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95-583: Originally, motion pictures were reviewed and censored under the Theatres and Cinematographs Act which was passed on 24 March 1911 and established the Board of Censors, the first film review board in Ontario. The law was originally scheduled to be in force on 1 June that year, but was postponed until at least 20 June because of an illness of Arthur Matheson who as Ontario's treasurer was responsible for appointing

190-578: A combination of material provided by the game's publisher in both questionnaires and video footage of the game, and a review of this material by a panel of reviewers who assign it a rating. The ratings are designed towards parents so they can make informed decisions about purchasing games for their children. Once a game is rated, the ESRB maintains a code of ethics for the advertising and promotion of video games—ensuring that marketing materials for games are targeted to appropriate audiences. The ESRB rating system

285-414: A for-profit competitor to the ESRB. On the other hand, some have felt that the "Mature" rating is too broad; video game journalist Ben Kuchera noted that Halo 3 —a sci-fi first-person shooter whose level of violence was, in his opinion, comparable to a Star Wars film, had received an M rating for "Blood and Gore," "Mild Language" and "Violence". He argued that "having a game like Halo 3 share

380-676: A fragmented array of different systems." In November 2012, the ESRB and other video game ratings boards, including PEGI , the Australian Classification Board , and USK among others, established a consortium known as the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). The group sought to design an online, questionnaire-based rating process for digitally-distributed video games that could generate ratings for multiple video game ratings organizations at once. The resulting ratings information

475-402: A game, at the risk of being commercially unviable due to publishers' objections to AO-rated content. AO-rated games cannot be published for major video game console platforms, and most retailers do not stock AO-rated games. ESRB President Patricia Vance argued that applying self-censorship to ensure marketability was a compromise that is "true in every entertainment medium", but still believed that

570-552: A higher degree of regulation by future console manufacturers: when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was launched in the United States in 1985, Nintendo of America instituted requirements and restrictions on third-party developers, including the requirement for all games to be licensed by the company. The console itself also included a lockout chip to enforce this requirement and prevent

665-544: A part-time basis, but in 2007, ESRB transitioned to a team of seven full-time raters, who all live in the New York City area. The raters discuss what the most appropriate and "helpful" rating for the game would be, based on the footage and details provided. Most ESRB reviews at this stage take on the order of 45 minutes, though some cases based on material provided by publisher or by the type of game have taken up to four hours over multiple days to complete. One rater

760-519: A port of Mortal Kombat for the Super NES was censored to remove the game's overly violent content, whereas the port for Sega consoles retained much of this content, which helped increase sales. In May 1993, British censors banned Night Trap from being sold to children under 15 years old in the United Kingdom, which was an influence on Sega's decision to create an age rating system. At

855-536: A representative of the Software Publishers Association said that "Adult computer software is nothing to worry about. It's not an issue that the government wants to spend any time with ... They just got done with a big witchhunt in the music recording industry , and they got absolutely nowhere". The association did recommend voluntary warnings for games like Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of

950-418: A service updates, the ESRB will flag these games in their system and periodically check on the new content to make sure it remains within the established rating. The ESRB typically posts rating information for new titles on its website 30 days after the rating process is complete; in 2008, in response to incidents where this practice inadvertently leaked information about games that had not yet been announced,

1045-419: A third section related to "Interactive Elements", which disclaims if a game offers online communications, collects personal data , or offers digital goods or other premiums (including downloadable content and microtransactions ) that require payment of real money to obtain. The ESRB rating system is primarily enforced on a self-regulatory basis by the video game and retail industries ; in markets where it

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1140-535: A way to address the rapidly growing volume of digitally-delivered games. Rather than having raters review each product (the Long Form), publishers of these games complete a series of multiple-choice questions that address content across relevant categories, including violence, sexual content, language, etc. The responses automatically determine the game's rating category and content descriptors. Games rated via this process may be tested post-release to ensure that content

1235-656: Is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in Canada , the United States , and Mexico . The ESRB was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA, formerly the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA)), in response to criticism of controversial video games with excessively violent or sexual content , particularly after

