ESRB Expands Game Ratings

[AndrewTS 0]

ESRB Expands Game Ratings

E10+ added, between E and T

by Christian Nutt

03/03/2005 

The ESRB, or Entertainment Software Rating Board, has announced the addition of a new rating. E10+, or "Everyone 10 and older" has been designed for games too strong to be marked E (Everyone) yet not risque enough to be marked T (Teen.)

"The content of computer and video games continues to advance in terms of sophistication, complexity, and graphic quality," said Patricia Vance, president of ESRB. "Given this evolution, the new E10+ rating category will provide consumers, particularly parents, with more precise guidance on the age appropriateness of certain titles, fulfilling our goal of helping ensure that the right games are selected for their children and families."

 

No games have yet picked up the E10+ rating.

 

Source: 1up.com

 

Yes, finally. Because those pesky games that weren't quite risque enough for T but were a bit too much for E needed something done about them. We know how much of a problem they've caused.

 

Strangely enough, at some point they killed off K-A and had E absorb it. So now you have Early Childhood (EC) for kids 3 years and up--you know, the point at which kids SHOULDN'T EVEN BE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES, E for 6 and up, E10, Teen, Mature, Adults Only...

 

....but nobody really cares about ratings below M anyway.

 

I found the "enforcement" page of the ESRB website worth a chuckle.

[Scroby 0]

Greeeeat so how long do you think they drop the E rating since they'll be using the new E10+ rating a hell of a lot? And when will the board start using it?

[razazteca 0]

when will the board start using it?

Next Mario or Pokemon game?

[The Man in Blak 0]

I'd imagine that E10+ would cover the kiddie games that have simulated violence (like Mario punching a goomba), leaving E to puzzle games, board game adaptations, and maybe some select sports games.

 

It's not a bad move, actually, given how much room there was between E and T to start.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway.

[Karnage 0]

They should of never brought that E rating and kept the K-A. It's not like 5 year olds are playing Madden.

[AndrewTS 0]

They should of never brought that E rating and kept the K-A. It's not like 5 year olds are playing Madden.

K-A was stricter, even though it was considered for the same age range and implied basically the same content.

 

Old article about the ratings:

http://www.dmgice.com/library/infections/003.html

 

"Kids to Adults

Titles rated "Kids to Adult (K-A)" have content suitable for persons ages six and older. These titles will appeal to people of many ages and tastes. They may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief (for example, slapstick comedy), or some crude language."

This rating is dead. I hated it. It was completely inaccurate. For example, Robotron 64 has a level named "Spheroid Hell".  Because of that ONE word, the game got a TEEN rating; when in reality it should have gotten a K-A.

 

"Everyone

As of January 1, 1998, the new "Everyone" designation will replace the 'Kids to Adults' rating. Titles rated "Everyone (E)" have content suitable for persons ages six and older. These titles will appeal to people of many ages and tastes. They may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief (for example, slapstick comedy), or some crude language."

This rating I liked, along with the content description below the rating on the back of the box; it is the most effective rating. For example, NFL Blitz has some words. "Sucks", "Crap", "damn", and the use of the word "Hell" are also considered to be some "crude language". For example you could say: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." and you can still get an E rating. If words like the ones above offend you; make sure to check the content description.

 

Remember that back in the K-A days, there wasn't anything on the box telling you why the games got those ratings. Of course, even those tend to be stupid.

 

"Content Descriptors

When consumers look on the back of a package, they may see any of the following phrases that further describe the product's content."

Here's a list of the stuff to look for.

 

"VIOLENCE"

 

"MILD ANIMATED VIOLENCE

Contains scenes involving characters/animated/pixelated characters in the depiction of unsafe or hazardous acts or violent situations."

Mario jumps off cliff.

 

"MILD REALISTIC VIOLENCE

Contains scenes involving characters in the depiction of unsafe or hazardous acts or violent situations in realistic or photographic detail."

Bungee Jumping, extreme sports.

 

"COMIC MISCHIEF

Scenes depicting activities that have been characterized as slapstick or gross vulgar humor."

