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Voodoo 21 Jul @ 1:08pm

ESRB

I would think this would be obvious... but the only thing Steam needs to use in accordance with Censorship should be the ESRB. Steam, keep the fight off your doorstep, and leave it where it belongs. Placing yourself in the center of this will put you in a negative light, and you will loose out because of it. Having an account created with in steam in which you purchase requires verification, short of a minor "stealing" their guardians Credit Card in which case they will also see the bill. Any Guardian who is responsible has their children accounts linked as well as their logins to see who they chat with as well as supervising their play time. This goes far beyond Steam, but using the internet in general which "game censorship" is a mere crumble of an enormous pie, it's more an afterthought. All this does is upset the adults, even if they are not impacted, just because of censorship.

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Showing 1-15 of 44 comments

Shotgun 21 Jul @ 1:19pm

ESRB isn't legally-binding.

There are actually no lawfully-binding regulations regarding game censorship or purchase restrictions because games are art. It falls entirely upon children's legal guardians to police the artistic content they consume. For example, it's actually legal to take your child(ren) to a museum that has nude artwork. I started going to art museums in my early teens and saw stuff like that, and no one said a word because I was with my parents. There was no cop at the door preventing anyone under 18 from getting in.

Voodoo 21 Jul @ 1:39pm

Originally posted by Shotgun:
ESRB isn't legally-binding.

There are actually no lawfully-binding regulations regarding game censorship or purchase restrictions because games are art. It falls entirely upon children's legal guardians to police the artistic content they consume. For example, it's actually legal to take your child(ren) to a museum that has nude artwork. I started going to art museums in my early teens and saw stuff like that, and no one said a word because I was with my parents. There was no cop at the door preventing anyone under 18 from getting in.

Purchase... it is legally binding for purchase (At least in the US). Anything beyond that does not require verification. Such as an adult purchasing an R rated movie, it is the adults responsibility to keep it out of the hands of their children. Same thing with Games via Steam. So absolutely children are bound by the ESRB when it comes to purchasing.

Crazy Tiger 21 Jul @ 1:41pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Originally posted by Shotgun:
ESRB isn't legally-binding.

There are actually no lawfully-binding regulations regarding game censorship or purchase restrictions because games are art. It falls entirely upon children's legal guardians to police the artistic content they consume. For example, it's actually legal to take your child(ren) to a museum that has nude artwork. I started going to art museums in my early teens and saw stuff like that, and no one said a word because I was with my parents. There was no cop at the door preventing anyone under 18 from getting in.

Purchase... it is legally binding for purchase (At least in the US). Anything beyond that does not require verification. Such as an adult purchasing an R rated movie, it is the adults responsibility to keep it out of the hands of their children. Same thing with Games via Steam. So absolutely children are bound by the ESRB when it comes to purchasing.

Except that Steam does not know what age the person purchasing the game has since there is no age verification on Steam.

No, the age gates are not verification.

Voodoo 21 Jul @ 1:46pm

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

Purchase... it is legally binding for purchase (At least in the US). Anything beyond that does not require verification. Such as an adult purchasing an R rated movie, it is the adults responsibility to keep it out of the hands of their children. Same thing with Games via Steam. So absolutely children are bound by the ESRB when it comes to purchasing.
Except that Steam does not know what age the person purchasing the game has since there is no age verification on Steam.

No, the age gates are not verification.

Credit Card... Bank Account... Paypal
They do require id verification at some point... which equals verification for Steam.

Shotgun 21 Jul @ 1:49pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Originally posted by Shotgun:
ESRB isn't legally-binding.

There are actually no lawfully-binding regulations regarding game censorship or purchase restrictions because games are art. It falls entirely upon children's legal guardians to police the artistic content they consume. For example, it's actually legal to take your child(ren) to a museum that has nude artwork. I started going to art museums in my early teens and saw stuff like that, and no one said a word because I was with my parents. There was no cop at the door preventing anyone under 18 from getting in.

Purchase... it is legally binding for purchase (At least in the US). Anything beyond that does not require verification. Such as an adult purchasing an R rated movie, it is the adults responsibility to keep it out of the hands of their children. Same thing with Games via Steam. So absolutely children are bound by the ESRB when it comes to purchasing.

It's self-enforced by stores as a courtesy. Stores can't get in legal trouble if they sell adult-oriented games to children younger than the age ratings. They might get very bad PR, however, and that's why they choose to enforce those ratings.

As a kid, I had no problem getting games with ratings outside of my age rating just by showing up to Gamestop with a parent. The clerk knew perfectly well that my mom wouldn't be playing that copy of Max Payne 2.

Edit: speaking strictly about the US here.

Last edited by Shotgun; 21 Jul @ 1:50pm

Crazy Tiger 21 Jul @ 1:52pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Except that Steam does not know what age the person purchasing the game has since there is no age verification on Steam.