1330-411: Is designated as the lead for each game reviewed. The lead rater writes up the report and conclusions of the process, and works with other ESRB staff members to do a parity analysis to make sure the assigned ratings align with ratings from similar games in the past. Overall, between the raters' discussion and final reporting, the process takes about a week to complete. At times during the internal review,

1425-500: Is enforced via the voluntary leverage of the video game and retail industries in the subscribing countries for physical releases; most stores require customers to present photo identification when purchasing games carrying the ESRB's highest age ratings, and do not stock games which have not been rated. Additionally, major console manufacturers will not license games for their systems unless they carry ESRB ratings, while console manufacturers and most stores will refuse to stock games that

1520-435: Is reasonable for certain types of games, what type of content may be inappropriately gratuitous, and the presentation of the ESRB rating within the work. The ESRB will go back and forth with publishers when there is objectionable elements within the marketing to correct these issues. In April 2011, the ESRB introduced its Short Form, a free, streamlined, automated process for assigning ratings for console downloadable games as

1615-743: Is tied to a unique code, which can then be used by online storefronts to display the corresponding rating for the user's region. The three major console makers, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all committed to supporting IARC for their digital storefronts, including ESRB ratings for North American markets. Google Play Store was updated in March 2015 to adopt and display ESRB ratings for apps in North America through IARC. Windows Store also implemented IARC in January 2016. Apple 's App Store still uses its own generic age rating system and does not use

1710-433: Is used, retailers typically enforce the "Mature" rating using photo identification , and refuse to stock video games that have not been rated by the organization, or are rated "Adults Only". Modern video game consoles include parental controls that can be configured to restrict games played by specific users, using factors such as their ESRB rating. The ESRB has also taken action against video game distributors who use

1805-542: The Grand Theft Auto series, harshly enough for violence and other related themes, and for lacking transparency in certain aspects of the ratings process. Critics have argued that some games only received the M rating rather than the stricter AO rating because of the commercial effects of such a rating; console manufacturers and most retailers refuse to distribute AO-rated games, dramatically affecting their commercial availability. An ESRB representative stated that

1900-467: The Grand Theft Auto series , harshly enough for their violent or sexual content in order to protect their commercial viability. Contrarily, other critics have argued that, at the same time, the ESRB rates certain games too strongly for their content, and that its influence has stifled the viability of adult-oriented video games due to the board's restrictions on how they are marketed and sold. Video games with objectionable content date back as far as 1976;

1995-676: The 1993 congressional hearings following the releases of Mortal Kombat and Night Trap for home consoles and Doom for home computers. The industry, pressured with potential government oversight of video game ratings from these hearings, established both the IDSA and the ESRB within it to create a voluntary rating system based on the Motion Picture Association film rating system with additional considerations for video game interactivity. The board assigns ratings to games based on their content, using judgment similar to

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2090-455: The Atari 2600 console, but garnered the most attention with its controversial 1982 game Custer's Revenge , which infamously featured a crude simulation of the rape of a Native American woman. Atari received numerous complaints about the game, and responded by trying to sue the game's makers. A 1983 industry crash , caused by the market being overrun with low-quality products, prompted

2185-670: The Federal Trade Commission reported 20% of underaged mystery shoppers were able to successfully purchase an M-rated video game from a selection of retailers—a 22 percent reduction from 2007. By 2011, these numbers had dropped further to 13%. In its 2009 Report to Congress , the FTC recognized the ESRB for having "the strongest self-regulatory code" of all entertainment sectors because of its enforcement of advertising and marketing guidelines. The ESRB has often been accused of not rating certain games, such as Manhunt and

2280-655: The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was formed for rating PC games, which used a system that rated the intensity of specific classes of objectionable content, but did not use age recommendations. However, Lieberman did not believe that these systems were sufficient, and in February 1994, threatened to propose the creation of a federal commission for regulating and rating video games. Stores like Toys "R" Us refused to sell titles they deemed were too violent for children following

2375-595: The Supreme Court in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association , which ruled that AB 1179 was unconstitutional because video games are a protected form of expression . In Canada , ESRB ratings are enforced under provincial laws by film ratings boards in Manitoba , New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Ontario , and Saskatchewan . As in the U.S., retailers voluntarily enforce the ratings regardless. Prior to

