MS explains Marketplace age restrictions

by Richard Mitchell { Dec 28th 2007 at 4:45PM }

We've received more than a few comments and emails concerning Xbox Live Marketplace age restrictions. Specifically, Live members that are under the age of 18 are unable to download trailers and demos for M rated or unrated games. Naturally, this is disappointing to many Live gamers looking to download, say, the Kane & Lynch demo from XBLM. Major Nelson has posted an explanation for this restriction on his blog. Essentially, you can blame the ESRB. Demos and trailers are considered advertising and aren't made available to gamers under 18 in accordance with ESRB guidelines. Major Nelson notes that the same guidelines apply to the Playstation Store and Wii Shop Channel as well, so the 360 isn't by itself in this matter. So there you have it.

Tags: esrb, xblm, xbox-live-marketplace

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MAtthew Webber @ Jan 29th 2008 2:06PM

k so basically im 16, and i made an account, trying to cover my age but they set my real age automatically for some reason, but i got tired of it and said fuck it, so i made it i ahve a "child" account, my mom used her email to do the parental thing, and allowed my account full access, i thought everything was gonna be fine until i tried to download some trailers and demos, age restriction, i thought there would have been a perental control for this but there isnt. they should have put one for it to allow their kids to download this stuff if they dont mind. like. i had my eye on the Devil May Cry4 trailer cuz ive been hyped about the game and i cant even download it... i have another Gamer card but the gold ran out, i can use that to download trailers, but most demos need gold membership to download, and once agian my gold account is a childs account, this is starting to turn into Russia when Stalin was in power. control what the people see and read, he had total control over most of Russia, this is starting to turn into somthing like it, being restricted from things even our parents will let us watch.

Sambo @ Feb 1st 2008 8:40PM

@Brave

The reason why you can't download some Teen rated demos is that, for example, when you highlight the Turning Point demo under new arrivals, it says that the game is Rating Pending, so that's the answer to your problem.

I'm 16 and I am too extremely pissed off towards both Microsoft and ESRB! Recently though, I bought Call of Duty 4 at Target, and they never asked me for ID, so I was let off the hook. So if I can get whatever I want, even at 16, I can at least download an M rated demo. Not to be in the "whining" state that everyone is in, but the ESRB has NO CONTROL over what my, and everyone else's, parents decide when it comes to videogames. Parents are higher authority than both Microsoft and ESRB, because this relates to minors under the control of their parents, not the parents themselves. Anybody here feel the need to start a petition?

ChromaTick @ Dec 28th 2007 4:55PM

So wait. You have to be 18 to view a demo/trailer for an M-rated game, but you only have to be 17 to purchase it? lol

Don Wilson @ Dec 28th 2007 5:49PM

lol lol lol

Philip @ Dec 29th 2007 5:24AM

When I was at best buy with my friend the other day they told him he had to 18 to buy Call of Duty 4. The same thing happened when he tried to play test Assassin's Creed at an other store.

Project Ekim @ Dec 28th 2007 5:06PM

The ESRB should not choose what the kids watch, this should be up to the parents....

This is getting out of hand. How does someone go about appealing somthing like this?

Don Wilson @ Dec 28th 2007 5:49PM

'getting out of hand'? This is the way games have always been.

HaVoC @ Dec 28th 2007 6:54PM

By making it to where you have to be 18 or older to download mature content, you are giving the right to determine what a child sees to their parent. The only thing that this limitation does is stop kids from downloading things that their parents may not want them to see without their consent. If their parent doesn’t mind them playing or viewing adult material, then their parent can create an account and download it for them.

UNSCleric @ Dec 28th 2007 5:10PM

I enjoy listening to people cry about this. It's the new thing we all get to listen to for the next couple years or more. Keep it up whiners.

xenocidic @ Dec 29th 2007 4:11PM

I've been hearing people bitch about it on forums since Dec 4 , I'm glad they've finally got an official statement that I can point them to and see - there! wait until you're 18 !

