Where Politics And Video Games Collide

(Used sarcastically) But after all the hub-hub, hullaballoo, ruckus, and the shenanigans (any other 19020's terms?), AND the stellar reviews this game is getting, I decide to go head and get it.

When I went to purchse it, from Wal-Mart, I had an interesting time. First, the clerk (A friend of mine - built him a PC a few months back) asked me, Is the game good?" He laughed, "Wasn't it banned in Europe or something?" I said, Not that I know of, but I heard it jumps off of the shelves and murders babies." We chuckled, "Good thing we keep it in the case!" He said, "Let me know how it is, I love RockStar's games, man."

Just then, a woman came by and asked my fiancee, who has walked over in the meantime, "Do you know when 'Vice City Stories' come out of PlayStation2?" she said, clutching a piece paper with a child's handwriting on it. I followed her and my fiancee over to the game cases, discretely. My fiancee said, "Here is Vice City, for PS2, but we don't have 'Vice City Stories.'" The woman, in her 30 - 40's, handed over the piece of paper and said, "Well this is what my daughter wants." My fiancee looked at the paper, saw the handwriting, and asked, "How old is your daughter, may I ask?" The customer said simply, "15."

Being that I know my fiancee very well, especially her many modes of anger (LOL), I saw that she was miffed at this point. She said, "Ma'am, the Grand Theft Auto series is rated 'M' for Mature, and might not be appropriate for your . . . ."

"She has all the other ones, give me that one!" said the customer, who pointed at Liberty City Stories for PS2.

This happens DAILY. Now, I realize that 15 isn't too young, but that is the worst part. Enforcement of the ratings system becomes harder at 15. Perhaps her 15 yr old daughter looks 20? Now, my fiancee is A) a gamer, and B) cards everyone who isnt obviously older than 27.

But at another store perhaps, or even if the associate is older, with bad eyes and poor judgement of age. This is where the ratings and voluntary enforcement stops and parental responsibility starts.

If these games cause some sort of "harm," why do we let parents buy them for the kids? And if they don't, how is the current ratings and voluntary enforcement system in any way a "failed" system, since anything, even laws, will still fail at the parents.

As Dennis said in his Joystiq piece, "But we've got a little thing in this country called free speech. Works pretty well. Let's not mess with it."

I agree. The system works. Parents have the ratings and great sites like Gamerdad to help them. JT and Walsh and cronies need to shut up and deal with real problems, instead of focusing on social age-gap misunderstandings.