No, the age gates are not verification.

Credit Card... Bank Account... Paypal
They do require id verification at some point... which equals verification for Steam.

Kids can use their parents accounts with their parents payment methods.

Valve/Steam does not know who is purchasing the game since there is no age verification on Steam.

superblake_ 21 Jul @ 1:57pm

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

Credit Card... Bank Account... Paypal
They do require id verification at some point... which equals verification for Steam.
Kids can use their parents accounts with their parents payment methods.

Valve/Steam does not know who is purchasing the game since there is no age verification on Steam.

Incorrect their multiple age verification systems on steam and through other games and stores that is a lot of verification systems on steam or connected to steam in some way.

Last edited by superblake_; 21 Jul @ 1:57pm

Crazy Tiger 21 Jul @ 1:59pm

Originally posted by superblake_:
Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Kids can use their parents accounts with their parents payment methods.

Valve/Steam does not know who is purchasing the game since there is no age verification on Steam.
Incorrect their multiple age verification systems on steam and through other games and stores that is a lot of verification systems on steam or connected to steam in some way.

There is no age verification on Steam, only age gating. Different things.

Voodoo 21 Jul @ 1:59pm

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

Credit Card... Bank Account... Paypal
They do require id verification at some point... which equals verification for Steam.
Kids can use their parents accounts with their parents payment methods.

Valve/Steam does not know who is purchasing the game since there is no age verification on Steam.

It is an adults responsibility to guard their account just like having alcohol, guns, movies and games on disc, ect.

Crazy Tiger 21 Jul @ 2:01pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Kids can use their parents accounts with their parents payment methods.

Valve/Steam does not know who is purchasing the game since there is no age verification on Steam.

It is an adults responsibility to guard their account just like having alcohol, guns, movies and games on disc, ect.

Correct. Which still means that Valve/Steam has no idea how old the person using the account is since there is no age verification.

#10

Voodoo 21 Jul @ 2:04pm

Originally posted by Shotgun:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

Purchase... it is legally binding for purchase (At least in the US). Anything beyond that does not require verification. Such as an adult purchasing an R rated movie, it is the adults responsibility to keep it out of the hands of their children. Same thing with Games via Steam. So absolutely children are bound by the ESRB when it comes to purchasing.
It's self-enforced by stores as a courtesy. Stores can't get in legal trouble if they sell adult-oriented games to children younger than the age ratings. They might get very bad PR, however, and that's why they choose to enforce those ratings.

As a kid, I had no problem getting games with ratings outside of my age rating just by showing up to Gamestop with a parent. The clerk knew perfectly well that my mom wouldn't be playing that copy of Max Payne 2.

Edit: speaking strictly about the US here.

Perhaps it is by State then, because it is in South Dakota. Having a parent with you and paying for it also... is not the same as showing up alone and paying for it. Stores - Movie theaters ect have always been strict on it. Although I will say there were not any Police Stings like they do for alcohol/cigarette purchases, but it's been pretty hardline for ID for explicit lyrics when I went to buy a cd or R Rated movie or Mature rated game.

#11

Voodoo 21 Jul @ 2:06pm

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

It is an adults responsibility to guard their account just like having alcohol, guns, movies and games on disc, ect.
Correct. Which still means that Valve/Steam has no idea how old the person using the account is since there is no age verification. :conwayshrug:

You like to go in circles... perhaps chasing your tail?
Which goes back to... Payment account is verified ID

#12

Shotgun 21 Jul @ 2:14pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Perhaps it is by State then, because it is in South Dakota. Having a parent with you and paying for it also... is not the same as showing up alone and paying for it. Stores - Movie theaters ect have always been strict on it. Although I will say there were not any Police Stings like they do for alcohol/cigarette purchases, but it's been pretty hardline for ID for explicit lyrics when I went to buy a cd or R Rated movie or Mature rated game.

Like I said, it is self-enforced. The ESRB isn't a legal/governmental entity.

Stores could sell M games to you as a kid and not get in trouble, they just choose not to.

#13

Crazy Tiger 21 Jul @ 2:25pm

Originally posted by Voodoo:
Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Correct. Which still means that Valve/Steam has no idea how old the person using the account is since there is no age verification.

You like to go in circles... perhaps chasing your tail?
Which goes back to... Payment account is verified ID

But not the Steam account. You don't need to arrach a payment method, you can use wallet cards.

Last edited by Crazy Tiger; 21 Jul @ 2:27pm

#14

superblake_ 21 Jul @ 2:27pm

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Voodoo:

You like to go in circles... perhaps chasing your tail?
Which goes back to... Payment account is verified ID
But not the Steam acvount.

We were not just talking about steam accounts.

#15

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Date Posted: 21 Jul @ 1:08pm

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