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The Entertainment Software Rating Board ('''ESRB''') is a Self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, Advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for Computer And Video Games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). It was established in 1994 by the Interactive Digital Software Association (now the Entertainment Software Association). By early 2003 , it had rated over 8,000 titles submitted by 350 Publishers . Some believe that the ESRB may promote media restriction, while others think that it is necessary for software to have content ratings. The decision to found the ESRB was influenced by violent content found in games such as '' Mortal Kombat '' and '' Night Trap '' and other Controversial Video Games depicting Violent or Sexual Situations at the time, and by pressure from the United States Congress . OVERVIEW The ESRB applies ratings to games based on their content, similar to the Motion Picture Rating Systems used in many countries. Their aim is to aid consumers in determining a game's content and suitability. A game's rating is displayed on its box, the Media , in Advertisements and on game Web Site s. The rating system is voluntary, so companies do not have to submit a game for rating before selling it. However, most game publishers in the United States use the system. The rating has two parts: ''rating symbols'' and ''content descriptors''. The rating symbols are usually found on the lower right or the lower left hand corner on the front of the box; they suggest what age group the game is best suited for. The content descriptors are found on the back of the box, usually in the lower left or right hand corner; they describe particular content elements that may be of interest or concern. RATINGS The symbols the ESRB uses are stylized depictions of alphabetical letters meant to convey at a glance a game's suitability. Current Original The following rating has been updated and is no longer used, but it may appear on games published previously. CONTENT DESCRIPTORS The content descriptors are not exhaustive descriptions of all content within a game: they are applied within the context of the rating a game is assigned. For example, a Teen game with one use of strong language and numerous uses of mild language would receive a "Mild Language" descriptor. They are also not always printed as shown below. They may have additional words added to further clarify the highlighted content such as "''Mild'' Blood" and "''Mild'' Suggestive Themes". Current
Online Rating Notice Online Game s that include user-generated content (e.g., Chat , Map s, Skin s) carry the notice Game Experience May Change During Online Play to warn consumers that content created by players of the game has not been rated by the ESRB. Original The following content descriptors have been updated and are no longer used, but they may appear on games published prior to their discontinuation. Reissued games that were originally rated when the now-discontinued descriptors were used by the ESRB may still contain such descriptors on their packaging.
RATING PROCESS See Also: MPAA film rating system 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. Vista Not So Beautiful, say Casual Devs on GameDaily BIZ. Accessed on January 18 , 2007 . 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. If the publisher wishes, they may edit the game and resubmit the footage and questionnaire in order to achieve a lower rating. If this is the case, the process begins anew. The publisher may also appeal the game's rating if they wish. The appeals committee is composed of entertainment software industry representatives. When the game is ready for release, the publisher sends copies of the final version of the game to the ESRB. The game packaging is reviewed, and the ESRB says that its in-house personnel randomly play games to ensure that all the information provided during the rating process was complete and accurate. Penalties may apply to the publisher if it is eventually found, either through the in-house personnel's playing or consumer comments that the game's content is more extreme than the publisher stated in its application. The identities of the ESRB raters are kept confidential and selected randomly from a pool of full-time ESRB employees who live in the New York City area. According to an ESRB introductory brochure from 1994: "The raters represent a wide range of backgrounds, races, and ages and have no ties to the interactive entertainment industry. Raters include retired school principals, parents, professionals, and other individuals from all walks of life." BACKGROUND AND HISTORY As videogaming progressed into the 16-bit era, graphics and sound capabilities were dramatically increased. Blood and gore was much clearer and vibrant than 8-bit games. For example blood in an 8-bit game may look blocky and pixelated while in 16-bit it can be a fluid graphic that can easily be identified. After the release of games such as '' Mortal Kombat '', '' Doom '', '' Night Trap '' and '' Lethal Enforcers '' (which used the Konami Justifier ), there was much controversy over video game content. Congressional hearings on video game violence and the corruption of society, headed by Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl were held in late 1992 to 1993. The result of the hearings was that the entertainment software industry was given one year to form a workable rating system or the federal government would intervene and create its own system. Around this time, the Videogame Rating Council (VRC) was formed by Sega Of America to rate mostly its own