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 North America (Quebec in 2004 and 2005).^{[citations needed]} Image File history File links ESRB_logo. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the trade association of the computer and video game industry in the United States. ... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... For the band, see Big Brother and the Holding Company. ... The 3DO Rating System was a rating system created by The 3DO Company and used on games released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in the USA and Canada. ... The 3DO Company (formerly THDO on the NASDAQ stock exchange), also known as 3DO, was a game console developer and 3rd party game developer. ... The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was an independent, non-profit organization founded in the USA in 1994 by the Software Publishers Association as well as six other industry leaders in response to video game controversy and threats of government regulation. ... The Videogame Rating Council (VRC) was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States of America on the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD and rarely, some computer games. ... Sega (セガ) is a video game software and hardware developer, and a former console manufacturer. ... A website (alternatively, web site or Web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or more web servers, usually accessible via the Internet. ... Social Cognitive Perspective: Zimmerman et al specified three important characteristics: self-observation (monitoring ones activities); self-judgement (self-evaluation of ones performance) and self-reactions (reactions to performance outcomes) Cognitive Processing Perspective Winne & Marx posited that motivational thoughts and beliefs are governed by the basic principles of cognitive... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... // Advert redirects here. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... North American redirects here. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ...

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. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the trade association of the computer and video game industry in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

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 portraying violent or sexual situations at the time. Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... Night Trap is a video game that was released on October 15, 1992. ... Video games have been the subject of debate and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes,[1] consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, or profanity in some games. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ...

Overview

The seven current ratings that ESRB uses.

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 sites. Motion picture rating systems are issued to give moviegoers an idea of the suitability of a movie for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and bad language. ... // Advert redirects here. ... A website, Web site or WWW site (often shortened to just site) is a collection of webpages, that is, HTML/XHTML documents accessible via HTTP on the Internet; all publicly accessible websites in existence comprise the World Wide Web. ...

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

Image File history File links ESRB_eC.svg‎ The ESRB rating of EC for video games. ... Image File history File links ESRB_E.svg‎ The ESRB rating of E for video games. ... For other uses, see Cartoon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links ESRB_E10+.svg‎ The ESRB rating of E10+ for video games. ... For other uses, see Blood (disambiguation). ... -1... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donkey Konga Jungle Beat ) is a Nintendo GameCube video game featuring the gorilla Donkey Kong and played with a pair of bongos (tarukonga). ... Image File history File links ESRB_T.svg‎ The ESRB rating of T for video games. ... Gamble redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links ESRB_M.svg‎ The ESRB rating of M for video games. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Future Shop is a Canadian electronics retailer operating a total of 122 stores across all of Canadas provinces as of May 2007. ... For the defunct chain of catalog showrooms, see Best Products. ... Image File history File links ESRB_AO.svg‎ The ESRB rating of AO for video games. ... It has been suggested that Eroge be merged into this article or section. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of products which have received an AO (Adults Only) rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). ... Windows redirects here. ... For other uses, see Macintosh (disambiguation) and Mac. ... CD-i or Compact Disc Interactive is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Royal Philips Electronics N.V. CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard utilized by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book, which was co-developed by... For the Wikipedia policy regarding controversial issues in articles, see Wikipedia:Guidelines for controversial articles. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Manhunt 2 is a video game developed by Rockstar Games, and the sequel to 2003s Manhunt. ... Image File history File links ESRB_RP.svg‎ The ESRB rating of RP (rating pending) for video games. ...

Original

The following rating has been updated and is no longer used, but it may appear on games published previously.

