Gamertell

When all the hoopla about Manhunt 2 was flying around I started noticing the movies in my local Walmart.  Walmart, as you probably know, does not sell AO games.  It also does not sell NC-17 movies.  However, when I wander down the aisle of new releases (which happens to be just opposite the XBox 360 and PS3 shelves) about a third of the titles are prominently displayed as “Unrated.”

These unrated movies were very much rated when they were shown in the movie theater, usually with an “R.”  The r to NR rating switch typically means that all the content left out of the theater release to get down to that coveted R rating was put back into the DVD release.  These movies are unrated because if they were properly rated, Walmart wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole.

Ultimately, this loophole discourages companies from using ratings.  It also shows how games are treated with a double standard.  The ESRB is a voluntary ratings board, but it does state that most major retail chains will not sell unrated games.  Naturally, Walmart is one of those chains. However, the company has no qualms about selling unrated videos.

Additionally, the big three do not allow unrated games on their systems.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell AO/NC-17 titles but not to sell unrated ones?  There is clearly a market for the violence and sex, and rated movies are easier to keep from children than unrated ones.  We already knew intuitively that retail stores care more about preventing boycotts than protecting kids, but it would be nice if they’d show a little backbone.

The trouble is, the big three won’t allow AO games until there is a demonstrated market for them, and retail stores can’t sell AO games that don’t have a system to play on.  Neither side has a reason to allow AO content if the other side does not.

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