2470-435: The motion picture rating systems used in many countries, using a combination of six age-based levels intended to aid consumers in determining a game's content and suitability, along with a system of "content descriptors" which detail specific types of content present in a particular game. More recently, the ratings also include descriptors for games with online interactivity or in-game monetization. The ratings are determined by

2565-526: The Board of Censors then splicing these certificates to films which were not approved for Ontario audiences. In 1953, the province replaced the Theatres and Cinematographs Act with a new law, the Theatres Act . Significant amendments to the act and its regulations were made on various occasions. Videotape and 8 mm film classification was introduced in 1975, following concerns that pornographic presentations were being distributed in such formats beyond

2660-586: The Board uses the AO rating when warranted, even due to violence, and that in most occasions, publishers would edit the game to meet the M rating to ensure wide commercial availability instead of keeping the AO rating. The film classification boards of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario respectively classified the M-rated games Soldier of Fortune and Manhunt as films due to concerns over

2755-416: The ESRB also formed a division known as Entertainment Software Rating Board Interactive (ESRBi), which rated internet content using a similar system to its video game ratings. ESRBi also notably partnered with the internet service provider America Online to integrate these ratings into its existing parental controls . ESRBi was discontinued in 2003. In 2002, Dr. Arthur Pober, the original president of

2850-428: The ESRB also provides certification services for online privacy on websites and mobile apps. There have been attempts to pass federal and state laws to force retailers into compliance with the ESRB, but the 2011 Supreme Court case Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association ruled that video games are protected speech, and such laws are therefore unconstitutional. Due to the level of consumer and retail awareness of

2945-546: The ESRB began to allow publishers to place embargoes on the release of ratings information until a game is officially announced. Besides evaluating games, the ESRB also oversees the marketing and advertising materials released for games that have undergone the ESRB rating process or in progress. This includes making sure that such material includes the given ESRB rating, and that the marketing has been tailored appropriately to its target audience, particularly for television spots. The ESRB provides guidance for what type of content

Film Classification Act, 2005 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-497: The ESRB eased certain restrictions on the promotion of M-rated games. Firstly, trailers for games that are or are anticipated to be rated "Mature" can be cleared by the ESRB as being appropriate for "general" audiences—similarly to the "green band" ratings issued by the MPAA for film trailers. Secondly, the board began to allow, on a case-by-case basis depending on the target demographic of the game, M-rated games to be cross-promoted in

3135-534: The ESRB has rated as being appropriate for adults only. More recently, the ESRB began offering a system to automatically assign ratings for digitally-distributed games and mobile apps , which utilizes a survey answered by the product's publisher as opposed to a manual assessment by ESRB staff, allowing online storefronts to filter and restrict titles based on the ESRB. Through the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), this method can generate equivalent ratings for other territories. Alongside its game rating operation,

3230-448: The ESRB or IARC systems. While the ESRB formally operates within the ESA, they operate independently of the trade group to assess and apply industry-wide standards for video games. The ESRB operates out of offices in New York City. To obtain a rating for a game, a publisher submits a detailed questionnaire (a "Long Form") that describes the graphic and extreme content found in the game to

3325-456: The ESRB ratings system to their customers. The following year, California passed AB 1179, a second bill sponsored by Yee, which banned the sale of "violent video games" to minors. The term was defined using a variation of the Miller test (originally created to judge whether a work is obscene ), separate from any rating the game may have received. In a landmark ruling, the law was struck down by

3420-415: The ESRB requires that the original game be re-evaluated and remarked with the more appropriate rating in considering this new content. The appearance of the ratings icons themselves have been updated several times; originally carrying a stylized, pixelated look, they were first updated in late 1999 to carry a cleaner appearance. In August 2013, the rating icons were streamlined again; the textual name of

3515-676: The ESRB to restrict video game advertising "to consumers for whom the product is not rated as appropriate." The board also forbids ratings from other organizations from being shown alongside ESRB ratings on publishers' websites or social media outlets. A group of online gaming publications known as the ESRB Website Council operates under a similar code of conduct, which requires them to display ESRB ratings information for games that they cover, and implement systems to restrict access to audiovisual content depicting M or AO-rated games to users who are appropriately aged. In March 2013,

