top 100 Women in Games.
The influential video game news site created the list in anticipation of Saturday's Women in Games International Conference in Seattle.
Other honorees include game designer Brenda Brathwaite, author the recently-published Sex in Video Games, Erin Hoffman, who gained fame and shook up the industry under the pseudonym ea spouse, and conference co-founder Sheri Graner Ray, author of Gender Inclusive Game Design.
One of Net's most respected tech news blogs rises to the defense of Harvard researcher Kim Thompson (left). Good Morning Silicon Valley examined game critic Aaron Stanton's recent attack on Thompson's work and found it wanting.
"...there's some legitimate research being done on the potential effects of violent video games on young minds. But it's not surprising when isolated nuggets are seized upon and thrown into the grinder of the debate. Thus we see the work of Dr. Kimberly Thompson of the Harvard School of Public Health used as a punching bag one day and turned into a bit of snark about "ultra-violent Pac-Man" the next. But to its credit, Joystiq followed up with the good doctor, giving her space to explain some of the nuances of her work. And Thompson makes it clear that thinking seriously about this stuff is not child's play..."
The Herald-Review of Decatur, Illinois takes Gov. Rod Blagojevich to task for the half-million bucks in legal fees which the state must reimburse to the video game industry in the wake of its video game law being ruled unconstitutional:
"Remember the big media splash Gov. Rod Blagojevich made when he announced legislation that would ban the sale of violent and sexually oriented video games to young people? Well, the bill on that little media spotlight is beginning to come due.
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Not surprisingly, the fallout over last year's Hot Coffee scandal has made game developers a bit gun shy when it comes to edgy content.
MTV's Stephen Totilo has an excellent recap of the situation. Among the highlights:
Chris Taylor (pictured), Gas Powered Games: "I don't think it's chilling anyone's creativity, but it probably is making designers think twice before moving ahead with violent or edgy games, because they might have a harder time getting them funded."
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If, as Wal-mart officials maintain, Jack Thompson's Florida lawsuit wasn't what motivated the retail giant to block Bully pre-orders from its website last week, what is?
One answer may lie in June 14th's contentious House subcommittee hearing during which chair Cliff Stearns (R-FL) grilled several video game industry executives including Wal-mart's Gary Severson. Here's what Rep. Stearns had to say to Wal-mart during that hearing:
"I'll start with the questioning. I went, Mr. Severson, I went to the Wal-mart website, where you sell Grand Theft Auto and it's rated "M" there on the the website... (the website said) by ordering this item you are certifying that you are 17 years of age. If you agree to the above terms click 'I agree.' If you click, 'I agree,' you can get this pretty easily."
Stearns next launches into a somewhat confused explanation of last year's Hot Coffee scandal:
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GP's bud John Callaham over at Firing Squad scores another solid interview, this time with Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), chair of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Stearns has also proposed legislation, the so-called "Truth in Video Game Rating Act."
Stearns expressed to Callaham his concerns about the ESRB's game rating process as well as how games are marketed. Here are some of the Congressman's points from the Firing Squad interview:
"The rating board, which is supported by the industry, does not review the game's entire content, instead relying on reviews that has led to numerous problems with inappropriate content being marketed to children."
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You can't get double-talk cheaper, anywhere.
Wal-mart, that bastion of low prices - and low wages - appears to be doing the corporate P.R. two-step in light of its decision to stop pre-order sales of Bully from its web store, Wal-mart.com. The move came shortly after controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson filed suit against the giant retailer and Bully publisher Take-Two Interactive in a Florida court on Wednesday.
The suit and the pulling of the game are not related, according to a Wal-mart P.R. spokesman, who claims that the mega-retailer coincidentally just happened to implement a policy not to pre-sell unrated (or RP for "rating pending") games on the same day that Thompson's Florida case was filed. GP's very limited review of Wal-mart's website this morning, however, quickly turned up several such games for sale, including Crackdown, Phantasy Star Universe, and Justice League Heroes.
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The video game industry continues to forge political bonds.
Today, Georgia State Attorney General Thurbert Baker (left) announced that his office was partnering with the ESRB on a public service announcement (PSA) campaign designed to help parents make better use of ratings when selecting video games for their kids. The campaign will run on both T.V. and radio.