Banana Peel or fart gag.

 

"ANIMATED VIOLENCE

Contains depiction of aggressive conflict involving cartoon/animated/pixilated characters."

Mickey Mouse fighters.

 

"REALISTIC VIOLENCE

Contains realistic or photographic-like depiction of body parts."

Look! A skeleton!

 

"ANIMATED BLOOD AND GORE

Animated/pixilated or cartoon-like depiction of mutilation or dismemberment of body parts."

Oh, they killed Kenny.

 

"REALISTIC BLOOD AND GORE

Representations of blood and/or gore in realistic or photographic-like detail."

Mortal Kombat Fatalities.

 

"ANIMATED BLOOD

Animated/pixilated or cartoon-like depiction of blood."

Red flashes or "Splats".

 

"REALISTIC BLOOD

Representations of blood in a realistic or photographic-like detail."

Think E.R.

 

"LANGUAGE"

 

"MILD LANGUAGE

Product contains the use of the word like "damn"."

Damn, they cornered it, the evil mean dumbasses.

 

"STRONG LANGUAGE

Commonly referenced four-letter words to include anatomical references."

F word, S word, etc.

 

"SEXUAL CONTENT"

 

"SUGGESTIVE THEMES

Mild provocative references or material."

Flirting.

 

"MATURE SEXUAL THEMES

Contains provocative material: including depiction of the human body either animated or photographic-like formats."

Think Lara Croft's main attraction...

 

"STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT

Graphic depiction of sexual behavior and/or the human form (i.e. frontal nudity) in either animated or photographic-like detail."

Think the portrait scene in James Cameron's "Titanic".

 

"EARLY CHILDHOOD"

 

"SOME ADULT ASSISTANCE MAY BE NEEDED"

Little Tommy can't reach the keyboard.

 

"READING SKILLS"

Why Johnny can't read. Mainly because he's still learning. Sit down with your child and read to them or help him/her read.

 

"FINE MOTOR SKILLS"

Fast Typing, platform, reflexive.

 

"HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS"

Math, logic, spelling, trignometry.

 

"OTHER DESCRIPTORS"

 

"GAMING

The depiction of betting like behavior."

Horse racing, poker, craps, billiards, darts, bridge, roulette, baccarat, slots, lotto, etc.

 

"USE OF TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL

Product contains images of the use of tobacco and/or alcohol in a manner which condones or glorifies their use."

Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid smokes; but it hurts him. Joe Camel smokes and it doesn't hurt him. Get what I mean?

 

"USE OF DRUGS

Product contains images of the use of drugs in a manner which condones or glorifies their use."

See Sonic? Sonic does Hemp. Actually he didn't inhale..

 

"INFORMATIONAL

Overall content provides data, facts, resource information, reference materials or instructional text."

Think Encarta or Britanica.

 

"EDUTAINMENT

Content provides user with specific skills development or reinforcement learning within an entertainment setting. Skill development is an integral part of product."

Blue's Clues, Blue's Clues!

[Karnage 0]

Robotron 64 has a level named "Spheroid Hell". Because of that ONE word, the game got a TEEN rating; when in reality it should have gotten a K-A.

If you think that's messed, a lot of GB/GBA games get away with E ratings when they have bullets and stuff.

[AndrewTS 0]

Robotron 64 has a level named "Spheroid Hell".  Because of that ONE word, the game got a TEEN rating; when in reality it should have gotten a K-A.

If you think that's messed, a lot of GB/GBA games get away with E ratings when they have bullets and stuff.

Oh yeah, forgot about that, but I know. Ninja Five-O has gun-wielding baddies who hold hostages as human shields, and will kill them if you don't act quickly.

 

Rating? E for "Violence."

 

Contra Advance The Alien Wars EX also gets an E, when all the other Contra games have at least a T rating.

 

I guess if the screen is really tiny it's cool with them.

