What is the ESRB?

ESRB or Entertainment Software Rating Board ratings are the industries attempt to provide additional information on what kind of content is contained in a game and what age it is geared towards. It is best described from the following quote from the ESRB website (www.esrb.org).

"The ESRB rating system helps parents and other consumers choose the games that are right for their families. ESRB ratings have two parts: rating symbols that suggest what age group the game is best for, and content descriptors that indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern."

The ratings are broken down to the following ratings: Early Childhood (age 3+), Everyone (ages 6+), Everyone 10+, Teen (13+), Mature(17+), Adults Only (18+). They also list ESRB content descriptors such as: Animated blood, Language, Drug References, etc. For a complete list of content descriptors and more definitions of the categories visit the ESRB ratings guide page here

The ESRB started in 1994 and back then very few games were rated. Now the ESRB rates over 1000 games per year.

How are the Ratings Policed?

Being a self regulated body the ESRB rates all games that are submitted for review. To get a rating the video game manufacturer must fill out an in-depth form explaining what the game is about and the most graphic or controversial parts of the game. They must also submit video footage of these parts of the game. ESRB then reviews the submission and based on three reviewers opinion generate a rating.

Once a game is rated, a final copy of the game and packaging must be submitted to the ESRB before release. The package and game is inspected to ensure that all rules have been followed and nothing has been changed since the review process.

Part of being self regulated rather than a government enforced system is that not all games are ESRB rated. There is nothing forcing any game company to submit their game for review, nor is there any law in effect that only rated games may be sold. Several large corporations (Walmart as an example) however have taken the stance that they will ONLY sell ESRB rated games. Virtually all games released for retail sale are ESRB rated.

Do game manufactures gear games to ratings?

Defiantly, but many times not in the direction that you would think! All game developers know exactly what it takes to get a game up or down a few levels in the rating system. They also know what the target audience for a game is and if they will be more or less likely to play based on a given rating.

If a game developer is making a new kids platform game (example: a new game about our favourite friendly spiked rodent), they know that the target audience is 6-10ish. They will ensure that they do not include elements that will raise the rating over the Everyone rating or they may risk losing some of the target audience.

On the flip side, a developer making a flashy new first person shooter aimed at all of us long term adult game players, has a very different goal. They are very likely to make sure enough adult elements are included to get bumped to an adult only rating, or a mature at the very least.

Are the ratings effective?

This one is hard to answer. What is effective with a rating? Does effective mean that people that shouldn’t get a hold of the game don’t get it? Or does it mean that people view the ratings as a useful guide?

The first part is really enforcement. This is a mixed bag from everything that I have seen in person. I have seen some stores sell just about any game to anyone, including violent adult games to young teens (12-13) as long as they have the money. I have also seen stores ask people that look like they are 17-20 to prove they are 17 before selling them a mature game. I have also see parents walk up and buy games that their kids want without even looking at the rating, completely bypassing the system.

As for people viewing the ratings as an effective guide, I believe it’s also mixed. I know several people that completely ignore the ratings and refuse to even look at them. I don’t look at them for games for my own play, but them I’m an adult so can see and play anything I want. I also know a few parents that live by the guides and do not get anything that is rated above their children’s age level.