Shingu 1
Rick Shingu
CST 320-01
2/17/2013
Game Changers: ESRB Ratings
There have been many influencing factors in the video game industry, but only a few have
made a lasting impression on the industry. Introduced in 1994, the Entertainment Software
Rating Board set the standard for the video game rating system. This rating system has affected
many aspects of the gaming industry, and created awareness of video game content for
consumers. The creation of the rating board was in response to the inappropriate gaming content,
and the possible influences it could have on minors. The ESRB rating has created many new
markets for the industry and has benefited the industry tremendously. The ESRB rating has
created a more aware public in regards to video game content, restricted minors from mature
material and created niche markets for gaming age groups.
The ESRB ratings were created as a response to mature material in video games. In 1992,
Mortal Kombat, depicted violence with photorealistic graphics that concerned the U.S. Congress.
"A joint congressional hearing in December 1993 took up the growing concern that the game
industry was irresponsibly marketing violent videogames to minors" (Kohler, 2009). The
meeting was in response to Mortal Kombat, because it was the most popular violent game at the
time. Although Nintendo censored the game and Sega gave their own mature rating, regarding
the material, the U.S. Congress believed taking extra measures were necessary. In 1994 Senator
Lieberman introduced the Video Game Rating Act of 1994 to establish a standard rating system
for all video games, but it didn't pass (Kohler, 2009). If this were to pass there would have been
three sections of ratings: General Audience (GA) for all ages, Mature-13 (MA-13) 13 and older,
Mature-17 (MA-17) 17 and older (NBC, 1994). Soon after, Sega proposed the industry should
take its already established system of rating, but Nintendo was against this due to the competition
that Sega established with them. Other systems for rating games were established, such as
Panasonic's 3DO ratings, but all of the systems for rating were specific to a video game
manufacturer and not unified. Finally, on September 1, 1994 an agreement was made to create
the ESRB and was administered by the Interactive Digital Software Association (Kohler, 2009).
The ratings were simple and straight forward and now the public could choose the right game for
the right audience. They created five different sections: Early Childhood (eC) suitable for ages 3,
Kids to Adults (K-A) may be suitable for players under 6, Teen (T) may be suitable for players
under 17, Mature (M) may be suitable for players under 17, and lastly Adults Only (AO) content
considered unsuitable for minors. Under the ratings there is information about content regarding
why it received that rating. The information would tell the consumer if it contained violence,
nudity, strong language, etc. Some thought that this newly created system would negatively
impact the industry, but they were wrong.
There were many benefits of the ESRB rating and it helped influence society as well as the
industry of gaming. After the creation of the ESRB rating systems developers could create a
game for a certain age group. If the target audience was for older individuals then the developers
could create material that would fit into the mature rating. This would give guidelines for the
Shingu 2
game makers and create a more focused game for a particular audience. For example, if a
developer was creating a first person shooter with lots of violence, then they will most likely
gain a mature rating thus allowing them to add addition mature material. If one looks at most
mature games they would see that the game is rated mature for more than one reason. The ESRB
rating also created a more aware public. Back when Mortal Kombat was released, anyone was
allowed to buy the game, but now customers must be at least the age of 17. "In 2005, Senators
Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Tim Johnson and Evan Bayh introduced a bill known as
the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which would impose hefty fines on individuals or
businesses found selling M- or AO-rated games to minors..."(Chalk, 2007). More often now
parents are restricting mature ratings to minors and becoming more aware of video game content.
"The Board sponsors numerous initiatives and educational programs in an effort to keep parents
abreast of what their children are playing, and recent surveys indicate a high and growing level
of awareness among parents of the rating system" (Chalk, 2007). Video game makers are highly
influenced by the ESRB ratings. The ratings make the developers think about how they want the
game to project itself. This could greatly influence how a game sounds, looks, and feels. There
are a few games that had censored versions so they could be sold to a less mature audience. One
of those games is Mortal Kombat, in Nintendo's version it was censored to eliminate excessive
gore. Another game that was censored was Wolfenstein 3D which didn't include the original
Nazi's. These games were the most controversial at the time they were created.
There have been many changes to the ESRB rating since its initial introduction in 1994,
the rating system has become more detailed and focused. Since the release there have been two
additional ratings. Everyone (E) games are appropriate for all audiences, and Everyone 10+
(E10+) which is for people that are 10 years of age or older. This would break the market into 2
more focused group among the young audiences. There is now an area on the ESRB website that
will allow the game creators to fill out a questionnaire to get a rough idea of the rating their game
would receive. Later, when the game is fully developed the ESRB will review the game and give
it a final rating before it is released to the public (ESRB, 2013). This allows the game developers
to quickly get an idea for a rating and release games quicker than ever before. With recent
creations of downloadable content (DLC), digital games, cloud based games, and app games,
ESRB has taken the effort to expand their rating systems to all platforms. This will allow
unification for more convenience in the industry, and allowing the games to keep the ratings that
are well known. "The ESRB rating system has also helped the industry grow and thrive by
providing a consistent and credible standard by which consumers can gauge the ageappropriateness of games and companies can market their product responsibly" (Gaudiosi, 2012).
The ESRB rating has forever changed how video games are viewed, played and heard.
ESRB has been the standard for game ratings and has created a more aware public, and
targetable markets. This rating system has changed the way that games are sold and to whom
they can be sold to. As a response to Mortal Kombat, an industry has been forever changed for
the best. The system has evolved from just a simple five category rating system to a complex
analysis of games. Companies are using the rating system for advanced marketing tactics
allowing the industry to grow with new generations of gamers. The public more is now more
informed and the developers are creating a target audience with the game ratings. Time to go
play some games!
Shingu 3
References:
(1994). NBC. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yxQ_EPt4No
Chalk, A. (2007, July 20). Inappropriate content: A brief history of videogame ratings and the
esrb. Retrieved from http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/theneedles/1300-Inappropriate-Content-A-Brief-History-of-Videogame-Ratings-and-theESRB.3
ESRB. (2013). Esrb ratings. Retrieved from http://www.esrb.org/ratings/index.jsp
Gaudiosi, J. (2012, October 24). Esrb president explains how new digital rating service will
impact expanding game industry. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/10/24/esrb-president-explains-how-newdigital-rating-service-will-impact-expanding-game-industry/
Kohler, C. (2009, July 29). July 29, 1994: Videogame makers propose ratings board to congress.
Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/07/dayintech_0729/
Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlr60OFJtKQ