MCRD Parris Island -- Bullets sing through the air. The sound of metal ripping through flesh followed by screams of pain can easily be heard emanating from the gory scene.
Although this may sound like something from a war or horror film, it has become a common element in current-day video games played around the world.
Not all games, such as the one previously mentioned, are made for young family members though.
To better equip gamers with buying age-appropriate games for themselves and those around them, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a non-profit organization established in 1994, rates videos games to provide concise, impartial guidance about the appropriateness and content of videogames, notes Eliot Mizrachi, the assistant director of communications for ESRB, in an e-mail.
The rating consists of two parts, a rating symbol and content descriptor. The rating symbols include six age categories: EC, Early Childhood (age 3+), E, Everyone (ages 6+), E10+, Everyone ages 10 and up, T, Teen (ages 13+), M, Mature (ages 17+), and AO, Adults Only (For ages 18+ only). Before the game is released to the public, the game’s publisher must answer a detailed questionnaire that describes in detail what material will be in the game such as violence, language, drugs, gambling and sexuality.
“Publishers are contractually required to disclose any pertinent content in their game,” Mizrachi said. “That’s anything that might contribute to the rating, whether it is violent, sexual or suggestive content, language, use of controlled substances or gambling.”
All of this information is disclosed within the questionnaire as well as in a video, which captures all of the most extreme instances of this content.
The video footage is reviewed by specially-trained game raters who typically have experience working with children, according to the ESRB’s site. Each rater gives a recommended rating and content descriptor. Once consensus among the raters is reached, the rating is issued to the publisher who can choose to either accept the rating or modify the game’s content and resubmit it. If the publisher wishes to modify the content, he must go back to the beginning and the process begins again.
The giant eye-catching rating on each game helps to draw the attention of the purchaser in order to inform them of the content before buying the game.
All of this work to rate a game does not go in vain.
The Federal Trade Commission found three out of four parents regularly check the ESRB rating when buying games, and that six out of 10 don’t allow their children to play mature-rated games.
“It’s very important to parents that they be able to exercise control over the media their children consume,” Mizrachi said. “”The ESRB ratings are one tool among many that allow parents to exercise control and make informed decisions.”
The FTC showed that 89 percent of parents are involved in the purchase of videogames.
“It’s clear that parents are the gatekeepers when it comes to the games their kids play,” Mizrachi said. “Making sure they are informed about tools like the rating system and encouraging them to use it is essential to helping them make sure their kids play age-appropriate games.”
Whether it’s a slow-paced sports game for the family, or a blood-and-guts shooter for a Marine, keep the ratings in mind before making a purchase.