Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
TaBLe 2.1
(Continued)
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Rating and Description
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.
Titles rated
AO (Adults Only)
have content that should only be played
by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include pro-
longed scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and
nudity.
Titles listed as
RP (Rating Pending)
have been submitted to the ESRB
and are awaiting a final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertis-
ing prior to a game's release.)
Source:
www.esrb.org
Although the rating system is voluntary, most commercial game producers
choose to have their games rated because the majority of retailers in the United
States and Canada only stock games that have the ESRB ratings on them. To
get a rating, a producer fills out an ESRB questionnaire with information about
aspects of the game that deal with drugs, sex, and violence. The producer sub-
mits the game, along with video showing scenes in the game that deal with any
of those things, and scripts from the game. Three reviewers who are not associ-
ated with the games industry go over the material and then submit their find-
ings to the ESRB along with their recommendations for what rating the game
should receive.
Game designers should be aware of how the system works and how these
ratings are derived, because in order sell your finished product through any
retailer, you'll most likely be asked to produce your rating.
Designers often rework games that receive an unexpected or undesirable rat-
ing and submit their games multiple times until they hit the requirements for
the rating they're after. Most games are targeting a specific audience to gain the
most fans and/or sales; therefore, these designers want to make sure they have
the ESRB rating on the box that lets a specific audience know the game they're
buying is truly designed for them.
