Why are neo geo games not rated?

[mehguy]

This just occured to me... that I never thought that neo geo games are not rated. I`m talking about the aes. The esrb never rated these games which I find odd...

 

[ggallegos1]

The Neo was released in the US in 1991 while the ESRB was not founded until 1994. That accounts for at least the earliest games, however I heard a long time ago you needed a certain print run of games back then that the AES never achieved.

 

[GutsDozer]

The first home game I remember that had an warning was MK II or maybe Night Trap. And it was not even ESRB it was the companies themselves that originally posted warnings in light of watchdog and media groups breathing down their necks.

 

[wyo]

The ratings are voluntary.

 

[SNKorSWM]

ESRB only governs who the games can be sold to. Arcade/gambling machines where the user does not pay to buy the product simply doesn't fall under their jurisdiction. The homecarts sort of fall into the grey area.

 

[famicommander]

Neo Geo Pocket games were definitely rated. I never really thought about whether AES or Neo CD games were rated (obviously MVS games wouldn't be) but it appears they weren't.

 

[ebinsugewa]

I rate them all 10/10.

 

[Ninjainspandex]

Didn't later games have that intro screen that said "contains mild violence"?

 

[Mac91]

There's only one rating method for Neo games that is official, and that's VGA ratings.

 

[evil wasabi]

My games are all rated NM/M

 

[Opethian]

85% new

 

[Vigormortis]

Kids couldn't afford the homecarts anyway, so there was no need for ratings :P

 

[Cyclops]

Did they even sell AES/NGCD games in normal retail stores? Since ESRB is optional and most companies only bother with it so that they can get their games sold at Wal-Mart and the like, I'm assuming that's why.

I've never seen an AES in the wild back in the day aside from a local video rental place which had the system up for rent... after you put down a couple hundred down for security deposit.

 

[Kid Panda]

Did they even sell AES/NGCD games in normal retail stores? Since ESRB is optional and most companies only bother with it so that they can get their games sold at Wal-Mart and the like, I'm assuming that's why.

I've never seen an AES in the wild back in the day aside from a local video rental place which had the system up for rent... after you put down a couple hundred down for security deposit.

Software stores did. Babbage's, Electronics Boutique, etc.

 

[Bonga7]

The ratings are voluntary.

I liked it better when their ratings made you to buy it out of curiosity or (bravery)

 

[mehguy]

Software stores did. Babbage's, Electronics Boutique, etc.

When snk reformed as playmore, did playmore even have those retailers?

 

[zoogelio]

If I remember correctly, for a time (like 1991-95), Neo Geo was sold at some retail outlets- Babbages & Electronics Boutique definately, I think Software Etc., some other company only out on the West Coast I forget the name of, and I think a few other chains. Obviously sales weren't what they hoped and Neo Geo AES games were harder to find in 94-95 than 91-92 for example. The arrival of the PS1, Saturn, N64 led to a lot of the 'other' consoles (Jaguar, 3DO, CD-i, Neo Geo) getting pushed off the shelves. The last reports of a lot of these in the wild is late 95 thru Spring 1996.

 

[mehguy]

If I remember correctly, for a time (like 1991-95), Neo Geo was sold at some retail outlets- Babbages & Electronics Boutique definately, I think Software Etc., some other company only out on the West Coast I forget the name of, and I think a few other chains. Obviously sales weren't what they hoped and Neo Geo AES games were harder to find in 94-95 than 91-92 for example. The arrival of the PS1, Saturn, N64 led to a lot of the 'other' consoles (Jaguar, 3DO, CD-i, Neo Geo) getting pushed off the shelves. The last reports of a lot of these in the wild is late 95 thru Spring 1996.

So by the time playmore reformed, only the neo store and very few stores sold them, I guess.

 

[vaillian]

arent Neo Geo games region free anyways? Maybe all US/Euro release where just counted as Japanese imports with English labels

 

[mehguy]

arent Neo Geo games region free anyways? Maybe all US/Euro release where just counted as Japanese imports with English labels

You may actually be right on that...

 

[LoneSage]

Who was the retard that made the decision to censor the game in western markets? Was this ever asked and answered in an interview? Blows my mind these games cost hundreds of dollars, clearly catered to the adult gamer market, and yet they were still censored.

 

[mehguy]

Who was the retard that made the decision to censor the game in western markets? Was this ever asked and answered in an interview? Blows my mind these games cost hundreds of dollars, clearly catered to the adult gamer market, and yet they were still censored.

The mvs games were censored for a reason, so I guess nobody bothered to "un censor" these games when it got to the aes release.

 

[Shuri]

Well around 1992-1994 were the 'hot years' of the whole violence in videogames debate, so I guess SNK wanted to avoid that drama. I'm pretty sure that some parents tried to sue Nintendo and Sega over this too until the rating system started.

Let's not forget that SNK censored SS5 when it came out too in Japan..

 

[Reclaimer]

The mvs games were censored for a reason, so I guess nobody bothered to "un censor" these games when it got to the aes release.

What reason was that?

 

[mehguy]

What reason was that?

Y'know, kids in the arcade I guess... That's what I think atleast...