“游戏系统”:美国视频游戏内容监管

"Gaming the System": Videogame Content Regulation in the United States

视频游戏的内容已经引起了社会的关注,而这些关注可能带来法律和政策方面的影响。有问题的内容包括:图形暴力和流血;虚拟的性;部分或全部的裸露镜头;犯罪行为;不适当的模式化观念;种族、民族和宗教的诽谤;毒品、酒精和烟草的使用;赌博;其他挑衅的和不愉快的资料。特别地,人们对儿童的保护问题表示关心。但是,由于美国宪法对涉及视频游戏等言论给予保护,立法机构致力于直接管制含有这种内容游戏的努力一直未能成功。相反地,美国已发展了一系列的非政府机制,这些机制事实上限制这些游戏的发行,并且让购买者能够了解到这些游戏的内容。这种限制措施与有见识的消费者所组成的生态系统依赖于一套非官方的游戏分级制度。这种游戏分级制度依照与游戏开发商签订的合同被强制执行,被游戏经销商和零售商高度重视,以大大减少成人游戏在未满18岁的人群中的销量。如果美国最高法院接受并同意这一当前悬而未决的法律案情的申诉,立法机关将被赋予更大的权力来直接管制这种游戏。

The content of some videogames has raised social concerns which have legal and policy implications. The questionable content includes ： graphic violence and gore ; virtual sex ; partial or full nudity ; criminal behavior; inappropriate stereotypes ; racial, ethnic and religious slurs ; drug, alcohol and tobacco use ; gambling; and other provocative and unpleasant material. In particular, there have been concerns about the protection of chil- dren. However, in light of the U. S. ＇ s constitutional protection of speech, which applies to videogames, legislative efforts to directly regulate games with such content have been unsuccessful. Instead, the U. S. has evolved a variety of non-governmental mechanisms which in practice limit the distribution of such games and empower purchasers with information about their contents. This ecosystem of restraint and informed consumers relies on a voluntary system of game ratings, enforced by contracts with game publishers and largely respected by game distributors and retailers, to significantly curtail the sale of adult-rated games to persons less than 18 years of age. If the U. S. Supreme Court accepts and agrees with the appeal of a currently pending legal case, legislatures would be given more power to regulate such games directly.