 

Super SFII Turbo Revival has an E rating, when the only difference I've noticed with it from the big brothers content-wise is that splurts of blood are missing. I'd think that some of the win quotes would be considered unacceptable, plus the mere presence of Akuma. *shrug*

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

E10+ I say will go to games like The Incredibles. It was a game based on kid's movie and was rated Teen. A decent idea, but rarely anyone listens to these or notices anyway

[Scroby 0]

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway.

 

This one fat lady yelled at me cause I made her get outta her car when her son was trying to buy a game and I wouldn't let him without her in the store and giving me verbal permission. I think she even called the complint line and complined about me.....I told my DM about it and we both ended up laughing about it.

[AndrewTS 0]

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway.

 

This one fat lady yelled at me cause I made her get outta her car when her son was trying to buy a game and I wouldn't let him without her in the store and giving me verbal permission. I think she even called the complint line and complined about me.....I told my DM about it and we both ended up laughing about it.

Ask your DM if you have formal permission to go Al Bundy on her gargantuan ass if she tries that next time.

 

E10+ I say will go to games like The Incredibles. It was a game based on kid's movie and was rated Teen. A decent idea, but rarely anyone listens to these or notices anyway

 

A "kid's movie" rated PG that had explicit mentions of murder and death in it. The movie itself was something that the ratings peeps were kind of divided over, it seems.

[Red Baron 0]

So E+10 games are like Ratchet and Clank, Jax and Dexter, Crash Bandicoot, Starfox, Legend of Zelda, those types of games?

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Kids suddenly stop playing with guns all around the United States.

[Scroby 0]

So E+10 games are like Ratchet and Clank, Jax and Dexter, Crash Bandicoot, Starfox, Legend of Zelda, those types of games?

 

Basically except Starfox got rated Teen for the new one and I'm pretty the new zelda will be Teen as well.....why Crash Bandicoot?

 

 

QUOTE 

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway. 

 

This one fat lady yelled at me cause I made her get outta her car when her son was trying to buy a game and I wouldn't let him without her in the store and giving me verbal permission. I think she even called the complint line and complined about me.....I told my DM about it and we both ended up laughing about it.

 

Ask your DM if you have formal permission to go Al Bundy on her gargantuan ass if she tries that next time.

 

 

You have no clue how many times I wanna get that way with all the idiots who come into my store. I've had a guy ask me for his money back on a FREE GAME! because it was a defective one. I sware I broke a nerve trying not to rip into him. Actually no I take that back, he got pist off and started a speel about how i was just a cashier and basically I ment nothing to him, then I looked at him and told him he was just a customer and asked what his point was? He shut up real fast and went and got a replacement game since I let him get a game that was the same price or less, but then he came back with a twenty dollar game when the defective one was 4.99, I almost threw him out then. Oh heres a story that happen recently.....

 

This kid was having trouble singing onto Xbox Live, he was trying to create an account but was having connecting problems, his Xbox Live pin number wasn't being accepted. So he came in and my manager told him we couldn't give him his money back or anything since Xbox tells the stores that were not suppose to refund the Xbox Live Kits and if someone is having a problem they have to contact the Xbox Live Customer report line. So anyways we gave the kid Xbox's number and about an hour later his dad comes in and he's all heated and what not cause I won't give him his money back, so the guy will calm down, I go ahead and call Xbox so I can check the pin number. I get put on hold and I'm looking at the pin number reading the numbers while I'm hold. I'm on hold for a good ten minutes and I get another call and I take it and I call back to Xbox and I'm hold again. While I'm hold for the second time, I ask the dad to bring his kid to me since his kid was next door and have the kid read me the numbers as I read along with him. The kid comes over and he's pist cause she swearing up and down that he's entered it right so many times and blah blah and I have to give him his money back. So the kid starts reading me the numbers as I read along with him and he's got this real sarcastic tone in his voice. He gets to the last pin number and says 6.....I look at him and tell him "thats a G" and as soon as I tell him that, a rep from Xbox picks up on the line. I check if the pin was still valid and it was and I just looked at the kid and smiled and told him "You didn't read the pin number carefully enough, sometime numbers and letters almost look the same." He just got pist and walked off while his dad thanked me for being so nice.

