ESRB Video Game Ratings – A Complete Guide For Parents
Are your kids asking you to buy video games? Are you worried about the game content that you are exposing your kids to? The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) ratings provide parents guidance and insight into entertainment contents in video games and mobile apps. The categories such as substances, blood, violence, nudity, and language are among the few covered in the ratings. In order to help parents, we’ll go through what the ratings mean to help you make an informed purchase decision for your loved one.
Brief History Of Video Game Ratings
Ever since its rise in popularity in the 1990s, there have been ongoing controversies on the contents of video games. As noted by Wikipedia, these areas of controversy include violence, sexual themes, language, religion, gender, and race. The controversial contents were considered harmful and impact children’s wellbeing. Consequently, “Mortal Kombat” was the game that drove tipping in the debate and forced US Congressional hearings over video game content in 1993.
The conclusion of the Congressional hearing led to the rise of the video gaming rating system we have today. Similar to the MPAA movie ratings, there would be a system to rate video games based on game content. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is the independent board responsible for these ratings. As a result, the ESRB would rate the game based on age brackets, specific content descriptors, and interactive elements.
The ESRB ratings expanded to mobile applications in 2011, and it’s currently available on the Google Play store. However, Apple’s App store uses its own rating system that loosely follows the ESRB’s guidelines.
The ESRB exists to this day and has become an instrumental organization in guiding parents with digital purchases for children.
How To Read The ESRB Ratings
On the physical copies of games, the rating label is visible on the front or the back of the box. For mobile apps, the App Store and Google Play display the ratings in the app description. It consists of the main rating category, content descriptions, and interactive elements that might contribute to the game experience.
Ratings Explained
| RP | Ratings Pending – As the rating states, this is given to a game that still has not received a final rating from the ESRB. |
| E | Everyone – You may hear this commonly in TV commercials, “Rated E for everyone”, this rating signifies that the game or content is suitable for all ages. |
| E10+ | Everyone over 10 – Deemed by the ESRB to be suitable for kids 10 and older. This might have content like mild language, where the (E) ratings do not. |
| T | Teen – The teen category is defined as children over 13. On top of the E10 the Teen category may include moderate violence and sexual content. |
| M | Mature – Suitable for those age 17 and higher. |
| AO | Adults Only – Very few games fall into this category but would account for most extreme titles that may contain graphic violence or pornogrphic content. |
Content Descriptors
The content descriptors help explain the type of content that contributes to the ESRB ratings. Here is an overview of some of the descriptors.
Sample ESRB Content Descriptors
- Use of Alcohol
- Blood and Gore
- Cartoon Violence
- Language (use of profanity)
- Nudity
- Sexual Themes
- Gambling
- Intense Violence
For a full listing, refer to the ESRB website.
ESRB Defined Interactive Elements
The interactive elements section is the last part of the ESRB ratings. It lists out the elements that may introduce players to external variables from the internet. These elements might include chat features that allow interaction between players. Furthermore, this selection highlights if in-app or online purchases are available in the game. Below is a list of interactive elements.
- In-Game Purchases
- In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Users Interact
- Shares Location
- Unrestricted Internet
Things To Note About ESRB Ratings
ESRB Ratings Are Voluntary
Before making a purchase, it is good to know that these ESRB ratings are only voluntary. Due to this, software companies and app creators do not need to assign ratings to their games. However, the rules are different for console manufactures. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo are required to put the rating labels on the games. Consequently, the console games cannot be sold in any store, physical or online, if they fail to comply.
ESRB Ratings Are Not Legally Enforced At The Time of Purchase
Unlike movie theaters that limit “R” rated movie ticket purchases to minors, retailers in the U.S. are not legally responsible for prohibiting sales to children due to ESRB ratings. Some U.S. retailers enforce these ratings in their store policy. As a result, these stores will not sell games whose rating is not suitable for minors.
Takeaways As A Parent
As a parent, the ESRB ratings give a guideline for us to make an informed decision. It’s up to you to decide whether the specific content in the games is suitable for your child. The ESRB ratings serve as a guideline for parents but ultimately do not prohibit children from purchase the game in a store. For a more in-depth look at video games and the impacts on children, check out our article here.