3610-516: The ESRB, along with a video (VHS, DVD, video file, or other means) that demonstrates this content which can include gameplay footage and in-game cutscenes. This information includes the game's context, storyline, gameplay mechanics, reward system, unlockable and otherwise "hidden" content, and other elements that may affect its rating; the ESRB seeks to have enough information on context of the extreme content to be able to judge its appropriateness. The video game publisher may also provide printed copies of

3705-453: The ESRB, stepped down so he could focus on academics. In November 2002, he was formally replaced by Patricia Vance, who formerly worked for The Princeton Review and The Walt Disney Company . In March 2005, the ESRB introduced a new rating, "Everyone 10+", designating games with content of a relatively higher impact than those of games rated "Everyone", but still not high enough to garner a "Teen" rating. The first game to receive this rating

3800-463: The ESRB. In response to concerns from Sony on the growing number of indie game titles that were receiving physical releases alongside retail ones, the ESRB began instituting new rules around August 2017 that any retail product was mandated to undergo the standard Long Form review for the game, disallowing the use of the Short Form for such titles. Alongside this, ESRB introduced a "value tier" for

3895-482: The Long Form review process for games developed at lower budgets (under $ 1 million), with a cost of $ 3000 for obtaining the retail rating. This decision has impacted the choice of several boutique indie game publishers, who have either cancelled plans for retail versions or had to stop selling retail versions to comply with the new ESRB rules. ESRB ratings are primarily identified through icons, which are displayed on

Film Classification Act, 2005 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-591: The Lounge Lizards (1987). Video games' progression into the 1990s brought dramatic increases in graphics and sound capabilities, and the ability to use full-motion video (FMV) content in games. In the United States Senate , Democratic Senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin led hearings on video game violence and the corruption of society which began in 1993. Two games of this era were specifically cited in

4085-492: The United States, there have been attempts at the state and federal level to introduce laws requiring retailers to enforce the ESRB ratings system. In 2004, California Assemblyman Leland Yee sponsored a state bill requiring retailers to stock M-rated games on separate shelves that are at least 5 feet (60 in) from the ground. The bill was passed, after it was modified to only require that retailers promote awareness of

4180-424: The arcade game Death Race required users to run over " gremlins " with a vehicle and avoid the gravestones they leave behind. Although its graphics were relatively primitive, the game's overall theme and the sound effects made when gremlins were killed were considered disturbing by players, prompting media attention. A developer known as Mystique became known for making sexually explicit adult video games for

4275-576: The case of R. v. Glad Day Bookshops Inc. . The Ontario government modified the regulation under the Theatres Act was modified on 5 July 2004 to restrict the grounds on which a motion picture can be banned from Ontario, namely to pornographic films which involve violence, degradation or minors . The Legislative Assembly of Ontario introduced Bill 158, the Film Classification Act , for first reading on 9 December 2004. Minister of Consumer and Business Services Jim Watson introduced

4370-431: The choice to the publisher to resolve. For example, an initial cut of The Punisher was given an AO rating due to the extremely violent nature of certain scenes contained within the game. To lessen their impact, the developer changed these scenes to be rendered in black and white: the revised cut of the game was re-submitted, and received the M rating. There is also an appeals process, but it has never been used. When

4465-665: The coin-operated and consumer segments of the video game industry" as reasoning. The AAMA, the Amusement & Music Operators Association, and the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry, adopted their own three-tier "Parental Advisory System" in 1994, which uses three color-coded levels of content intensity (designated by green, yellow, and red stickers affixed to arcade cabinet artwork). Alongside its efforts to classify video games,

4560-438: The console from loading unlicensed games. Such leverage on developers has since become a standard practice among console makers, although Nintendo of America also had stringent content policies, frequently censoring blood, sexual content, and references to religion, tobacco and alcohol from games released on its consoles in the United States. When asked in 1987 about the suitability of a film-like rating system for video games,