 

I really should start a thread on this and just tell you guys shitty/funny stories about my day's at work.

[AndrewTS 0]

Feel free to, Scroby. You work at an EB/Gamestop, or is it some sort of dept. store?

[Scroby 0]

I work for a Gamecrazy, in a small little town. The stores are inside some Hollywood video stores. Yeah I was thinking about it, but someone might complin to someone how I'm posting stuff on this board that could be put into the general chat area. But I was thinking about it and maybe posting videogame news since a lot of it doesn't really get posted.

[Matt Young 0]

I just saw a commercial for Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and that appears to be the first game to receive the E10 rating.

 

About that game- Scroby, I have seen that Circuit City is advertising the game for next week for $54.99 with bongos, but I thought there was also supposed to be a cheaper version without the bongos. Seeing as how you work at gameCrazy, I figured maybe you could fill me in. I already have Konga, so I'd like to buy the non-bongo version.

[Scroby 0]

The last time I checked, Jungle Beat was going to be released seperate as well. Wouldn't make sense to make someone who already owns the bongos to buy the game and bongos. The game (last time I checked) is going to be 39.99 seperately and if you want the bongos, it was going to be 49.99. I could be wrong through, Nintendo can change the price as much as they want before the game releases. I've seen it done with Half Life 2. Circuit City could just be advertiseing that price to make sure to cover their own asses so no one comes in and gets it for cheaper than what it should be.

 

I gotta do a shift of 12 to 6 (pacific) tonight at work, I'll double check for you when I get there and post for you tonight.

[Guest Sturgis]

So E+10 games are like Ratchet and Clank, Jax and Dexter, Crash Bandicoot, Starfox, Legend of Zelda, those types of games?

And NHL and Madden games.

[Scroby 0]

Found out for you Matt

 

Donkey kong Jungle Beat with bongos- 54.99

 

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat without Bongos- 39.99

[Special K 0]

People were mad the Incredibles got a PG? Some Star Trek movies and I can think of also Star Trek VI had much worse in it (limbs getting shot off). PG all the way.

[Guest CronoT]

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway.

I've witnessed this more times than I can remember, like the time I watched a father by GTAIII for his 10-year old kid.

[Scroby 0]

QUOTE (Salacious Crumb @ Mar 4 2005, 06:30 PM)

What does it matter. Parents don't pay attention either way. You refuse to sell a game to a kid too young for it and the parent just comes in 20 minutes later, yells at you and then buys the game anyway. 

 

I've witnessed this more times than I can remember, like the time I watched a father by GTAIII for his 10-year old kid.

 

I have noticed through some parents don't even know what they're buying for their kids. Whenever there's a kid who wants to buy a mature rated game, I tell the parent why its rated mature and I've seen so many parents eye bug out of their head because they didn't know it was so bad. In all honestly, an over 18 law should be ineffect for mature rated games and I also think that if retailers are selling the game, their employes should explain the reason why the game is rated Mature or not.

[AndrewTS 0]

I have noticed through some parents don't even know what they're buying for their kids. Whenever there's a kid who wants to buy a mature rated game, I tell the parent why its rated mature and I've seen so many parents eye bug out of their head because they didn't know it was so bad.

 

Even that doesn't work a lot of the time.

 

"Why's it rated Mature?"

 

"Oh, swearing, mass murdering using everything from guns to bombs and cars, prostitution, use of drugs, etc."

 

"Well, he's played it before..."

 

[Scroby 0]

I go in a bit throughly about what happens and I show them all the reasons that are printed on the back of the case and explain to them what the game is about and what not. But actually the reason I get the most for parents buying the game is, "They'll see it in movies or on tv anyways.".

[Matt Young 0]

Found out for you Matt

 

Donkey kong Jungle Beat with bongos- 54.99

 

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat without Bongos- 39.99

I didn't see this before. Thanks.

 

If it's on;y a $15 difference, maybe I should get it with bongos so that I have an extra set for Donkey Konga and the soon to be released Donkey Konga 2. Multiplayer is great from the little bit I've played on DK1.