The History of ESRB
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization designed to give video games ratings based on their content. The Board also enforces advertising guidelines for games, and protects the privacy of online users in the entertainment software industry. Its ultimate goal is to allow parents to make informed decisions when purchasing games for their children.
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Founding
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The ESRB was founded in 1994 as a nonprofit organization. It was started by the Entertainment Software Association as a result of violent video games like Midway’s Mortal Kombat, Sega’s Night Trap and id Software’s Doom. These violent games spawned congressional hearings on violence in video games, and resulted in many retailers refusing to carry violent games. These factors eventually led to the creation of the ESRB, set up as a way to rate games based on their content.
Ratings
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The ESRB currently rates games on a six-level scale. Ratings include eC for Early Childhood, E for everyone (ages 6 and up), E10+ for everyone 10 and up, T for Teens, M for Mature (ages 17+) and Ao for Adults Only. Games that have not yet been rated, but have been submitted to the ratings process, are designated as rating pending (RP). Games are also labeled with content descriptors that indicate elements in a game that contributed to the rating.
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Rating Process
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In order to have a game rated, a game company must submit a video of the most offensive content contained in the game, as well as submitting a completed ESRB questionnaire and paying a fee. The content is then reviewed by several members and eventually a rating is determined based on the consensus of the members’ evaluations. Game developers are not required to submit any game to the ESRB; however, many retailers refuse to sell games that have not been rated.
Controversy
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In 2005, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was discovered to have an unused mini-game hidden in its code that featured sexually explicit acts, known as the “Hot Coffee” mod. This content was unlocked by one of the game’s users. The ESRB was criticized for not appropriately rating the game as an Adults Only title, instead giving it a Mature rating. Upon discovery of the mod, the ESRB was quick to change its rating to Ao, which led to the game being taken off store shelves. A subsequent version of the game released by Rockstar, again rated M, removed all the objectionable content in the mod. This controversy led to a large change in the policies of the ESRB, and empowered the organization to charge game developers a fee if content is not disclosed.
Future
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Many feel the ESRB’s ratings system is not well defined, allowing relatively soft M-rated titles like Bungee’s Halo to be grouped in with games like the gruesome Manhunt, also rated M. Nevertheless, the ESRB continues to rate games as it always has. The Board continues to provide parents with awareness of what their children are playing, and offers a database of ratings to search from on their website.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit black video games controler or games pad image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
