Age Verification

#1 It's because the game the websites promoting is rated MA or above.

#2 There have been webpages showing such content for many years, Mincentro - without having a verification script before you can enter the page.. which I think is why Curtis is asking; why so suddenly?

#3 My guess - GTA and other high profile MA games. Game makers want to show (even if its a token showing) that they are not gearing the games to people under a certain age.

#4 Companies also want to avoid being sued by potential parents who are shocked and appalled by content little billy might find on their user forums. Many parents don't understand how technology works and companies are afraid of the legal implications of that lack of understanding so they make sure to protect their rumpuses against it.

#5 In many countries, it's required by the law.

#6 "In many countries, it's required by the law."

It is?

#7 It is certainly not required by law in the United States or Canada, where a majority of publishers are hosting from and located in. I think Dan Thiel has the best hypothesis.

The whole thing sort of brings me back to when Duke Nukem 3d was released and my father would not let me play it because of the pixelated boobies. But I installed it anyway and he caught me. And then we proceded to play it together over our network, talk about family entertainment.

(I'm 20 right now)

#8 There are DOZENS of laws getting proposed all over the U.S. - on the state and federal level - that would force the games industry to be subject to very harsh government restriction, regulation, and even censorship. Many of these laws would have game makers or sellers face MANDATORY prison time just for advertising a rated M game where minors could see it.

So far, all of these laws which HAVE PASSED have been struck down as blatantly unconstitutional. But all it takes is one of them slipping through to open up the floodgates.

Game makers are now being very scrupulous about SELF-REGULATING our industry. Not that this will stop any politicians who are anxious to get one more "family values" bullet point on their ticket as they run for re-election. But if the industry is demonstrating that we're doing a good job of regulating ourselves (or so the hope goes), then we defuse a major political argument. The politicians ignore it, and still maintain that any ten year old can walk off the street and buy a rated M game from Wal*Mart. But then we have stats and proof that they haven't been doing their homework, which damages their credability.

I've recently become more involved in local politics, where a representative from our state House of Representatives sponsored AND PASSED a bill through the house with OVERWHELMINGLY positive votes that basically equated videogames to pornography. So a store owner that sells Battlefield 2 to a 16-year-old would be face mandatory sentencing as someone who peddled porn to 10-year-olds. Fortunately, the bill expired quietly in the state senate, but it's scary how close it came...

So we must be very defensive.

#9 Arnold supports the family protection one, the same actor who has starred in dozens of extremly violent movies.

#10 I believe there is was a law passed in the US making it illegal for "companies" to gather information about anyone under the age of 13. That is why you see many websites asking if you are at least 13 years of age.

#11 About what Jay said - That sucks dude, I seriously am considering launching my own island off into space to escape the grasp of these cenile old men we call Politicians.

#12 @Mincetro
Um, its 'senile'. Oh, and if I promise not to correct your spelling again, can I come with? :)