Who Are The Esrb And What Do They Do?
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is an organization that applies and enforces ratings computer and video games and entertainment software. The ESRB was formed after controversial games like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap and other games depicting violent and sexual situations.
What Does The ESRB Do?
The ESRB applies rating to the games content much like the movie ratings used in most countries around the world. The aim of the ESRB is to inform the consumer of the content and its suitability to certain audiences. The games rating are displayed on the website advertisements and the games box.
The Different ESRB Ratings
The current ESRB ratings for computer games, video games and entertainment software are these:
EC – Early Childhood: Contains content that is considered suitable for ages 3 and older which contains no inappropriate content. Games that fall under this rating are specifically intended for young children and are usually educational in nature.
E – Everyone: Contains content that is considered suitable for everybody. Games in this category might contain cartoon or fantasy violence and mild language. Example of games would be: Most sports, Mario, Sonic and other puzzle games.
E10+ - Everyone 10+: Contains content that is considered suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, minimal and/or infrequent blood and/or minimal suggestive themes. Example of games in this category: Project Gotham Racing 3, Midnight Club 3, Lego Star Wars, Bionicle Heroes and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.
T – Teen: Contains content that is considered suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. Examples of games with this rating are: Medal of Honor Series, The Sims 2, World of Warcraft and The Legend of Zelda.
M — Mature: Contains content that is considered suitable for ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. Many retailers (such as Wal-Mart) have a policy of not selling games with this rating to minors without parental presence and approval. Examples of games with this rating are the: Half Life Series, Halo Series, Quake 4 and Mortal Kombat.
AO — Adults Only: Contains content that is considered suitable for adults. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity. As of June 2007, there have been 23 products which have officially received the rating, most of which are available on windows and Apple Macintosh computers, as well as the Phillips CDi. The AO rating is a subject of heated controversey because of the extreme restrictions it puts on game sales. For example, major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target do not allow AO-rated games on their shelves.
How Do The ESRB Rate Games?
To obtain a rating for a game, a publisher sends the ESRB videotaped footage of the game’s most graphic and extreme content. The publisher also fills out a questionnaire describing the game’s content and encloses a check for between $2,000 and $3,000.
The ESRB states on its website that three trained raters, working independently, then watch the footage and recommend a rating. If all raters agree on the rating, content descriptors are added and the ESRB notifies the publisher of its decision. If there is no consensus, additional raters review the footage and materials. After the rating is agreed upon, the ESRB in-house personnel review the footage and all materials to ensure that all information is accurate and a certificate is sent to the publisher.
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Tags: computer games, ESRB, Game ratings system
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