"As a father, I know about the tough decisions parents face today about the media they allow into their homes," said A.G. Baker. "Parents need and deserve all the help they can get, and the ESRB ratings are an effective and informative resource that allows parents to decide if the video game their child wants is appropriate. I'm proud to be helping educate Georgia's parents about the tools at their disposal."
ESRB president Patricia Vance applauded the Georgia initiative.
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Last week, GP was first with the news that Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) had proposed HR 5912, the so-called "Truth in Video Game Rating Act."
Gamasutra and other sites are now reporting that ESA boss Doug Lowenstein has responded by way of an official statement.
"We share Chairman Stearns' commitment to the continued effectiveness and accuracy of the ESRB's ratings system," Lowenstein said. "However, as introduced, we do not believe his legislation will serve consumers and parents."
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According to Reuters, Rockstar will announce today that its controversial title Bully will launch in October.
Although the Reuters story does not specify a date, it is reporting that the game's main character will be a 15-year-old boy named Jimmy Hopkins. Weapons in the game will include baseball bats, stink bombs and bags of marbles.
Bully will feature animated violence, but no blood or deaths, and has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
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Readers of GamePolitics will not soon forget the contentious June 14th video game hearing of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The ESRB and its president, Patricia Vance, came under heavy fire during the proceedings. Ultimately, several members of Congress would be lampooned by Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, for clueless comments made during the videotaped session.
Now, Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL, seen at left) has formalized his issues with the ESRB by introducing HR 5912, the so-called "Truth in Video Game Rating Act."
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Earlier this summer, the newly formed ESRB Retail Council (ERC) announced its Commitment to Parents, an initiative designed to enhance retail compliance with restrictions on M- and AO-rated video game sales to minors. Additionally, ERC members (which account for approximately 80% of all U.S. game sales) must participate in two mystery shopper audits each year.
While the first official audit is planned for September, the Rocky Mountain News decided to conduct its own secret shopper investigation. Reporter Brian Crecente (you may know him better as editor of Kotaku - the Rocky gig is his day job) sent a 15-year-old boy into five major retailers (GameStop, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart and Circuit City) to attempt a purchase of - you guessed it - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The results? Crecente's undercover operative was barred from buying the game in all five stores. In fact, he didn't even make it to the checkout line in four of them, having been stopped by store personnel and informed that he was too young to make the purchase.
"I'm not surprised by that at all," said ESRB president Patricia Vance (pictured at left). "When you look at the issue of how kids are getting games that are treated as being perhaps unsuitable for them, in a vast percentage, it's the parents who have purchased the game. It all boils down to parental responsibility."
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Once again it's time to fire up the Tivo...
GP has learned that Dr. David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media & the Family, will appear on ABC's Good Morning America program tomorrow. GMA airs at 7:00 A.M. Eastern Time. Walsh is scheduled to be on the second segment, which we assume means sometime after 8:00 A.M.
His topic? The teen brain, so expect games to come in for more than a passing mention.
The politically-connected Walsh stood with Hillary Clinton during last summer's Hot Coffee press conference. He has also taken on, at various times, the ESRB as well as game-hatin' attorney Jack Thompson. Gamers may not often agree with Walsh, but his Good Morning America appearance should be interesting.
GP: Despite some differences on game content issues, there are two things we like about the NIMF boss: first, he invariably treats gamers with respect; also, you'll never hear him brag about being on T.V.
It wasn't nearly Hot Coffee-level, but the ESRB's decision to re-rate The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion rocked the video game world when it was announced on May 3rd of this year.
As the ESRB would have it, the Oblivion decision was based upon "more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating... as well as the presence in the PC version of the game of a locked-out art file that, if accessed by using an apparently unauthorized third party tool, allows the user to play the game with topless versions of female characters."
At the time there was much debate in the gaming community over the ESRB's action. The Elder Scrolls series enjoys an almost reverential status among fans of role-playing games. For its part, developer Bethesda went along with the decision, although a company press release expressed frustration with the ESRB, saying, "Bethesda Softworks made what it believes was a full, accurate, and comprehensive submission on Oblivion to the ESRB months before the game's release... Nothing was hidden from the ratings agency."
So what really happened? 
GamePolitics has tracked down Maeyanie, the mysterious modder who created the topless Oblivion mod. Maeyanie is a bit photo-shy, but has allowed us to publish a 3-D self-portrait (seen at left). GP Correspondent Colin "Jabrwock" McInnes reconstructs the Oblivion controversy with Maeyanie in this revealing interview:
CM: First off, I just wanted to thank you for letting GamePolitics talk to you about the controversy surrounding The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion.
