a Master Ninja
Member
ESRB said:MATURE
Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
I'm glad the ESRB exists and I understand that the ratings are just guidelines. I understand it is the parents role to monitor the media their children consume. I'm also realistic, I know kids are going to get their hands on Call of Duty just like I got my hands on DOOM.
But I recently when shopping for a gift at Toys"R"Us and saw a ton of toys, intended for children, based off of M-rated franchises.
And that was just toys, you can find plenty of other mechandise. Child-size t-shirts, child backpacks, velcro wallets. etc plastered with COD and other logos.
I remember R-rated movie franchises from the 80's like Terminator, RoboCop, and Aliens had toys, but that has mostly disappeared. Of course, kids have played with toy soldiers for centuries.
Is selling toys to children based on games for adults wrong? The toys themselves obviously lack the explicit content that made the games "adult".
When companies like Activision figure out sales projections and marketing budgets for M-rated titles, do they factor in how to maximize the game's sales and appeal to kids under 17?