ESRB INFO

Welcome to my page about the ESRB. ESRB stands for Entertainment Software Rating Board, and they are the company that rates every game to come out on any home video game system. There are five ratings that a game can recieve, just like in the movie industry. They range from kids games, to adult games. On this page I will tell you about all of the ESRB ratings, and what they mean. I will also tell you additional information about them and the ESRB.

You can find the ESRB ratings, for every console game (and some PC titles) on the front of both the box, and the game pak or disk it's self.

A game with a EC rating, is deemed suitable for children under 3 years of age or older. Products carrying this label have absolutely no material that would be considered inappropriate by parents. Usually EC games are at least nominally educational, and they feature no violence of any sort.

The E rating, replaced the previous K-A rating in 1998. E rated games are suitable for Kids Ages 6 and up. The video game industry's equivalent of movies G and PG ratings. E-rated games may contain minimal violence or crude language. The vast majority of games released fit into this category.

The T rating is the gaming industry's equivalent of the PG-13 movie rating. Suitable for kids 13 years of age or older. Games with a T rating may Contain suggestive themes, mild or strong language and animated violence. Some parents may want to supervise children playing T-rated games. Or play the games themselves first, before buying them for younger children.

M is the game industries equivalent of the R movie rating. These games contain more adult themes, such as blood and gore, stronger language and sexual themes. Deemed not suitable for those under 17.

The equivalent of the NC-17 movie rating.The extreme of the ratings. Suitable for adults only. Packs sexual themes and extreme violence. Console manufacturers have yet to allow and AO-rated game.

E - Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros., Namco Musuem 64, Chameleon Twist, Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon, Banjo-Kazooie

M - Resident Evil 2, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Doom 64, Quake, South Park, Perfect Dark, Mortal Kombat 4

Also included on the backs of every console games box, is a dialog box that contains exactly what type of content is in the games (which immediatly tells why the game got rated the way it did). These are used to give the parent even more insight into what will be in the game. All the content descriptors the ESRB uses are explained below.

Contains scenes involving animated/pixelated characters in the depiction of unsafe or hazardous acts or violent situations. Basically, this is light, cartoon-style violence. Anvils on the heads and stuff like that. Something like Tom & Jerry.

Contains scenes involving characters in the depiction of unsafe or hazardous acts or violent situations in realistic or photographic detail. Rarely used (since most games are animated, not photorealistic), this would be along the lines of a movie of a fist-fight.

Scenes depicting activities that have been characterized as slapstick or gross vulgar humor. "Gross vulgar humor" is the ESRB's term for the kind of humor that predominates on Nickelodeon: booger and fart jokes, stuff like that.

Contains deppictions of aggressive conflict involving cartoon/animated/pixelataed charcters. Anything from the stuff you see in fighting games, to what most first-person shooters contain.

Contains realistic or photographic-like depictions of body parts. Rarely used, this would include photos of mangled bodies or body parts.

Animated/pixelated or cartoon-like depictions of mutilation or dismemberment of body parts. Don't let the word "animated" fool you: Animated blood and gore go well beyond what's found on afternoon TV. Games that use this descriptor have more in common with a horror movie than a cartoon.

Representations of blood and/or gore, in realistic or photographic-like detail. Rarely found, even in the most violent games. Some people argue that some games that fall under "animated blood and gore" should actually go here.

Animated/pixelated or cartoon-like depictions of blood. Blood (sometimes lots of it), but without the guts.

Representations of blood in realistic or photographic-like detail. Again, this descriptor is rarely used.

Product contains the use of words like "damn." Mild language is about what you hear on a prime-time cop show, like NYPD Blue or Law and Order.

Commonly referenced four-letter words to include anatomical references. Anything a TV or radio station would lose its license for broadcasting goes here, including the more extreme four-letter words.

Mild provocative references or material. The "suggestive themes" in games that bear this descriptor are usually much tamer that what you would find on a daytime soap opera - nothing that wouldn't be found on a prime-time comedy like Mad About You

Contains provocative material including depiction of the human body in either animated or photographic-like formats. Think romance novel and you're about right; images that reveal a lot but not everything, and themes and descriptions that leave little to the imagination.

Graphic depiction of sexual behavior and/or the human form (i.e., frontal nudity) in either animated or photographic-like detail. If it will get a movie an R rating, it's called strong sexual content by the ESRB. No console games (and only a few PC games) have yet gone beyond R movie territory.

The depiction of betting-like behavior. Casino games get this descriptor, but games that merely have some gambling elements, usually don't.

Product contains images of the use of tobacco and/or alcohol in a manner which condones or glorifies their use. Exactly what it says. If a game gets this descriptor, it also gets an M rating, automatically.

Product contains images of the use of drugs in a manner which condones or glorifies their use. Again, this is self-explanatory. It's worth noting that anyone using drugs in a game - even the bad guys - willl usually earn the game this descriptor, and and M rating, automatically.

Overall content provides data, facts, resource informtation, reference materals, or instructional text. Rarely found, this descriptor exists mainly so the ESRB can rate the odd multimedia CD-ROM that comes along.

Content provides user with specific skills, development, or reinforcement learning within an entertainment setting. Skill development is an integral part of product. Found mostly on EC rated products.

The ESRB rates games using a panel of more than 100 people who undergo an extensive training routine. The panelists have no connection with the video game industry other than the ESRB, and are drawn from diverse demographic backgrounds to accurately represent the buying public of America. Three panelists rate each game, either by playing it themselves or by watching video footage of the game. Each makes a recommendation about which rating is appropriate, and which content descriptors (if any) should be used.

The phone hotline of the ESRB can be reached at 800-771-3772. The ESRB also maintains a web-site. The ESRB web-site has the latest info on the ratings system and a comprehensive searchable database of every game ever rated, which is updated about once a month. You can find the ESRB web-site on my links page. Or you can get to it by clicking right here.