Zeus the God @ Dec 31st 2007 6:27AM

Look, I don't give a shit what you guys are saying, I honestly don't, but the ultimate choice is up to the parents, and no matter who we blame for this, ESRB or Microsoft, its unacceptable as they are making the decision for the parents. This type of thing wouldn't be such an issue of the parents had an OPTION to allow their child's account to view this type of stuff.

I'm 17, and I feel that I'm getting ripped off. I just turned 17 in November, so I would have to wait another year before I have the option to play any demos view any trailers or download content for games that that have a Mature rating, even though I could legally go out and buy whatever M rated game I so choose. Thats pretty much bullshit, and I can see where others are coming from. Maybe you don't have to deal with it because you don't have a "child" account, but those of us that are dealing with it feel like we're getting shafted, so please don't complain about bitching. You aren't in the same situation.

This is why after the 360, I'm sticking PC only, is because of the progress of consoles, content is getting raped with ratings and restrictions.

Again, you're probably not in the same situation, so just shut the fuck up.

Emily @ Dec 28th 2007 5:15PM

I like it.
I think it's a good idea, this isnt here to replace parents and what they say is good or bad, but to protect the kids and help parents monitor what they play/watch/download.

Think about it, you have a single mom working two jobs, manages to buy her son a X-Box 360 so he isn't as bored at home, but when she's out she doesnt want him playing these games, she can't stop the kid when she's not their and this will help.

It might seem stupid to people 17 who want this crap, but hell, if your that close just bloody lie.

It is a legal requirement (At least in Canada) to ask a person how old they are when they buy games, it even pops up on the scanner to remind people of this, but some people don't care, or at least figure the person is of age.

Just think of it the same as movies, when you were a kid, you werent aloud to watch 14A movies when you were ten right? Well, now that ten year old can't play the game version.

I love the bloody kill tear rip shred shoot games myself, but that doesnt mean my little brother who is 13 should be playing the exact same games.

BioShock is a really good example. He wanted to borrow it but it is a really freaky game and it's rating is too high. (Plus he couldn't smuggle it past our Mom)

Just because they put restrictions on stuff doesn't mean it's a bad thing. In the end it's for the protection of the next gen of gamers.

Sounds stupid and lame but hey. Whatcha going to do? It isnt Big Brother yet, and at least they haven't banned them outright like some would have.

JakubK666 @ Dec 29th 2007 9:30AM

I'm 13 myself and while I spent hours chainsawing on GoW I don't recommend Bioshock to any of my mates either...this game scares the crap out of people...

Phoenix-X302 @ Jan 4th 2008 12:44PM

Thats all well and good, but you have to remember that you can actually set parental settings on that 360. So there are means in which one can actually 'control' what they play.

And you say that the 17 year olds should lie, but that does nothing for those who have 'Child Accounts' for their XBL account.

Bryan T @ Dec 28th 2007 5:21PM

Well, everytime ESRB, I always want to lash out and brag about how me and my dad used to play mortal kombat when I was only five.

The problem with this is that there will never be a universal acceptance. Some parents will be fine with their kids playing anything and everything, and others will want to lash away from the shooters or the horror genre games.

And while of course I would be happy if these rules weren't in place, they do more good than harm, whereas the opposite would not be true if these rules were repealed.

Richard @ Dec 28th 2007 5:29PM

how about mentioning something on here that xbox live here in the UK has crashed, i have 12 of my friends who were online with me now they are on msn saying they are all having issues with live right now. After telling my friends how good the xbox live network is & they now have 360's.. im feeling a lil down! :I

Jeff Holland @ Dec 28th 2007 5:34PM

@Richard: Issues w/ Live here in the US too. Anyone got an explanation?

Anticrawl @ Dec 28th 2007 5:54PM

Microsoft announced they were having issues last weekend and they didn't know what were causing them. I've been having serious troubles with Live that made me go so far as to setup a wired LAN in my new appartment. It helped a bit (as the dashboard update seemed to have nerfed the wireless 360 adapter) but Live still cuts out at odd times and fails to retrieve information. Plus I'm getting lots of error messages.

filbert910 @ Dec 28th 2007 6:02PM

is anyone else having problems with xbox live servers? i cant seem to get into a COD4 match and my buddy said that nba 2k8 was saying that the servers were down.

kp @ Dec 28th 2007 6:35PM

yah, live is being funky right now. a friend and i couldnt connect to COD4 either. ever since Christmas...actually for about the last two weeks LIVE has been kind of finicky. sometimes signing you out when you get into a game, just all sorts of crap stuff. which really sucks b/c in my experience, LIVE has been pretty dependable.