4655-723: The film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was restricted to adults only, although the film was based on a book that was studied by many high school students. The provincial government introduced Bill 82 to change the Theatres Act in May 1984. The bill passed that December and took effect February 1985. These changes renamed the Board of Censors to the Ontario Censor Board the Ontario Film Review Board. Rating categories were restructured again in 2001, with

4750-456: The film censorship regime would be deemed sufficient to protect children from inappropriate film content. In 1914, the provincial government introduced amendments to restrict eligible escorts to parents or legal guardians . Theatre operators were held responsible for ensuring that children were not being escorted by strangers. After its first year, some film exhibitors would flout the law by removing certificate stamp images from films inspected by

4845-427: The first to implement the system for their own application storefronts, and Microsoft 's Windows Phone Marketplace already supported ESRB ratings upon its introduction. ESRB president Patricia Vance explained that the partnership was intended to help broaden the ESRB's reach into the mobile market, and that "consumers, especially parents, benefit from having a consistently applied set of ratings for games rather than

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4940-589: The game is ready for release, the publisher sends copies of the final version of the game to the ESRB, who reviews the game's packaging, and a random number of games they receive are play tested for a more thorough review, typically for up to four hours. Penalties apply to publishers who misrepresent the content of their games, including the potential for fines up to US $ 1 million and a product recall to reprint proper labels, if deemed necessary. With newer games often having large content patches at release as well as downloadable content, season passes, and other games as

5035-544: The game's "many graphic torture scenes and murders". Attitudes towards AO-rated games have also been influenced by the types of games that have received the rating; Peter Payne, head of Peach Princess , a publisher of English translations of Japanese eroge visual novels , believed that the "Adults Only" rating had acquired a "smutty" and "tasteless" reputation since the majority of AO-rated titles were either niche pornographic titles such as eroge games, or immature titles such as Riana Rouge (which Polygon described as

5130-510: The game's script and lyrics from songs in the game. The publisher also pays an upfront fee for obtaining the ESRB rating. After the information is reviewed for completeness and appropriateness by ESRB staff, the material is sent to at least three different raters, who are treated anonymously and prevented from talking directly with the publishers through the ESRB offices. Raters represent various demographics, including parents, along with casual and "hardcore" gamers . Raters were formerly hired on

5225-506: The general provincial powers of entertainment classification including the appeals process, licensing of distributors and exhibitors, powers of inspection and investigation and transition from the previous Theatres Act . Details of rating categories, licensing, and exemptions from classification are specified in the associated Ontario Regulation 452/05 which took effect at the same time as the act. Arthur Matheson Arthur James Matheson (December 12, 1845 – January 25, 1913 )

5320-435: The hearings for their content; the fighting game Mortal Kombat featured realistic, digitized sprites of live-action actors, blood, and the ability to use violent " fatality " moves to defeat opponents, while Night Trap featured 90 minutes of FMV content, with scenes that were considered to be sexually suggestive and exploitive . Both Nintendo and Sega had differing views on objectionable content in video games;

5415-566: The hearings. With the threat of federal regulations, a group of major video game developers and publishers, including Acclaim Entertainment and Electronic Arts along with Nintendo and Sega, formed a political trade group known as the Interactive Digital Software Association in April 1994, with a goal to create a self-regulatory framework for assessing and rating video games. While Sega had proposed that

5510-434: The idea of the AO rating eventually becoming acceptable would be a good thing for the ESRB system. The stigma is primarily affected by a perception by the industry and other activists that video games are generally considered children's products ; for example, the availability of a Wii version of Manhunt 2 was condemned by Senator Hillary Clinton over fears that children could use the game's motion controls to act out

5605-693: The implementation of the Film Classification Act, 2005 , which gave it the power to enforce ESRB ratings, the Ontario Film Review Board had used its own powers to classify the M-rated Manhunt as a film and give it a "Restricted" rating to ban its sale to those under 18. By contrast, the British Columbia Film Classification Office considered the ESRB rating to be appropriate. The ESRB enforces guidelines that have been adopted by