Maeyanie: You're welcome.
CM: I guess we could start with some questions about you and your background. Where are you from?
Maeyanie: This is one I'm going to have to not answer. Let's leave it at "not USA."
CM: What kinds of games are you into? What are your favorite recent titles?
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It's Sunday, and once again GP has scoured the far corners of the Internet to bring you editorial opinions on the politics of video games. Today's journey takes us - once again - to Louisiana, where the fate of the infamous Jack Thompson video game law now rests in the hands of a Federal District Court judge.
Dr. Jerald Block, an Oregon psychiatrist and expert on the impact of technology on people - as well as an occasional GP reader - pens an op-ed for the Shreveport Times in which he terms video game laws "sheer lunacy." More from Dr. Block:
"Here in Louisiana, a federal court is examining one such law that could penalize cashiers $2,000 and lock them up for a year in prison, doing hard labor..."
"These laws are nuts on so many levels. To start with, no one has any idea which games are off-limits... Applying a strict reading of Louisiana's law, you can earn jail time by selling "Pac Man" to a 17-year-old..."
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The ESRB's new Commitment to Parents initiative is certainly creating some buzz.
The response to the program, designed to make parents more aware of the industry's video game rating system, has been mostly positive. In fact Commitment to Parents enjoyed the support of U.S. Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA), George Allen (R-VA) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) during its rollout earlier this month.
Staff Writer John Callaham over at Firing Squad recently scored an interview with ESRB President Patricia Vance to discuss Commitment to Parents. Here's what the ESRB head had to say:
"(Ratings) enforcement is certainly not a new concept... ESRB has worked closely with retailers for a number of years now to encourage and support their store policies regarding the sale of M-rated games, post in-store signage and train store associates about the ratings. However, the Commitment to Parents program takes those partnerships to a whole new level."
"Clearly Senators Santorum, Allen and Pryor understand the issues, and realize that initiatives such as those being undertaken... are truly where the greatest success is to be had... these Senators are wise enough to recognize that effective self-regulation is a better alternative to government involvement in these areas."
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Congress just can't seem to tear itself away from video games these days. Even during a meeting ostensibly held to question movie ratings, the political talk turned back to games.
As reported by newsletter The Hill, a meeting earlier this week to discuss film ratings brought together many of the same members of Congress who flayed the video game industry - and especially the ESRB - a few weeks back.
According to The Hill, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a group of colleagues in criticism of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its film-rating system at a meeting with MPAA officials in Blunt's Capitol Hill office.
The Congressional attention was sparked by the PG ("Parental Guidance - some material may not be suitable for children") rating assigned to the Christian-themed film Facing the Giants, which some religious conservative critics say received a PG instead of a G ("General Audiences - all ages admitted") because it "proselytizes Christianity." The elected officials expressed concern that the MPAA's rating standards are out of touch with the public view.
"It comes from where you set your worldview. Hollywood has one; Nashville, Tennessee has another one" said Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
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While some in Congress seem to favor using the ESRB as a punching bag, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has officially stepped into the ring on the side of the video game industry ratings board.
Yesterday Shurtleff and ESRB President Patricia Vance launched a series of public service announcements (PSA's) which will air on Utah television stations in coming weeks. During the press conference, Vance spoke about the need to raise parental awareness of the industry's rating system.
"Just like movies and TV shows, video games are created for a diverse audience of all ages," she said. "That is why it is so important that parents remember to check the rating when purchasing games for their children. We are very proud to have the support of Attorney General Shurtleff in reaching out to Utah's parents and educating them about the ratings."
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It's a "dodge."
That's the position taken by the Parents Television Council (PTC) regarding Wednesday's ESRB Capitol Hill unveiling of its Commitment to Parents campaign.
In a highly critical press release, Tim Winter, executive director of the PTC termed the ESRB initiative, "Yet another dodge by the video game industry to avoid accountability for the harm it inflicts on children. It's the same old rhetoric... This week's announcement does absolutely nothing to help families"
Winter urged passage of video games sales legislation such as that sponsored in Congress by Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)
The PTC head vowed to continue with a secret shopper campaign as well as to "continue to heighten public awareness on this critical issue of children's health."
UPDATE: The ESRB declined to comment on the PTC's criticisms.
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