Greg @ Dec 28th 2007 6:48PM

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/

Users may experience intermittent issues with tournaments, posting statistics, matchmaking, and sending messages. Additionally Halo 3 users may experience issues joining matches or posting statistics. We are aware of the issue and are actively working towards a resolution. We apologize for any inconvenience.

joedirt131 @ Dec 28th 2007 5:48PM

This is absolutely stupid. There's already parental settings that prohibit M-rated content from being played on the console. If parents are too stupid to know how to set it up, that's their problem, not everybody else's. Why should everybody else be forced to follow these guidelines, even if the parents decide their kids are old enough to play mature games? Not to mention the 17-year-olds, who, according to the ESRB, are old enough to play M-rated games, but according to Microsoft, aren't. Also, Xbox Live isn't intellegent enough to figure out when someone turns 18 and convert their account to an adult account, so even some people who are over 18 are left out of this. But the real issue is that Microsoft isn't giving their consumers or their parents choice.

If it really is the ESRB doing this, then they have stepped past the line. I mean, sure, it's a small step, but this will continue. Soon, the game-hating politicians will join in the fun, and start banning games and making it illegal for anyone under age 18 to play M-rated games. It sounds far-fetched, but it's the direction we're headed in. If people continue to blow this off and say it's no big deal, it'll just get worse and worse until we have no control over what we're allowed to play or watch.

Anticrawl @ Dec 28th 2007 5:57PM

On topic here. I could care less what they do, I'm an adult and am not having any problems. You should blame the fathers of kids who got their cards stolen by their kid and racked up charges which lead the father to file a lawsuit. Microsoft and the ESRB can't be sure that young gamers aren't being monitored and are most likely doing all this because of liability issues. It isn't anyones fault but dishonest and gold-digging gamers.

Anticrawl @ Dec 28th 2007 5:59PM

Which brings me to my next point. Parents should beat their kids. Telling them to go to timeout isn't going to earn any respect or put some bad seed in line. Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions.

JakubK666 @ Dec 29th 2007 9:28AM

100% Agree...I was beaten at home and I'm pretty much proud of it.

I CAN'T STAND this whole new "Super Nanny/Nanny997" trend.Seriously fuck it and just beat your kids!

Whoops I just swore...got to seat on my naughty chair :)

DjDATZ @ Dec 29th 2007 1:58PM

+1 to both posts. I'm an adult now, and really couldn't give a shit. I was 18 when I got my 360 at launch so none of this actually affected me. So meh to these rules.

Second, yes, parents should beat their kids. I was beaten as a kid and I fully respect my parents, not ONLY because of that, but some of the respect is from that. I too hate this nanny-ing trend, where you just talk to the kids; I have a feeling they're just not allowed to show children being abused on TV. Words, to a kid, don't hurt or have nearly as much impact as being slapped, spanked or however else the parents choose to physically reprimand their kids.

Greg @ Dec 28th 2007 6:00PM

Still blame MS for not implementing the ESRB ratings correctly. Rated M is for 17+ not 18+ as implemented on LIVE. There is still not logical explanation for this from anyone at MS. I'm all for the implementation of the rating, as any good company will to avoid the government stepping in, which none of us should want. But really, implement it as it was meant to be.

Dragod @ Dec 28th 2007 6:42PM

Oh noes. That means that we need to have special chips in our TVs so that the commercials they play on TV are age appropriate... Wouldn't want anyone to advertise any game but Super Mario Galaxy with a 2 year old in the room...

It's not like we can't go to Game Trailers or YouTube... It sucks about the demos though.