is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

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

• Alcohol Reference — Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages.^[2]
• Animated Blood — Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood.^[2]
• Blood — Depictions of blood.^[2]
• Blood and Gore — Depictions of blood or the mutilation (loss) of body parts.^[2]
• Cartoon Violence — Violent actions involving cartoon-like or animated situations and characters. May also include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted.^[2]
• Comic Mischief — Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor.^[2]
• Crude Humor — Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including "bathroom humor".^[2]
• Drug Reference — Reference to and/or images of illegal drugs.^[2]
• Edutainment — Combines Education with Entertainment, and refers to nothing crude, vulgar, profane, violent, or obscene. Content of product provides user with specific skills development or reinforcement learning within an entertainment setting. Skill development is an integral part of product. ^[2]
• Fantasy Violence — Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life.^[2]
• Intense Violence — Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons, and depictions of human injury and death.^[2]
• Language — Mild to moderate use of profanity.^[2]
• Lyrics — Mild references to profanity, sexuality, violence, alcohol, or drug use in music.^[2]
• Mature Humor — Depictions or dialogue involving "adult" humor, including sexual references.^[2]
• Nudity — Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity.^[2]
• Partial Nudity — Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity.^[2]
• Real Gambling — Player can gamble, including betting or wagering real cash or currency.(Most games with this content are online playable.)^[2]
• Sexual Themes — Mild to moderate sexual references and/or depictions.
• Sexual Violence — Depictions of rape or other sexual acts such as Chinese nipple torture and prison activities.^[2]
• Simulated Gambling — Player can gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency.^[2]
• Strong Language — Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity.^[2]
• Strong Lyrics — Explicit and/or frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol, or drug use in music.^[2]
• Strong Sexual Content — Graphic references to and/or depictions of sexual behavior.^[2]
• Suggestive Themes — Mild provocative references or materials.^[2]
• Tobacco Reference — Reference to and/or images of tobacco products.^[2]
• Use of Drugs — The consumption or use of illegal drugs.^[2]
• Use of Alcohol — The consumption of alcoholic beverages.^[2]
• Use of Tobacco — The consumption of tobacco products.^[2]
• Violence — Scenes involving aggression, such as fighting,and/or shooting ^[2]
• Violent References — References to violent acts.^[2]

Booze redirects here. ... Mutilation or maiming is an act or physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of the (human) body, usually causing death. ... For other uses, see Slapstick (disambiguation). ... Look up Humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term vulgar originally meant of the common people, from the Latin vulgus. ... Toilet humour (also potty humour) is a type of humour dealing with bodily toilet functions. ... Many drugs are provided in tablet form. ... This article is about institutional education. ... A stilt-walker entertaining shoppers at a shopping centre in Swindon, England Entertainment is an activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience (although in the case of a computer game the audience may be only one person). ... Reinforcement learning refers to a class of problems in machine learning which postulate an agent exploring an environment in which the agent perceives its current state and takes actions. ... In cartoons, profanity is often depicted by substituting symbols for words, as a form of non-specific censorship. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... This article is about the human developmental stage. ... Nude redirects here. ... This article is about the anatomical structure. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ...

Online Rating Notice

Online games that include user-generated content (e.g., chat, maps, skins) carry the notice Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB to warn consumers that content created by players of the game has not been rated by the ESRB. This is used to describe the fact that players online may speak in an inappropriate manner, or use foul language (which cannot be effectively rated by ESRB).^[3] Online games refer to games that are played over some form of computer network. ... Online chat can refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct one-on-one chat or text-based group chat (formally also known as synchronous conferencing), using tools such as instant messaging applications—computer programs, Internet Relay Chat, talkers and possibly... In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, episode, round, world, map, wave, board, phase, or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ... In computing, skins and themes are custom graphical appearances (GUIs) that can be applied to certain software and websites in order to suit the different tastes of different users. ...

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.

• Animated Blood and Gore — Cartoon or pixelated images of blood or the mutilation of body parts.
• Animated Violence — Cartoon or pixelated scenes depicting animated characters in unsafe and/or violent situations.
• Gambling — Betting-like behavior.
• Gaming — Betting-like behavior.
• Mature Sexual Themes — Provocative material, possibly including partial nudity.
• Mild Animated Violence — Mild cartoon or pixelated scenes depicting animated characters in unsafe and/or violent situations.
• Mild Realistic Violence — Mild photographic-like detailed depictions of characters in unsafe and/or violent situations.
• Reading Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Higher-Level Thinking Skills — These phrases are found only on products rated Early Childhood and indicate whether children's reading, computer, or other skills are used in these titles.
• Realistic Blood — Photographic-like detailed depictions of blood.
• Realistic Blood and Gore — Photographic-like detailed depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts.
• Realistic Violence — Photographic-like detailed depictions of characters in unsafe and/or violent situations.

Rating process

To obtain a rating for a game, a publisher sends the ESRB videotaped footage of the most graphic and extreme content found in the game. The publisher also fills out a questionnaire describing the game's content and encloses a check for two thousand dollars or more.^[4]

On its website the ESRB states that three trained raters, working independently, 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, or the majority opinion rules. 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. However, that decision is not final. If the publisher wishes, they may edit the game and resubmit the footage and questionnaire in order to achieve a lower rating, or appeal the information. 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." New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Background and history

The ESRB Mature rating symbol as it originally appeared. The Adults Only rating symbol simply repeated "Adults Only" on the bottom band.

