Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality

[RavynousHunter]

Likewise.  While I'm all for gender equality and general egalitarianism, this seems more like a "censoring things we don't like without actually saying that's our intent."  One need only look at the dreaded AO (Adults Only) rating in the American games industry, which is effectively the financial death blow for ANY game.  I mean, would YOU (pretend you're a retailer that sells games) want to sell a game that has the "sexist" label on it?  Again, it'd be the same thing with selling AO games as a retailer, since that would communicate to parents, the overprotective, oversensitive ninnies a LOT of them are, that your gaming section, and by extension your store, is totally okay with potentially marketing "adult content" (read: porn) to children.

I'm not saying it WILL end up being a poorly-veiled attempt at censorship, I'm just saying that's a rather strong possibility.  That's what happens when you ask your government to do your job as a parent (choosing content you feel is appropriate for your children) for you.

"This product contains this" is not the same as "this product should not be bought by X persons".

It can have the same net effect, though.  Its one thing to have a label that says "this game has violent content," its a different thing to have it labelled, by a government body, as having "sexist content."  People, from my experience, have fewer problems with violence than they do with sexism.

Again, just to make this clear: I am not saying that this WILL happen, I'm saying that it MIGHT happen, and that should be taken into account.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

It can also have the same net affect as "Parental Guidance Recommended".

E.G. Zip, nada, none.

[dpareja]

It can also have the same net affect as "Parental Guidance Recommended".

E.G. Zip, nada, none.

I recommend reading the following Not Always Right stories (as usual with NAR, none of these may actually be true...):

http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-11/39721
http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-3/18279

[Ultimate Paragon]

It can also have the same net affect as "Parental Guidance Recommended".

E.G. Zip, nada, none.

I recommend reading the following Not Always Right stories (as usual with NAR, none of these may actually be true...):

http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-11/39721
http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-3/18279

Here's my question: do you really think Swedish stores would be willing to sell games that the government labeled as "sexist"?

[dpareja]

It can also have the same net affect as "Parental Guidance Recommended".

E.G. Zip, nada, none.

I recommend reading the following Not Always Right stories (as usual with NAR, none of these may actually be true...):

http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-11/39721
http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-3/18279

Here's my question: do you really think Swedish stores would be willing to sell games that the government labeled as "sexist"?

I think it will depend on how much it impacts--or they think it will impact--their business. I would be surprised if there were no stores in Stockholm that would stock such games.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

It can also have the same net affect as "Parental Guidance Recommended".

E.G. Zip, nada, none.

I recommend reading the following Not Always Right stories (as usual with NAR, none of these may actually be true...):

http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-11/39721
http://notalwaysright.com/grand-theft-innocence-part-3/18279

Here's my question: do you really think Swedish stores would be willing to sell games that the government labeled as "sexist"?

Ah, yep GTA's gonna sell!

Anyone who doesn't know it's got sexist bits already has been living under a rock.

I know the Swedes are proud of their Norse heritage but they aint Dwarves from Nifilhiem!

[Sylvana]

I dont see how this is really any different from the prejudice rating that movies get.
Media gets rated on a verity of criteria and it does help show that we are becoming more aware of these things as a society.
Will this rating actually affect sales? No.
Will this rating system in time make us as a society more aware of our own cultures sexism? Perhaps.

Will this cause gamers to throw another spasmic shitfit about ebil gurls taking away their games? Undeniably.

[Ultimate Paragon]

I dont see how this is really any different from the prejudice rating that movies get.
Media gets rated on a verity of criteria and it does help show that we are becoming more aware of these things as a society.
Will this rating actually affect sales? No.
Will this rating system in time make us as a society more aware of our own cultures sexism? Perhaps.

Will this cause gamers to throw another spasmic shitfit about ebil gurls taking away their games? Undeniably.

How does one define "sexism" in the media?  Unless it crosses certain lines, it's in the eye of the beholder.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

I dont see how this is really any different from the prejudice rating that movies get.
Media gets rated on a verity of criteria and it does help show that we are becoming more aware of these things as a society.
Will this rating actually affect sales? No.
Will this rating system in time make us as a society more aware of our own cultures sexism? Perhaps.

Will this cause gamers to throw another spasmic shitfit about ebil gurls taking away their games? Undeniably.

How does one define "sexism" in the media?  Unless it crosses certain lines, it's in the eye of the beholder.

How about discrimination based on gender? Just because individual people interpret that definition differently doesn't mean it's so ephemeral it can't be recognized, same as with racism, sectarianism, homophobia or any other form of discrimination really!