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I propose another label for stupid americans.

"Reckless drinking may cause drowning" on water bottles.
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DeadPoolX: Don't know. It varies on the couple. Some might wait years while others could have a kid or two before ever getting hitched.
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orcishgamer: Don't know about Canada but I'm pretty sure in the US it's under 2 years. Kids take 18+ years to raise. It's fair to say married couples simply have less sex (since the majority do reproduce and in such a short timeframe, at least in the US). Your caveat, while technically correct, doesn't affect much in the larger picture.
I don't know... with couples getting married later than previous generations and both working (in most cases it's simply not feasible to have a one-income family), I'd assume that kids get brought into the picture much later on.

Maybe you're right. I don't know. My wife and I have decided against having children for numerous reasons, so none of this really pertains to us.
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jamyskis: Speaking as a European, I realise that our age classification/censorship authorities do go overboard a lot of the time (especially the USK), but at the same time, most Europeans do recognise the need to enforce some kind of age restriction system. I've done my part-time work in Gamestop and I know how many parents try to buy games for their kids with their kids present - a lot of them don't realise that the age restrictions are binding, not a recommendation, and most of them had no idea of the type of stuff that's in these games.

There are plenty of games that are just not suitable for kids and even the ESRB recognises this. It would be an ideal world where all parents raise their kids properly and allow them to play games that are suitable for them, but unfortunately a lot of them just buy their kids these games to keep them quiet and absolve themselves of all responsibility for raising them.

Of course, common sense is demanded and I don't strictly adhere to the age ratings - my girlfriend's goddaughter was 4 when she came to see us last and she enjoys playing Ridge Racer - which is rated 6 but is harmless. What I won't do is subject her - or my children in the future - to something like Counterstrike or CoD. I was horrified a couple of years ago when my sister bought my then 10-year-old nephew Black Ops for his Xbox.

I personally find the uproar on Gamespot hilarious every time someone tries to restrict the sale of M-rated and AO-rated games to adults by means of legislation - it's a typical sign of the average demographic there. Why should people over 18 care?

I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in finding it disturbing when 11-year-olds play Mortal Kombat, revelling in the numerous dismemberments and decapitations, and are spewing out all kinds of nasty shit when they play Call of Duty online...
Except they aren't here.

The Supreme Court recently recognized that video games are Protected Speech under the First Amendment, by a 7-2 vote. For the government to set up a ratings board and/or require these "warnings", it would basically amount to Compelled Speech for the publishers/developers, which tends to be a big no-no here. It is even more so of a no-no when they try to single out a single medium of Protected Speech, namely video games, while not having other mediums that display the same, if not worse, ideas/themes have that same warning.

The ESRB ratings here are not binding, but rather an industry measure designed to preclude the government getting into it. Much like how the MPAA ratings are not legally binding or that the Comics Code of America is not binding. Publishers/developers don't have to submit their games, but the console makers won't allow unrated games on their platforms (PC games don't have that same burden). There is also the fact that the ESRB ratings are followed by stores and retailers around 80%+ of the time, compared to around 50% for unrated movies (can't remember the actual numbers from the FTC report).
How dare they indirectly call me violent! I'll kill them!

With sufficient amount of hugs. Let's see when their ribs start breaking, I'm sure there's an achievement of something.
Post edited March 21, 2012 by Titanium
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keeveek: I propose another label for stupid americans.

"Reckless drinking may cause drowning" on water bottles.
A Pollock calling another nationality dumb. That's rich.

(I'm half Polish ;3)
It's funny how dumb Pollacks jokes are just modified dumb Irish folks jokes.

And everywhere else in the world it's "stupid americans" ;P
Post edited March 21, 2012 by keeveek
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keeveek: It's funny how dumb Pollacks jokes are just modified dumb Irish folks jokes.

And everywhere else in the world it's "stupid americans" ;P
By all accounts, I'm the stupidest person alive. I've got Scots Irish and Polish, and I live in America. Bummer :(
Don't worry, you still earn three times more than most people with master's degree in Poland :P
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keeveek: Don't worry, you still earn three times more than most people with master's degree in Poland :P
You obviously haven't heard my future plans :P.

I'm destined to be poor for the first half of my life. On the other hand, if I do end up pursuing piano tuning, I'll be pretty much set for life once my business picks up (you can potentially make $100,000 a year tuning/repairing pianos, no joke. The only thing that keeps it from being a dream career is that it's freaking hard to find a way to learn it)
Id love to be Police DT, but guess what? DT's salary is $1,000 bucks a month here :D
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Roman5: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/166615/Bill_proposes_tobaccostyle_warning_labels_for_games.php

Politicians should also come with warning labels.

Warning: Exposure to politicians has been linked to wasting of tax-payer money
I don´t care about labels, I care about prohibitions. For me, If I have to choose between german laws related to videogames and american ones, I´d prefer american ones.

Anyway, talking about labels... When they will label transgenic food and allow costumers to make their own choices?. I mean in the USA.
Post edited March 22, 2012 by tejozaszaszas
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Roman5: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/166615/Bill_proposes_tobaccostyle_warning_labels_for_games.php

Politicians should also come with warning labels.

Warning: Exposure to politicians has been linked to wasting of tax-payer money
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tejozaszaszas: I don´t care about labels, I care about prohibitions. For me, If I have to choose between german laws related to videogames and american ones, I´d prefer american ones.

Anyway, talking about labels... When they will label transgenic food and allow costumers to make their own choices?. I mean in the USA.
I call the lab grown fish chunks.

That's the weird thing, most people are afraid of touching anything that's been altered by science or nature in fear that it does the same to them. I guess you can say the same thing about the warnings they want to place, that they're afraid of having an army of gun wielding 4 year old children who run around, blasting up schools and churches, and then going back home to have some "Hot Coffee".
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tejozaszaszas: I don´t care about labels, I care about prohibitions. For me, If I have to choose between german laws related to videogames and american ones, I´d prefer american ones.

Anyway, talking about labels... When they will label transgenic food and allow costumers to make their own choices?. I mean in the USA.
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QC: I call the lab grown fish chunks.

That's the weird thing, most people are afraid of touching anything that's been altered by science or nature in fear that it does the same to them. I guess you can say the same thing about the warnings they want to place, that they're afraid of having an army of gun wielding 4 year old children who run around, blasting up schools and churches, and then going back home to have some "Hot Coffee".
Well. I´m not against transgenics, but it´s cinical to claim freedom of choice when you hide information from people that would allow them to make their own choices... Well, I guess Monsanto´s "free" contributions to candidatesare not free...
Can we please get a tobacco-style warning for cars as well?

"WARNING: Exposure to car crashes has been linked to death"