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FAMILY SETTINGS 

Ratings 



How Computer Games and Video Games are Rated

Before all else, it is helpful to know that computer and video games are rated by an independent, self-regulatory body called the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).  The ESRB maintains the following process.
  • Questionnaire: Game publishers must complete a written ESRB questionnaire, specifying all pertinent content in the game.
  • What is Submitted: Publishers provide a videotape capturing all pertinent content and must also disclose pertinent content that is not playable, but will exist in the game code on the final game disc.
  • Checking for Submission’s Completeness: The video footage is reviewed by at least three trained game raters who are all adults and recruited from the New York metropolitan area.  ESRB staff members may also play an alpha or beta version of the game.
  • Reviewing and Rating the Video: The raters use their own judgment to recommend appropriate rating categories and content descriptors for specific scenes and for the game overall.
  • Final Rating Check: ESRB staff checks the raters’ ratings recommendations for consensus and consistency and issues an official rating to the game publisher. If the publisher does not accept the rating, they may revise the game’s content and resubmit it to the ESRB, at which time the process starts anew. Publishers may also appeal an ESRB rating assignment to an Appeals Board, which is made up of publishers, retailers and other professionals.
  • Releasing to the Public: When the game is ready for release to the public, publishers send copies of the final product to the ESRB. The ESRB will review the game packaging to ensure the rating information is displayed accurately and is in compliance with ESRB requirements. Additionally, ESRB’s in-house game experts play the final version of randomly selected and hand-picked games to verify that the publisher’s representation of the game during the rating process was accurate and complete.




ESRB and MPAA Rating Systems

Understanding the game and movie rating systems is an important part of using Family Settings effectively. Note that the ESRB ratings have two equally weighted parts: rating symbols (front of box) suggest age appropriateness for the game and content descriptors (back of box) indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern. There are over 30 content descriptors (e.g., Comic Mischief, Mild Lyrics, Simulated Gambling). To get a complete understanding of the content in a game, it’s important to look at both sides of the box. For more information on the ESRB ratings and content descriptors, please visit http://www.esrb.org. Most of you are familiar with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings, but for more information, please visit http://www.mpaa.org.



ESRB Rathing Symbols 


Ratings 



EARLY CHILDHOOD
Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.


EVERYONE
Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.


EVERYONE 10+
Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10+) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.


TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.


MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language


ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.


RATINGS PENDING
Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.



The ESRB rating icons are registered trademarks of the Entertainment Software Association.

MPAA Rating Symbols 
General Audiences

This is a film that contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. that would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film.

Parental Guidance Suggested

This is a film that clearly needs to be examined by parents before they let their children view it. The label PG plainly states parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but leaves the parent to make the decision.

Parents Strongly Cautioned

A PG-13 film is one which, in the view of the Rating Board, leaps beyond the boundaries of the PG rating, but does not quite fit within the restricted R category.

Restricted

This film definitely contains some adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this film before they allow their children to view it.

NC-17

This is a film that most parents will consider patently too adult for their youngsters under 17. No children will be admitted at the movie theaters. NC-17 does not necessarily mean obscene or pornographic; in the oft-accepted or legal meaning of those words. The Board does not and cannot mark films with those words. These are legal terms for courts to decide. The reasons for the application of an NC-17 rating can be excessive violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other elements which, when present, most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.