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In the old days of gaming, basically the 80's, videogames were considered kids stuff. But as the 'kids' grew older, the game companies responded by creating more mature games. And as the graphic technology got better, these more mature games began looking more realistic than ever before. This created concern among parents, and saw hearings in the Senate. In response, the game industry trade association, the IDSA, created the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994.
The ESRB is an independent organization that rates every videogame, and almost every computer game, on the market. The rating system is age based, just like the movie rating system. But the videogame rating system is much more comprehensive, thanks to 20 special content descriptors.
Today, the rating system gets high marks from educators and politicians. The National PTA and Senator Joseph Lieberman, gave the industry an 'A' grade in a report card about the rating system. And the ratings themselves are prominently featured on the front of every videogame box, and in all the advertisements for that game. Nowadays, few retailers will even sell a game if it isn't rated.
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