Recent articles, such as the one by Chris Kohler published on Wired.com today, tell the story of how the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) is upsetting some video game designers. It seems that the industry run rating board has been handing out some Adults Only (AO) ratings on some games and Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 is the latest victim. Chris goes on to say that the ESRB has increased the number of AO ratings that it’s been handing out due to political pressure. Which basically means that they’re finally being held accountable and doing their job but only because they’re trying to ward off government regulations. Of course ESRB says they haven’t changed any thing in their rating process.
So, what exactly does the AO rating mean. For parents it means the game is either so graphically violent and/or has so much sexual content that even the people who see this stuff daily were impressed. For the game developers it means they just lost the majority of their market. Games with the AO rating aren’t allowed to be published on Sony or Nintendo’s gaming platforms. So that only leaves Microsoft’s XBox and personal computers. And, if that wasn’t enough, most retailers will not carry AO rated games, so there goes the distribution channels.
So what is the poor game developers to do? Well, in the case of Rockstar, they’re going to do what they always do. Go back through their game and try to tone it down just enough to slip through with an M rating. Rockstar has long been known for pushing the envelope when it comes to violence, language and sex in their video games so this is a road they should be familiar with by now.
Personally, I’m glad to see that the ESRB is finally doing their job. I’m not a fan of the government regulating industries, but that’s the direction the video game industry has been headed for a long time. Maybe this is a sign of the turning of the tides. I hope ESRB continues to crack down on the developers. But I must confess, I loved the open style play of Rockstar’s GTA series and do own a copy of San Andreas. I just wish they’d use the engine that powers it to develop a game that I could let my kids play.
For more information, check out the Wired article and pay ESRB a visit and get to know the rating system.