5700-681: The industry use its VRC rating system, Nintendo representatives objected to the idea because they did not want to associate themselves with the work of their main competitor; instead, a vendor-neutral rating system known as the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) was developed. The formation of the ESRB was officially announced to Congress on July 29, 1994. The ESRB was officially launched on September 16, 1994; its system consisted of five age-based ratings; "Early Childhood", "Kids to Adults" (later renamed "Everyone" in 1998), "Teen", "Mature", and "Adults Only". The ESRB

5795-571: The introduction of the 18A rating which when applied to a film prohibits persons under 18 from attending unless accompanied by an adult. The Adult Accompaniment rating was renamed 14A but its effect was otherwise unchanged. On 30 April 2004, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found certain sections of the Theatres Act to violate the freedom of expression provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in

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5890-469: The job. It took explicit porn to get Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas an AO rating, even though the original version, still rated M, rewards players whose on-screen persona had sex with prostitutes and then killed them. We have been calling for AO ratings for the Grand Theft Auto series for years—now it is clear why the ESRB has ignored our request." The ESRB disputed these claims, arguing that

5985-405: The latter's comedic tone, but still noted that "as parents we know what's right and what isn't for our kids, and being aware of the content they consume is a large part of our job as parents." Halo 5: Guardians received a "Teen" rating instead of "Mature". Microsoft Xbox division executive Aaron Greenberg argued that consumers had been "surprised" by the M rating on previous installments "given

6080-510: The legislation as a means of updating the film classification system while curtailing the censorship powers of the Ontario Film Review Board. The bill's second reading began on 15 February 2005 and was carried on 6 April. After review by the province's Standing Committee on Justice Policy, Bill 158 received its third reading on 19 May then was carried on division on 30 May with Royal Assent proclaimed on 13 June. The statute took legal effect on 31 August 2005. The Film Classification Act, 2005 ended

6175-530: The majority of AO-rated titles are adult video games with graphic sexual content. There have been isolated cases of games receiving the rating for other reasons, including high-impact violence, and allowing players to gamble using real money. The latter also includes games that utilize blockchain technology to distribute virtual goods with real-world value. In addition to the main age-based ratings, ESRB ratings also incorporate one or more of 31 "content descriptors", which provide detailed information about

6270-442: The marketing materials of games with lower ratings. In addition to its video game ratings operation, the ESRB also offers an online privacy program which helps websites adopt privacy policies and data usage practices which comply with relevant laws and best practices for the collection and use of personal information, and provides "Privacy Certified" seals indicating certification under the ESRB's privacy guidelines. In June 2013,

6365-401: The nature of their content, and gave them "Restricted" ratings, legally restricting their sale to adults. There has been a correlation between the M rating and sales; a 2007 study by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research found that M-rated games "have both the highest average Metacritic scores and the highest average gross sales in the United States", and NPD Group found that 7 of

6460-476: The new board. This led to the creation of the Ontario Board of Censors of Moving Pictures which began operations on 27 June 1911. Each film shown in the province was required to be reviewed and approved by the Board which would then apply a "stamp" which would be displayed on theatre screens prior to the start of the film. Films which did not include the Board's stamp could be confiscated by authorities under

6555-633: The new law, which conversely prevented law enforcement officials from stopping the presentation of stamped films because of the film's content (section 6). Enforcement of the stamping provisions began after 1 December 1911, following the Board's initial task of reviewing 4000 extant films. Section 10 of the original 1911 act prohibited children less than 15 years from attending a commercial film unless accompanied by an adult. This led to an unintended consequence where young girls would approach adult strangers to escort them to movies. There were recommendations that this provision be revoked or changed, especially since

6650-495: The organization "relies on flawed research and ignores any and all conflicting evidence", was "imposing its own narrow values and morality on the rest of the country, regardless that it has little evidence to show that parents agree with their point of view", and did not reply to the ESRB's request for comments following its report card in 2004. The board also pointed out that the NIMF's study and " report card " used data from PSVRatings,

6745-400: The packaging and promotional materials for a game. Each icon contains a stylized alphabetical letter representing the rating. A full label, containing both "content descriptors" and rating, are typically displayed on the back of a game's packaging. Games that provide post-release downloadable content must ensure that the new content remains consistent with the original ESRB rating; otherwise

