America's video game ratings board and the country's most prominent seller of used games say that this week's "Animal Crossing" N-word incident doesn't expose a weakness in the ratings accuracy of used games.
Earlier this week we broke the news that copies of "Animal Crossing: Wild World" sent to reporters included a player-added racial slur. In what appeared to be meant in a hip-hop sense, rather than a term of offense, a character had been set up to greet the player with the word "N---a."
Nintendo quickly apologized and called for a return of the games, but the incident indicated a possible vulnerability in the ratings on used games.
"Animal Crossing" is rated E for everyone. And while the box does indicate that the "Game Experience May Change During Online Play," nothing on the box indicates that someone obtaining a used game might be exposed to some non-E-rated content.
I contacted the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and GameStop, which includes sales of used games as a significant part of its business, to get their thoughts on this apparent loophole. Read More...
Video games are for the birds.
Every dog has his day...
Horses are great for traveling, but we can't forget about man's best friend: the dog.