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. Image File history File links ESRB_M_Original. ... Image File history File links ESRB_M_Original. ... In the history of video games, the 16-bit era was the fourth generation of video game consoles. ... In the history of video games, the 8-bit era was the third generation of video game consoles, but the first after the video game crash of 1983 and considered by some to be the first modern era of console gaming. ... Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous and highly controversial Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Night Trap is a video game that was released on October 15, 1992. ... Lethal Enforcers was created as an arcade shooting video game by Konami in 1992. ... The Konami Justifier was a light gun used in numerous video arcade and home console games developed and/or published by Konami and Sega. ... Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a United States Senator from Connecticut. ... This article refers to Sen. ... The Videogame Rating Council (VRC) was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States of America on the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD and rarely, some computer games. ... Sega (セガ) is a video game software and hardware developer, and a former console manufacturer. ... The 3DO Company (formerly THDO on the NASDAQ stock exchange) was founded in 1991 under the name SMSG, Inc. ... For other uses, see 3DO. Crash n Burn on the 3DO, the systems first bundled title. ... The 3DO Rating System was a rating system created by The 3DO Company and used on games released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in the USA and Canada. ... The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was an independent, non-profit organization founded in the USA in 1994 by the Software Publishers Association as well as six other industry leaders in response to video game controversy and threats of government regulation. ... The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), formerly known as the Software Publishers Association (SPA), is watchdog group that conducts investigations and audits to ferret out unlicensed software. ... LucasArts is an American video game developer and publisher. ... Sierra Entertainment was a computer game developer and publisher. ... 3D Realms is the name of a computer game publisher and developer based in Garland, Texas. ...

An example of a typical ESRB content descriptor prior to June 26, 2003.

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. Image File history File links ESRB_Teen_Content_Descriptor. ... Image File history File links ESRB_Teen_Content_Descriptor. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board Interactive (ESRBi) was a branch of the Entertainment Software Rating Board which existed from 1998-2003 which rated websites and online games. ...

An example of a content descriptor post June 26, 2003.

In mid 2003, the ESRBi was closed down. On June 26, 2003, the content descriptors were made larger and more legible and newer, more thorough descriptors for violence (Cartoon, Fantasy, Intense) were added as well as a descriptor for Mature Humor. Also, the Mature and Adults Only icons had a 17+ and 18+ added to their title band in order to clearly signify the age appropriateness. On March 2, 2005, after conferring with academicians and child development experts, the Everyone 10+ rating was introduced.^[5] Originally, raters were hired on a part-time basis; as of April 2007, the ESRB employs raters full-time.^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata ESRB_Everyone_New_Content_Descriptor. ... Image File history File linksMetadata ESRB_Everyone_New_Content_Descriptor. ...

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 Harvester, Manhunt, Rise of the Triad and Soldier of Fortune have shown gruesome violence, yet received the M rating. Many critics have claimed that these games deserve the AO rating^[7] and were given the M for commercial reasons.^[8] Rise of the Triad in particular, received the highest violence descriptor: "Wanton and gratuitous violence" from the RSAC, which was mitigated by being rated M by the ESRB. However, in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, their respective provincial governments re-rated Soldier of Fortune and Manhunt as Restricted (not to be confused with the aforementioned R rating).^[9] The ESRB has only given out the AO rating solely for violence twice: once for The Punisher^[10] and the second time for Manhunt 2.^[11] However, both games were edited before release in order to qualify for the M category.^{[citation needed]} Another game, Thrill Kill, received an AO rating with content descriptors for Animated Violence and Animated Blood and Gore. It was never released after the original publisher, Virgin Entertainment, was purchased by Electronic Arts who was more concerned about the adult content.^[12] The violence in Thrill Kill was a concern to the ESRB as it was sexualized, with sadomasochistic activities. Harvester is a controversial point-and-click adventure computer game. ... This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... Rise of the Triad: Dark War (acronym is ROTT) is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software (now known as 3D Realms). ... This article concerns the first-person shooter. ... The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was an independent, non-profit organization founded in the USA in 1994 by the Software Publishers Association as well as six other industry leaders in response to video game controversy and threats of government regulation. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countriesAtlas  Politics Portal      Canada is a federation which consists of ten provinces that, with three territories, make up the worlds second largest country in total area. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... This article is about the Canadian province. ... This article concerns the first-person shooter. ... This article is about the 2003 Rockstar game; for the two DOS adventure games by Sierra Online please see Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco. ... Motion picture ratings in Canada are mostly a provincial responsibility, and each province has its own legislation regarding exhibition and admission. ... For other uses, see The Punisher (disambiguation). ... Manhunt 2 is a video game developed by Rockstar Games, and the sequel to 2003s Manhunt. ... Thrill Kill is a fighting game that was developed for the Sony PlayStation by Paradox Development. ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ...