6840-686: The provincial power to ban films, although film censorship powers would be retained for some cases of pornographic films. For video games, the Act also gave the province power to enforce the ratings system of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), prohibiting the sale or exhibition of "Mature" and "Adults Only"-rated games to those under the age of 17 and 18 respectively. The OFRB had previously attempted to enforce such restrictions by classifying specific games as films, notwithstanding their rating. The act itself specifies

6935-422: The publisher to better prepare future submissions, but should a publisher make such omissions multiple times, the ESRB will fine them for subsequent infractions. The publisher receives this final report of what rating the game will carry. According to the ESRB, most publishers have a good expectation of what they will be assigned and do not challenge what they are given. However, if a publisher does not agree with

7030-477: The purview of the Board of Censors. In 1981, the Adult Accompaniment rating was introduced which allowed films to be classified so that children under 14 were restricted unless escorted by an adult. The classification was developed to open films of social significance to younger audiences which might otherwise have been restricted. In developing the new classification, provincial officials noted that

7125-428: The raters may find inconsistencies between the details on the Long Form and in the video footage. Should these occur, the ESRB contacts the publisher to ask for clarification of these matters, typically which are then resolved quickly. In some cases, the omission of certain material on the Long Form or in the footage may be significant. For any publisher, the ESRB gives them a number of warnings of such omissions which help

7220-424: The rating became black text on white, the "content rated by" tagline was removed, and registered trademark symbols were moved to the bottom-right corner. The changes were intended to increase the icons' clarity at smaller sizes (such as on mobile devices), reflecting the growth in the digital distribution of video games. Games with this rating contain content that the ESRB believes is suitable for ages 18 and over;

7315-465: The rating system, along with the organization's efforts to ensure that retailers comply with the rating system and that publishers comply with its marketing code, the ESRB has considered its system to be effective, and was praised by the Federal Trade Commission for being the "strongest" self-regulatory organization in the entertainment sector. Despite its positive reception, the ESRB has still faced criticism from politicians and other watchdog groups for

7410-448: The rating that they were assigned, they may ask questions about why a rating was given and work back and forth with the ESRB to adjust it. Alternatively, the publisher may edit the game and submit the revised version for a new rating, which restarts the process. In such cases, the ESRB does not inform the publisher of what content must be changed or removed to change the rating, but only which content triggered certain rating elements, leaving

7505-523: The ratings icons in advertising without authorization or having actually been issued the rating by the board. Steam , the largest digital distribution storefront for personal computers, does display ratings when available, and allows games to be categorized and filtered based on categories and the extent of potentially objectionable content, but an ESRB rating is not mandatory. As of June 2018, following complaints regarding inconsistent enforcement of its previous guidelines, Steam stated that it would only ban

7600-451: The sale of games that contain blatantly illegal content, or games that it classifies as being "straight up trolling ". However, in March 2019, it was revealed that there are still undisclosed limitations to this policy based on "costs and risks" associated with Steam's ability to distribute specific games. Epic Games Store also prohibits "Adults Only"-rated games, unless the rating was solely for their use of blockchain technology. In

7695-515: The same rating as Saints Row IV , which carries the 'Blood,' Intense Violence,' 'Partial Nudity,' 'Sexual Content,' 'Strong Language' and 'Use of Drugs' descriptors was always silly, and it weakened the thrust of the ratings system." Likewise, he felt that the tone and content of the PG-13 rated film The Dark Knight was relatively harsher to children than that of the Saints Row series due to

7790-483: The service was extended to mobile apps, with a particular emphasis on helping application developers comply with the then-upcoming changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act . The ESRB has considered its system to be effective, due in part to initiatives by the Board to promote enforcement and consumer awareness of the system, and efforts by retailers to prevent the sale of M-rated games to minors. In

7885-499: The specific types and levels of objectionable content contained in a game, including categories covering different levels of violence , language, sexual content , nudity , use of alcoholic beverages , tobacco products and drugs , crude and mature humor, or gambling . When a descriptor is preceded by the term "Mild", it is intended to convey low frequency (unless the definition of the content descriptor says otherwise), intensity, or severity. An ESRB ratings label may also include

