Penny Arcade's ESRB Campaign

Gamespot reports on the official unveiling of Penny Arcade's ESRB ad campaign. Announced previously on their site, and discussed again today, the images are intended to connect up the ratings brand with the average gamer. From the article: "The ESRB ads will not make use of Penny Arcade's existing stable of characters, choosing instead to focus on original characters designed by the comic's creators. The first two ads (pictured) will depict E-rated audiences with Sarah, a pink-haired girl 'around age seven or eight,' and The Andersons, a father-and-son pair enjoying a game together."

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Re:ESRB Misses the Point

[MachDelta]

Because they bought their innocent 17-year-old a game full of occult references and blood or drug references and racism... but no one told them it had breasts!

Heh, reading this really struck a chord with me tonight. I went and saw The Omen in theatres with some friends (summary: It sucked. BADLY. Don't even bother renting it).
Now this is a movie rife with references to the occult (the little boy is literally the SPAWN OF SATAN), and littered with BRUTAL death scenes. We're talkin one guy getting impaled by a 7 foot metal rod and then being pelted with shards of stained glass. Another guy is literally decapitated (spurting blood and all) and then you watch his body tumble down a flight of stairs. Wanna know what the movie is rated up here in Alberta (Canada)? 14a. That means a 14 year old can walk in, buy a ticket, and watch the movie. Kids under 14 only need an adult to accompany them. Fourteen! Gruesome murders at 14?! There's not a lick of swearing (I don't even remember hearing somuch as a "damn", which is odd given the context) or flash of nudity (five seconds of Julia Stiles nekkid ass would have made the film tolerable. Oh well), because oh dear me those things are just too mature for a fourteen year old. But excessively violent death? Sure, go ahead kid.
WTF?!

Anyways, just had to chip that in after being slapped in the face with it tonight. I'm kinda split on the whole thing myself. More power to the ESRB if its going to stop stupid laws and all that kinda thing... but at the same time, honestly, these "rating" systems we've got right now are pretty fucked up. It makes me think... Is supporting something stupid so it can prevent more stupid... well, stupid?

Re:Targeted Ads in Magazines

[twistedsymphony]

Actually they're Both E... the raiting appears to the left of the picture... though it could be more obvious I missed it at first glace too.