ESRB

__** ESRB **__

In 1993, Senators Joseph Lieberman and Herb Kohl initiated a senate investigation into the effects of video game violence. Many people in the video game industry and people in the field of child psychology testified at these hearings, including Bob Keeshan who played the character of Captain Kangaroo for many years. The result of these hearings was the creation of The Entertainment Software Association. THe Entertainment Software Association created the Entertainment Software Rating Board to provide a universal ratings system regarding video and computer game content. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) has since created six ratings symbols and 31 content descriptors. These ratings give parents an indication of the age appropriateness for the game. They also provde a brief overview of the content in the game. The content descriptors indicate what elements in a particular game warranted the rating that the game received. There are several different ratings that a game can be assigned as follows:


 * EC** - Early Childhood - These games are meant for younger children and are often educational in nature. These games are designed for an audience ages 2-10. Titles with this rating have no content that parents would find inappropriate.




 * E -** Everyone - These games are considered suitable for children ages six and over and may, at most, contain small amounts of animated violence but no blood or gore. Examples of games that would have an E raiting might include games from the Mario, Donkey Kong, or Mega Man series.




 * E10+** - Everyone 10+ - Games with this rating are a little more violent than games with an E raiting and may include mild language, fantasy violence, and minimally suggestive themes. These games are designed for an audience that is aged ten and up. Examples of games with this raiting include Kingdom Hearts II and Lego Star Wars.




 * T -** Teen - Games with this rating have content that would be acceptable for ages 13 and up. This rating indicates that the title may have violent content, mild or strong language, and suggestive themes.




 * M** - Mature - Titles rated M have mature content that should only be viewed by those aged 17 or older. These titles contain either sexual themes, intense violence, or strong language or, possibly, all of the above. Proof of age must be provided to purchase these titles.




 * AO** - Adults Only - Adults Only rated titles have content that should only be viewed by audiences over the age of 18. These titles contain graphic depictions of sex and violence. Identification must be shown to purchase these titles.




 * RP** - Rating Pending - On occassion a game is released before the ESRB has decided the rating of a particular game. In this case a rating of RP is used until the ESRB reaches its' decision.



Parents with children interested in playing video games would be wise to learn this ratings system since many theories have been unveiled as to the impact violence in video games has on developing children. Many parents are unaware of the meanings of the ratings. All parents that have children who play video games need to become informed about what games their children are playing. Becoming an informed parent takes only several hours of research via the internet or gaming magazines. Updating your knowledge of new releases takes only a few minutes every couple of weeks. Most young children, especially young boys, will play at least a few video games during the process of maturing into an adult. Parents must remain vigilant to what games are being played at each phase of the child's development.


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