"Parental Guideline" ratings (kind of spoilery)

[Harry]

To me, it's real simple. If you're offended by the game...my gosh, just don't buy it! If you're a mother/father/guardian, don't buy it for your kid!

Honestly, if you've set them up with a steam account, given them credit card access and then become morally enraged as to what games they've played, the only thing thats failed is the parent, not the system.

Oh no, the game features a penis! So what, real life features penises too. We find out pretty early on what 50% of the population has in the downstairs department then relatively soon after that we have a fair idea what the other 50% has. Hardly something that will ruin children.

I find ratings, in all honesty, a noose around the gaming industries neck. They get forced into toning down parts of the gameplay that don't affect the average gaming adult just get it through all the hoops (Not to mention Australia's lack of an R rating) and then parents complain their child can play violent games just because they didn't even bother to check what classification was on the box in the first place.

-end rant-

In regards to the ratings though, I'm pretty sure they're voluntary, but most places wouldn't stock hard copies of unrated games because of the hullabaloo that goes on. Seeing as Amnesia and Penumbra are mostly sold online then it pretty much makes no difference.