Critics have claimed that the ESRB will only rate games AO if they have sexual content in them, no matter how much violence is present. Twenty-five products have been given the AO rating. One was given it for unsimulated online gambling. The rest were given it for sexual content and/or nudity. One game, Mass Effect featured as many as two sexual scenes and was still passed as an M, leading to controversy on Fox News. Another, God of War, came with many different sex scences, and, unlike Mass Effect, it was not the subject to controversies or protests. One of the games with "Strong Sexual Content" as a content descriptor also had "Realistic Blood & Gore", Riana Rouge, and another one had "Violence", Critical Point. Critical Point is an eroge, and Riana Rouge has Playboy Playmates in softcore sex scenes which leads some critics to believe that these games were rated AO because of sex, not violence. This criticism is shared with the movie rating systems. Lula 3D contains descriptors for "Blood", "Strong Language" and "Violence" in addition to sexually explicit material. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Director's Cut also received the AO rating. While the game contains content identical to the original North American version titled Indigo Prophecy ("Blood", "Strong Language", "Use of Drugs and Alcohol" and "Violence"), the only content which was added in the director's cut version was sex scenes with nudity, one of which was interactive. Much like Fahrenheit, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas received an AO rating because interactive sex scenes could be accessed in the game. Some critics believed that the ESRB in-house personnel may have overreacted to the attention the game received from the federal government and that the mini-game (which contained no nudity) was not explicit enough to have been re-rated. It should be noted that many adult oriented products, including erotica, have actually received M ratings.^[13] However, these products are not carried by major retailers (and many are usually grouped with adult products anyway) because of the sexual content. Other video games such as The Sims have had questionable ratings not for violence or sexual aspects, but for other attributes including the ability to control the computer characters' lives. One study reported that young boys even found the game too mature for them because you can force simulated family members to kiss, starve, urinate themselves, and even die.^[14] Online gambling is a general term for gambling using the Internet. ... This article is about the video game. ... Fox News Channels slogan is We Report, You Decide The Fox News Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite news channel. ... This article is for the PlayStation 2 game. ... An eroge , erotic game) is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. ... A Playmate is a female model featured in Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month. ... Softcore is a form of pornography that is less explicit than hardcore pornography in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. ... Lula games are Windows games placed in business world of pornography. ... Sexually explicit material (video, photography, creative writing) presents sexual content without deliberately obscuring or censoring it. ... Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in the United States and Canada) is a video game that was released in September 2005. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a computer game that was released in year 2000. ...

This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Conversely ESRB has also come under fire for what a large part of gamers feel is extreme rating and monopoly of retailers to enforce their system. Of note is the fact that ESRB reviewers typically do not actually play the games they rate (though they have been known to refer to a game's beta or alpha if more information is needed), and are frequently not gamers themselves. Between this, and the fact that the ESRB's success has been gauged largely by parent polls only, many gamers and gaming communities have long expressed frustration and resentment toward the ESRB. Of further frustration to some is the fact that many retailers refuse to sell "M-rated" games to minors. The allegation that changes in game rating and selling policies in the past have occurred due to federal attention has further exacerbated frustrations, with some gamers calling for reform and still others demanding the dismantlement of ESRB itself. As a side note, almost all retailers refuse to sell games without an ESRB rating, giving ESRB a very strong grip on the industry and issuing a veritable death sentence for games looking to dodge approval.

Hidden content

Main articles: Hot Coffee minigame controversy and ESRB re-rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

In 2005, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Windows was modified by players into allowing one to play an incomplete sex mini-game known as "Hot Coffee" that Rockstar North decided to leave out of the final game. California assemblyperson Leland Yee used the situation to rebuke them both and has cited this as a case of the ESRB not doing its job. U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman, a video game censorship advocate, joined in on the disapproval. Rockstar initially claimed that the code was actually rewritten and that gamers are altering the games content, not just unlocking the game. However, their stance changed when it came to light that the console versions of San Andreas were also modifiable through the assistance of a third-party cheat device. In light of this, Rockstar conceded that the disputed scene was in the final game on all formats.^[15] The ESRB responded to the controversy by re-evaluating San Andreas' M rating and changing it to AO. This would make Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas the most popular and best selling game to receive this rating. Rockstar released a patch that disabled the modification on PC versions. Rockstar also re-released the game, bearing the title of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Second Edition, which did not include the necessary files for "Hot Coffee" and bore the game's original M rating. hot coffee redirects here. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Windows redirects here. ... Rockstar North Limited (formerly DMA Design Limited) is a Scottish developer of computer and video games founded by David Jones in Dundee and presently located in Leith Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Leland Yee (Chinese: ; pinyin: , born 1948 in China) is a California State Senator in District 8 which includes the western half of San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County. ... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton   This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ... Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a United States Senator from Connecticut. ...

