Working in the gaming department at Best Buy for nearly two years introduced me to some interesting people and strange stories.
While I could probably write an entire book about some of the interactions I’ve had, I’ll share only one today — my favorite, which involves a little kid and “Call of Duty.”
One day, a kid no older than seven came in with his grandmother and asked if he could pre-order the new “Call of Duty” game.
“Call of Duty” is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which means it’s intended for people 17 years old and older.
I’m not one to play parent or refuse a sale on a game, so I did my duty as a salesman and fellow gamer to explain what game ratings actually mean, like I always do when a young kid inquires about a Mature-rated game.
On our way to the pre-order boxes, I was trying to explain the ratings to the kid’s grandmother, since her permission would be needed to buy the game.
However, as I was almost done explaining the game’s rating, the kid looked up at me and proudly proclaimed, “My dad lets me play with him online on his PSN [PlayStation Network] account sometimes.”
And it was that statement that made me drop my speech, hand him the pre-order box and say, “Here’s your preorder. Have fun, kid!”
For years, clueless parents and ignorant politicians have attempted to raise all kinds of holy hell on the video game industry, claiming these “overly violent” games are corrupting today’s youth.
Yet these parents and politicians fail to see that the gaming industry has a self-regulating system when it comes to rating and classifying games.
Since the ESRB was formed in 1994, it’s been reviewing and classifying games into the appropriate age categories.
After the game is rated and released, it’s up to the parents to decide if a game is “overly violent” for their child.
If a game has excessive violence, it will most likely receive the “M” rating.
At Best Buy, along with many other stores, employees must verify that the customer is 17 or older before purchasing an “M” rated game or an “R” rated movie. If an “M” rated title falls into the hands of an 8-year-old, it’s either the fault of the kid’s parents or the store — not the company who made the game.
However, the gaming industry has been constantly under attack though the years by politicians and the media.
And instead of trying to understand how the industry works, they jump to conclusions and start hollering for bans on violent games and fines for stores that sell these games to children.
Fortunately it’s no longer a problem, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling last month.
In an unprecedented 7-2 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a California law that banned the sales of violent video games to children, claiming it violated the First Amendment.
“Like the protected books, plays and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player’s interaction with the virtual world),” Justice Scalia wrote. “That suffices to confer First Amendment protection.”
This decision is a monumental victory for workers and fans of the gaming industry.
For once, it is being taken seriously as an entertainment and communications medium, and not seen as something solely for children.
And for all those politicians trying to make a name for
themselves by sticking their noses in things they don’t understand, I have one thing to say to you — game over.
Adam Arinder is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
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Contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]