Zon @ Dec 28th 2007 6:59PM

I thought everyone who was under 17 lied about their age when they created their account and put that they were born in the 1950's.

roxxxo @ Dec 29th 2007 12:59AM

exactly, i've been doing that for years. what kind of stupid kid wouldn't do that when setting up their xbox anyway? the kind stupid enuf to not get to see the cool videos

JakubK666 @ Dec 29th 2007 9:33AM

I accidentally did it, but then I made my own parent account and gave myself full rights to do everything. Had no problems with K&L Demo on UK Marketplace either.

HaVoC @ Dec 28th 2007 7:01PM

Actually, even commercials are rated and have to be appropriate for general audiences to be aired.

Brave @ Dec 29th 2007 8:04PM

This does NOT answer why I can't download Anything that is Rated T

seriously, WTF

Sam Coulson @ Dec 28th 2007 9:21PM

This sort of thing should always be up to the parent, by forcing a restriction on content, you are limiting a parent's decision making process in what their children can and can't watch.

Above that Microsoft is undermining the ESRB by restricting M Rated (17+) content to 17 year olds. I am 17 and this wouldn't piss me off so much if it wasn't for the Major explaining that this is to be in-line with the ESRB. If that was the actual case why can a 17 year old not download content he is able to have access to under the ESRB?

refinedsugar @ Dec 28th 2007 9:31PM

Wow, this needed explaining? Dense. You can't let marketing for any sort of material that is not age appropriate be at the choice of the underage people in question. There has to be a system in place, if not for social responsibility, than liability. Xbox Live is just following suit like everybody else. If parents aren't being responsible and policing their kids, the last thing you can expect is for kids to be left to police themselves and to know and do what's right.

By nature, these systems are never perfect. There are always going to be ways around them, kids will still watch r-rated movies unsupervised or adult content when they shouldn't be, but having these systems in place is better than the alternative of letting the stuff run wild.

Alexxxx @ Dec 28th 2007 11:20PM

thank god i set my account birthdate to 1989. hehe 1993 if i was truthful.

Joe @ Dec 29th 2007 1:57AM

Um, there's supposed to be a control on the Dashboard labeled "Parental Control".

The "Parental Control" allows PARENTS to CONTROL what they want their kids to watch. I wouldn't give two fucks, but I can't download the Heroic map pack or any new demos because of this. My parents are OK with buying me M-Rated games, and I'm 17 in 4 months. What the fuck, MS, what the fuck.

SadisticHam @ Dec 29th 2007 7:11AM

I have two things i feel the need to say:

1) I am laughing right now.

2) It feels good to be over the age of 18. ;D

druggedUK @ Dec 29th 2007 8:34AM

You're telling me that when people signed up to Xbox Live and saw they needed a Parent to sign up to give them permission, they didn't just change their age on their E-Mail adress?

I thought everyone did that...

JakubK666 @ Dec 29th 2007 10:01AM

nah I made a parent ac and gave myself full rights :)

jackgreene @ Dec 29th 2007 12:32PM

It's not just M rated stuff either, some T rated demos won't even work!

aeron @ Dec 29th 2007 12:50PM

lol, I kinda got tired of the tedious registration process, so i'm 25..... on live at least....

Swift Ice @ Dec 29th 2007 9:14PM

i have a question. it says for trailers/demos. im only 15. i was wondering if i will be able to download the halo maps when the become free in spring. since it is not a trailer or a demo i would think i could. and since its content for a game i think they should let you. you had to get an age check since you bought the game anyways.

Scooter @ Dec 30th 2007 10:09AM

All you kids under 18 that are whining about this, are showing us just what cry babies we have to look forward to when you grow up. You will all be the same people that whine because not everything goes your way. Hows this, GROW UP and stfu.

Zeus the God @ Dec 31st 2007 6:31AM

I'm not one to whine, but I feel like I'm getting shafted. We have every right to "whine" and bitch about this kind of thing, because we are of legal age to have access to this kind of material, but instead, we are refrained from doing so, and our parents or legal guardians or whatever the Hell you want to call them, don't have any choice in the matter- so even if they would allow us to take advantage of what we're legally entitled to, they have no choice.

HAD the option been there to switch things up and all the PARENT to make the choice, this wouldn't be an issue.

Nice job showing YOUR maturity and not looking at both sides of the story, douche, so in closing, a bid you with a big FUCK YOU.