In 2006, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had its rating changed from T to M due to "more detailed depictions of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating, as well as a mod that, if accessed through a third-party modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters."^{[citation needed]} The game's publisher decided not to remaster or rerelease the game to remove the hidden texture, stating that it believed the original rating was the most accurate assessment of what parents should expect from the game, since the texture was intended to be inaccessible to players. However, this texture was actually only used to provide a non-clipping texture for some armor types.^[16][17][18] The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a game currently under development by Bethesda Softworks for the PC, Xbox 2, and Playstation 3. ...

Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2 was postponed for three months in the United States as well as several other countries and continents due to uncensored relentless violence and gore. The game was given an initial AO rating by the ESRB and received a revised M rating after numerous edits. It was released on October 31, 2007. Less than a week after the release, it was discovered that it was possible to modify the PS2 and PSP versions of the game to erase the patches that censored the violent content. Rockstar Games has since claimed that even with the unauthorized patches that remove some of the screen blurring that many of the scenes were toned down from the original version submitted to the ESRB for rating. Following that, the ESRB chose not to change the game's rating after the drawn-out process of giving it the M rating. The Rockstar Games logo. ... Manhunt 2 is a video game developed by Rockstar Games, and the sequel to 2003s Manhunt. ...

Blocking content

The ESRB has initiated restrictions which prevent minors from downloading M rated or unrated content from Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network or the Wii Shop Channel, stemming from the fact that M rated content is blocked from those under the age of 17.^[19] Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners and from late 2007 to Games for Windows - Live users [1]. The service was first launched in late 2004 and offers games from about US$5... Official logo for PlayStation Network PlayStation Network, often abbreviated to PSN in the gaming community, is Sonys free online service provided for use with their PlayStation 3 [1] and PlayStation Portable video game consoles. ... The Wii Shop Channel is a Wii Channel that lets the player buy new content straight from Nintendo. ...

References

MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Internet Archive headquarters is in the Presidio, a former US military base in San Francisco. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... For other uses, see Money (disambiguation). ... Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In 1989 Ziff Davis Inc. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guy Game is an adult video game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. Presented in a trivia gameshow style supporting up to four players, it consists of 20 episodes containing about 1000 questions. ... Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail! Leisure Suit Larry is the title character of a series of adult adventure games written by Al Lowe and published by Sierra On-Line from the 1980s to the present. ... This article refers to the news department of the British Broadcasting Corporation, for the BBC News Channel see BBC News (TV channel). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• FCC
• Censorship
• Censorship in the United States
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) film rating system, the U.S. film industry equivalent to ESRB
• Pan European Game Information (PEGI), used in many European countries, not associated with the European Union.
• TV Parental Guidelines

The abbreviation FCC can refer to: Face-centered cubic (usually fcc), a crystallographic structure Federal Communications Commission, a US government organization Farm Credit Corporation/Farm Credit Canada, a Canadian government organization Families with Children from China, an adoption support organization Florida Christian College, a college in central Florida Fresno City... For other uses, see Censor. ... The US Bill of Rights guarantees the rights of citizens to speak and publish freely. ... The Motion Picture Association of Americas film-rating system is used in the U.S and its territories to rate a films thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system. ... // United States Ratings The TV Parental Guidelines system was introduced on January 1, 1996 in the United States in response to public complaints of increasingly explicit sexual and violent content, and use of scatology, in television programs. ...

International rating systems

• Australia - Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)
• Europe (excluding Germany) - Pan European Game Information
• Finland - Valtion elokuvatarkastamo, Finnish Board of Film Classification
• Germany - Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle
• Japan - Computer Entertainment Rating Organization
• New Zealand - Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)
• United Kingdom - British Board of Film Classification

The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system. ... Valtion elokuvatarkastamo (VET) is the Finnish Board of Film Classification. ... The USKs official logo. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC, Māori: ) is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Official Website - ESRB.org
• The ESRB Game Ratings & Descriptor Guide