ESRB ratings and their impact on video game content and consumer choices.
M and E Video Game Ratings
M rated games contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and strong language. They are suitable for players aged 17 and up.
The original Halo games were M rated, a first-person shooter sci-fi series that was compared to PG-13 rated movies for its tame content. It even caused one of the largest gaming controversies for its sex scene depiction.
What is an ESRB rating?
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings for video games in the US and Canada. The ESRB rating process involves a team of trained reviewers looking at written documentation, early builds, and videos that capture gameplay and cutscenes featuring the most extreme instances of game content.
Once a game has been rated, the ESRB displays a letter grade and content descriptors prominently on the game’s packaging and in digital storefronts. This allows parents and other consumers to make informed decisions about what sorts of games they’re purchasing for themselves or their children. However, some critics have argued that the ESRB has a vested interest in the gaming industry and that it has failed to rate games like Grand Theft Auto harshly enough for their violent and sexual content. Regardless, the ESRB rating system is considered essential to protecting gamers from inappropriate content.
What is an M rating?
One thing is for sure: Whether you’re watching TV, seeing a movie or playing video games, you’ll encounter some sort of age or content rating. The G (General) classification indicates that the work is suitable for audiences of all ages and may contain only minor levels of classifiable material such as crude language or mild violence. The M classification, formerly called M 15+, means that works with this rating should be restricted from children under 15.
When Doom hit the SNES in 1995, it became the first game to receive an M rating and opened the floodgates. At the time, many were fearful that a Mature rating would negatively affect sales or annoy gamers. But it didn’t take long for the M rating to prove itself as a useful tool in regulating the gaming industry and helping parents make informed decisions. Today, the M rating is as commonplace as R and TV-MA ratings are for movies or TV shows.
What is an AO rating?
An AO rating indicates that a game has been rated Adults Only. This rating is reserved for games that contain explicit sexual content, prolonged scenes of extreme violence, and gambling with real money. There are only 27 video games to have ever been AO rated, with four of them being awarded this rating solely for their extreme levels of violence.
The AO rating is similar to an NC-17 or X rated movie, with the difference being that NC-17 and X movies can still be sold in some stores while AO games cannot. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that most major retailers do not carry AO rated games.
Hatred, a shooter from Destructive Creations, received an AO rating in the US for its violence and harsh language. The developers stated that they would have preferred an M rating but were happy to not see any of their game’s sexual content cut to garner a less severe rating.
What is an E rating?
E for everyone is a rating used to denote games that are suitable for all ages. It can include games with minimal cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. It can also contain games with slightly mature content such as simulated or actual gambling, drugs and alcohol, or partial nudity.
The E rating is often used to label games such as the Pokemon series of role-playing video games. These games feature fantasy violence, and have been compared to animal cruelty due to the way Pokemon fight each other. In addition, some Pokemon games have been criticized for displaying graphic and disturbing sexual violence.
However, ESRB does not use the E or E10+ ratings to indicate that an online service is directed to children. This is because games and apps that are rated E or E10+ do not necessarily contain the kinds of content that would make them directed to children under COPPA.