7980-412: The structure of its operations, particularly after a sexually-explicit minigame was found within 2004 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — which was inaccessible from the game but could be accessed using a user-created modification . The ESRB has been accused of having a conflict of interest because of its vested interest in the video game industry, and that it does not rate certain games, such as

8075-423: The style of the game and the lack of real graphic violence and things like that", but that the "Teen" rating would theoretically enable the game to reach a broader audience of younger players. The "Adults Only" (AO) rating has attracted a negative stigma among the video game industry—one which has been criticized for stifling the ability for developers to have creative freedom in their portrayal of certain themes in

8170-522: The time of the 1993 hearings, there was no industry-wide standard in place for rating video games, which was a point of contention at the hearings. Sega had implemented its own voluntary ratings system, the Videogame Rating Council (VRC), largely to rate games released for its own consoles, which Nintendo largely disputed. The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer platform had its own age ratings voluntarily determined by game publishers, and

8265-743: The top 20 video games of 2010 (including the #1 game, Call of Duty: Black Ops ) were M-rated, even though only 5% of games released that year carried the rating. In 2005, the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) criticized the ESRB for seldom-using the Adults Only rating, arguing that because it has a vested interest in the video game industry, it did not want to perform actions that would affect their commercial availability. The organization stated that "study after study shows that ratings would be stricter if parents were doing

8360-553: The video game industry in order to ensure responsible advertising and marketing practices. These include ensuring that game packaging and promotional materials (including advertisements and trailers ) properly display rating information, restricting where promotional materials for games rated "Teen" or higher can appear, prohibiting publishers from glamorizing or exploiting a game's rating in marketing materials, and requiring online marketing of games rated "Mature" or higher to be restricted to users who are appropriately aged . This allows

8455-451: The year following its 1994 launch, the ESRB rating system had achieved widespread usage across the console game industry, although adoption was not yet as high within the PC gaming industry. Lieberman and Kohl also reported that some retailers were reluctant to the idea of removing older, non-rated games from their shelves, and that some retail employees lacked knowledge of the new system. By 2008,

8550-661: Was Donkey Kong Jungle Beat . In response to the growth of smartphone use, in November 2011, CTIA , a group of major U.S. companies representing the wireless industry, and ESRB announced the co-development of a free, voluntary ratings process for mobile app stores . The system uses ESRB's icons and content descriptors, along with four additional "Interactive Elements" ("Digital Purchases", "Shares Info," "Shares Location," and "Users Interact") to inform users of an app's behavior in regards to data collection and interactions with others. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile US were among

8645-616: Was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as a Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Lanark South from 1898 to 1913, and was provincial treasurer from 1905 to 1913. He was born in Perth , Canada West in 1845, the son of Roderick Matheson , and educated at Upper Canada College and Trinity College, Toronto . Matheson studied law, was called to the bar in 1870 and set up practice in Perth. He

8740-534: Was mayor of Perth in 1883 and 1884. Matheson served in the local militia, including service during the Fenian raids , and became lieutenant-colonel in 1886. Other than serving as provincial treasurer, Matheson was member of various house committees, including the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. He died in office in 1913. The geographical township of Matheson , part of Black River-Matheson Township,

8835-465: Was named after Arthur Matheson. Preceded by: George William Ross Succeeded by: Isaac Benson Lucas This article about an Ontario MPP is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a mayor in Ontario is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Entertainment Software Rating Board The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB )

8930-625: Was properly disclosed. The survey-based method is also used in the ESRB/CTIA and IARC rating programs for mobile apps . The ESRB phased out the Short Form for digital-only games, instead directing those developers and publishers to use the similar free questionnaire-driven IARC program, which was being adopted beyond mobile app stores, including the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store, as a requirement for posting, and which automatically are accepted by several national-level rating boards, including

9025-506: Was the first rating system to also use "descriptors" with brief explanations of the content contained in a game, as the ESRB found that parents wanted to have knowledge of this type of content before they purchased games for their children. The U.S. arcade gaming industry did not adopt the ESRB system, with the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) having cited "fundamental differences between

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