games. In 1993, the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) was formed to unite the entertainment software industry. Also in 1993, the 3DO Company formed their own rating system for games released on the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer called the 3DO Rating System . In 1994, the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was formed by the Software Publishers Association . However, because of some criticisms of the both the VRC and RSAC, the VRC was phased out in 1994 and RSAC in 1999. On July 29, 1994 the proposal from the IDSA for a rating system, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) was presented in Congress and approved. In September 1994, the ESRB was established and became the official rater of video games in the United States. At this time, many companies who produced computer games such as LucasArts , Sierra On-Line and 3D Realms continued to follow the RSAC system as they were members of the SPA. This resulted in video games having ESRB ratings and some computer games having them as well while other computer games had RSAC ratings. Eventually, all companies, including 3DO, agreed to follow the ESRB ratings. Initially, there were five different ratings: Early Childhood, Kids to Adults, Teen, Mature and Adults Only. Shortly thereafter, the Informational and Edutainment descriptors were added. In 1996, the rating icons were altered so that it would be more clear who rated the product (this can be seen in the image of the Kids to Adults icon above). On January 1, 1998, the Kids to Adults rating was replaced with Everyone. Also in 1998, the Entertainment Software Rating Board Interactive (ESRBi) was formed which rated websites and online games. In late 1999, in order to make the rating symbols more legible, the pixelated rating icons were replaced with black and white icons. Beginning in early 2001, and continuing for the next couple of years, several of the content descriptors were retired and replaced. Content descriptors with "Animated" or "Realistic" in them had those portions removed. Also, the "Skills" descriptors used for the Early Childhood rating were removed as well. A short time later, the Gaming descriptor was changed to Gambling, which itself was split into Real and Simulated Gambling in the following years.
CRITICISM AND CONTROVERSY Violence and the AO rating The ESRB has often been accused of not rating games harshly enough for violence and other related themes. Games such as '''' received an AO rating with content descriptors for Animated Violence and Animated Blood and Gore however, it was never released after the original publisher, Virgin Entertainment, was purchased by Electronic Arts who was more concerned about the adult content.1 The violence in ''Thrill Kill'' was a concern to the ESRB as it was sexualized, with Sadomasochistic activities. Critics have claimed that the ESRB will only rate games AO if they have sexual content in them, regardless of how much violence is present. Twenty-five products have been given the AO rating. One was given it for unsimulated '', '' Club 21 '', '' Club Royal - The Exclusive Striptease Club Of The Beyond '', '' Cyber Photographer And Printshop '', '' Fantasy Vixens Jigsaw Puzzles '', '' The Girls Of Paradise Cove '', '' The Guy Game '', '' Julie Strain '', '' Leisure Suit Larry Series '' 1-7, '' Malibu Models '', '' Playboy Screensaver II '', '' Tabloid Beauties '', '' TV's Lifeguard Babes '' However, these products are not carried by major retailers (and many are usually grouped with adult products anyway) because of the sexual content. Rating standards The ESRB has also often been accused of rating games overly harsh when compared to video game rating systems in other countries. The differences in ratings reflect differing cultural attitudes and standards towards certain subjects, however, games with relatively mild content have appeared to receive higher ratings, according to some. For example, the game '' Syberia '' received a T with descriptors for "Mild Language" and "Use of Alcohol". This game received a 3+ from Entertainment And Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) and Pan European Game Information (PEGI), "All ages" from the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK), 3 from Valtion Elokuvatarkastamo (VET) and G8+ from Office Of Film And Literature Classification (Australia) (OFLC). '' Super Smash Bros. Melee '', a Fighting Game which features popular video game characters received a T while the PEGI gave the game a 3+. Some critics claimed the game should have been rated E by the ESRB like the previous game. The ESRB stated that the game's violence was slightly more realistic than the first. Games such as ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' eventually resulted in the formation of the rating, E10+ in 2005. In November 2005, Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act , which calls for a federal mandate enforcement of the ESRB ratings system as what they claim is in order to protect children from inappropriate content. Hidden content See Also: Hot Coffee minigame controversy ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion In removed the game from their store shelves within 24 hours and either re-stickered the product with the new rating label or returned it to Take 2 as defective, depending upon their respective store policies. Rockstar also re-released the game, bearing the title of ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Special Edition'', which did not include the necessary files for "Hot Coffee" and had the game's original M rating. |
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