Why do neo geo games not have a rating on them?

[playboycougar]

I’m curious but not complaining. I look at all my other games (genesis, SNES, etc.) and they all have the rating on them (K-A, T, MA). So is there a reason that SNK never gave neo geo games age ratings?

 

[Kiel]

Neo-geo games are not "on the market" to a large audience I suppose. And only Older people have the money to buy them. Who knows?

 

[Daisuke Jigen]

For one, a good 80% of them came out before all that jazz about ratings. There really was a time when box art was not obscured with a big white box with a big black "T" in it.

Second, I'm pretty sure the ERSB rating is voluntary. Since the Neo Geo is not carried at large chain stores, there is simply no need for it. I know that large chain stores like Wal-Mart and K-mart will not carry games wihtout ratings, and in some instances (conker) will turn away games, just because of the rating. So ratings are not mandatory. Its self-regulation imposed by the industry, mostly to keep washington away.

NO Wal-Mart=No rating.

 

[fomaman]

neo's too fuckin' expensive, old and unpopular (from a commercial standpoint) to have ratings on it's shit.
have you walked into a video game store lately (like eboutique or gamestop or whatever) and seen any neo shit?
exactly- the people who own this little system know what they got and so do the people who make games for it- MOST of the time anyway.

 

[Mouse_Master]

Ratings are voluntary. 'Da Man' has not been able to get enough evidence to make it mandatory. Besides, I personally think the industry does a good job with the ratings, it is the retailers that need to be watched.

Although, you will see warning screens on some MVS releases, I don't think all of the recent ones carry them though.

 

[outsider]

...because Neo Geo games are illegal to play and own in the US.

 

[Caris Nautilus]

Because they dont sell neo in america anymore, and snk japan doesnt care about something as stupid as a game rating system.

 

[Daisuke Jigen]

Originally posted by Mouse_Master:
<strong>Ratings are voluntary. 'Da Man' has not been able to get enough evidence to make it mandatory. Besides, I personally think the industry does a good job with the ratings, it is the retailers that need to be watched.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I agree with Mouse Master here. The industry does do a good job of poilicing itself. However, there is a huge breakdown of enforcement of ratings in retail stores. I personally think game sales should be handled in the same way as movies. I.E., ID required to buy M rated games.

It may piss off the under 17 crowd, but that's the way the world works. Life isn't fair, and they need to learn it. Until sales standards improve, washington will continue to breathe down the necks of game developers and publishers. It might come in the form of government ratings and restrictions, or in the way of fines. Why? Because it is the easiest fix for them.

As long as kids are selling games to other kids at wal-mart, ratings will in all likelyhood never work as intended.

 

[Caris Nautilus]

I don't give a flip about ratings, they don't effect me! Who cares if some 15 year old dork can't buy a game, I think it's pretty funny actually.