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7/13/05
County and Video Game Rating
Board Team Up to Make Sure Parents Have the Information They Need About
Computer and Video Games
Video
Ratings Brochure (PDF Format)
Westchester County has teamed up with the video game industry’s rating
board in an educational campaign to make sure parents have the
information they need to make educated decisions about their kids’
computer and video game choices, County Executive Andy Spano announced
today.
The county and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) have
jointly developed a brochure titled “OK To Play?” that explains in
detail the industry’s voluntary rating system for computer and video
games. The brochures will be distributed by the county to parents and
other residents through libraries, schools, and stores where video games
are sold and rented.
“Certain games are just not appropriate for young teens and preteens due
to sexual content, language, violence and other things,” Spano said.
“This is not about censorship. This is about giving parents the
information they need to monitor what video games their kids are buying
or renting. I thank the Entertainment Software Rating Board for joining
us in this important effort.”
“The ESRB ratings provide a clear way for parents to learn what to
expect from a computer or video game. The front of virtually every game
box displays a rating symbol which suggests age-appropriateness, and on
the back are content descriptors which provide details about the content
in the game,” said Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB. “We are
pleased to join County Executive Spano in providing parents with
information on ESRB ratings, giving them the information they need to
ensure that the games they choose for their families are ‘OK to play.’”
Spano noted that a July 2004 Federal Trade Commission report to Congress
found that 69 percent of teens age 13-16 who tried to buy games rated M
(for 17 and older) were successful. The FTC did find that the ESRB
rating system to be the most comprehensive of the three industry rating
systems (movies, music, video games).
“Parents must realize that it is not the stores that will monitor what
their kids buy or rent – it is up to the parents to do so,” he said.
He added, “Previous attempts by some governments to enact laws to
prevent the sale or rental of adult and mature-rated games to underage
people have not been successful based on First Amendment grounds.
Recognizing that these games will continue to be in the marketplace, we
reached out to the ESRB. We hope that through this effort the rating
system for video games will become as commonplace and recognizable as
are the rating systems for movies.”
The new brochure details the rating system and includes a tear-off
pocket guide for parents or others to use as they check computer and
video games. The brochure also advises parents of the following:
- Check the ratings
- Carefully read and look at
the package
- Talk to other parents and
older children to find out more about the game
- Consider your child’s unique
personality and abilities when selected computer and video games
- Play computer and video games
with your children
- Go beyond the rating
information and review demos of the games that some stores have.
ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT
SOFTWARE RATINGS BOARD
The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body established in 1994 by
the Entertainment Software Association. ESRB independently applies
ratings and enforces advertising guidelines and helps ensure responsible
online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software
industry.
The ESRB ratings are as follows:
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Titles rated EC - (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable
for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find
inappropriate.
EVERYONE
Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6
and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy
or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.
EVERYONE 10+
Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be
suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more
cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal
suggestive themes.
TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and
older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes,
crude humor, minimal blood and/or infrequent use of strong language.
MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons
ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence,
blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.
ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by
persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include
prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and
nudity.
RATING PENDING
Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) - have been submitted to the ESRB
and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising
prior to a game's release.)
CONTENT DESCRIPTORS
The back of each game box displays content descriptors indicating
content that may have triggered a rating and/or may be of interest to
the consumer.
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