The 30 page report details the advantages of the PEGI rating system and the recent 'traffic light' labels compared to allowing games to be rated by the British Board Of Film Classification.

“The correct solution is for the Government to accept the PEGI system is the best way for games to be rated and classified – and empower it with legal status in the UK," said ELSPA's Michael Rawlinson, "establishing a means in which some games, if necessary, can be banned."

PEGI ratings could be legal standard by 2010 [MCV]

Now the ESRB website lists the rating and content descriptors as well as a brief synopsis of the game. Take, for instance, this explanation of Call of Duty: World at War:

Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of Allied soldiers in both the European and Pacific Fronts during World War II. Combat can be intense with extensive use of camera effects (e.g., slow-motion, blurring, and screen shakes) and realistic sound effects to highlight the tense and frenetic nature of each battle. Fighting is fast-paced with players using a large array of military weapons (guns, grenades, and flamethrowers). Collateral damage includes sprays of red blood when enemies are shot; maimed appendages from explosions; and flailing and screaming when enemies are set on fire. Cutscenes and historical footage can contain graphic depictions of prisoner/POW executions. Strong profanity can be heard during gameplay (e.g., "f*ck" and "sh*t").

Sounds like a fantastic idea to me. I've long argued that the ratings were sometimes too nebulous when it came to certain games, and most certainly when it comes to shooters.

And I'm not the only one who likes the idea. Both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joseph Lieberman, who once stood together to attack the current rating system, are big fans:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
"This new supplement to the ratings is a real gift for parents as we head into this holiday season. Parents need all the information they can get to make more informed decisions about what’s appropriate for their children. These new rating summaries offer more helpful information than ever before to help parents to get involved and get informed."

Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
“For well over a decade I have called upon the video game industry to inform consumers about the content in video games so they could make the right choices for their children. One result was the creation of the ESRB rating system, which provides useful guidance to parents about game content and age-appropriateness. The ESRB has now taken consumer education one step further with their new rating summaries, which provide a greater level of detail about game content to help parents be even more prepared to make informed game selections for their children. I applaud the ESRB for taking this proactive step to inform video game consumers.”

While the World at War description seems spot on, I do wonder who will end up writing these once the system has been in place for awhile. Hopefully not the publishers.

"That's partly true [that the fatality has been edited]... You know, for North America we have a Teen rating, and teen really means 13 and above. Thirteen is pretty young, you have to admit. For Europe we have a 15, 16+ rating - so it's a bit different."

Now I've not imported a game from Europe since Tales of Eternia for the PSP, but I am seriously considering it now. I know it's just a slight change, but after watching the original fatality clip over 100 times, I kind of got used to it.

The Joker fatality uncensored for Europe [Videogamer.com]

I realize that "GamesRadar" and "mature" in the same sentence is like matter and antimatter (or pasta and antipasti). But they've (rightly) judged that "adult" and "mature," as applied to video games and films anyway, usually mean T&A and lots of SSC and really immature depictions of both. So they've provided a list of games that actually do contain mature, as in grown-up, themes. You might be surprised to find Braid on here, but they sorta justify it. Warning, those expecting a chucklefest absolutely will not find it in the last two on the list.

Mature Games That Are Actually Mature [GamesRadar]

I've been so intrigued by the debate that I recently commissioned a freelancer to tackle the story, talking to both sides, and the ESRB, about the issues at hand and why both feel they should be the one left in charge.

After an interview with the British Board of Film Classification our writer reached out to PEGI for a similar interview, only to be asked to hand over the transcript of the BBFC interview and questioned on Kotaku's support of PEGI.

It seems that the PR agency handling PEGI is willing to set up an interview, but only if we side with them. The full letter, minus the names, on the jump.

Hi XXXX,

Thanks for this.

Is there any way that we could have confirmation from Kotaku’s editor that he supports PEGI – that way it might ease the way to getting an interview set up. Also, can you find out to me how many unique hits Kotaku gets in the UK. The reason is ELSPA may come back and say Kotaku is just US based. The fact that Kotaku is a US blog might make things tough – just trying to help set this up. J

Also if you could provide the transcript for the BBFC interview that’d be useful.

Finally, do you have the full contact details of Kotaku’s editor – as we currently have nothing (name, email, tel, postal address)

Best regards,
XXXX

The op-ed, written for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Web site, isn't shilling for Fallout 3 per se, but does a good job of pointing up how ineffective Australia's code is when it stops at MA15+.

Australia's absence of an R18+ category, and the financial imperative of getting a game onto store shelves in a timely manner, means that many games intended for adult audiences (and rated 18+ in other countries) are inappropriately shoehorned into the existing MA15+ category in Australia. Far from protecting minors from adult content, our uniquely incomplete classification system has allowed them, in many cases, to legally purchase and access such content. A consistent classification system would better serve to protect the rights of children, as well as ensuring those of adults are not infringed.

Crago also argues that piracy is a side effect of effectively banning games such as Fallout 3, as the Australian market is not big enough to warrant the kind of content changes necessary to get classification.

For us, Crago might be preaching to the choir. But it's an eloquent defense of the legitimacy and artistic merit of mature-rated titles, and shows how government's continued assumption that video games remain kids stuff serves neither adults nor children.

Banned: The Absurdity of Australia's Game Ratings Regime [abc.net.au]

Realtime Worlds president Tony Harman (who recently told us why we didn't see APB at E3) had a chat with Gamespot:

Realtime Worlds president Tony Harmon told GameSpot today that he's expecting his modern-day cops-and-robbers game APB to land an M from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Though the game has no release date yet, the developer is planning to submit it to the ratings process next year.

The concept art in this post is cool, huh? Move over, six-fingered Lollipop Girl?

APB gunning for an M [Gamespot]

Not to worry, Capcom told MCV:

“We’re never going to create a gore-free Resident Evil title to try and get a lower rating as it’s a game about the horror experience and gore is part of that,” said Rhys Cash, Capcom UK's research and planning manager.

“We’re primarily about making great games and if it’s appropriate to the title we won’t shy away from making a 15+ or 18+ title.

What if Sega president Simon Jeffery's wagging tongue is actually a prophecy foretelling the advent of RE5 to the family-friendly Wii?

“As we’ve shown with Resident Evil 4 Wii and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles there’s still a market for more mature titles even on these formats.”

Cash also said Capcom sees no need to "shy away" from adult content, but that he feels the wariness about shock value indicates not a prudishness on the part of the industry, but rather a desire for more complex content instead of gore for its own sake.

Capcom refuses to cut the gore in RE5 [MCV]

Currently, there's a Wall-E minigame, printable paper dolls for My Fashion Studio, and instructions on how to draw LEGO Batman, on which I am sure we could all afford a lesson.

GameStop kicks off the site launch with an activity contest, where participants come up with an activity for GameSpot's kid-friendly activity book launching this winter. The winning activity gets featured in the book, and the winner also gets a $500 GameStop gift card. Kotaku readers who are parents, now is when you force your children to enter and totally help them cheat, and then buy $480 worth of games for yourself and then give the kid a used GBA title, or something.

I'm joking. Kinda.

[GameStop Playground]

GAMESTOP GIVES MORE POWER TO THE PLAYER…AND PARENTS….WITH LAUNCH OF ITS NEW GAMESTOP PLAYGROUND WEBSITE

Virtual Playground Features Interactive Games, Contests, and Gaming Tips for Parents

In an effort to provide more power to gamers – and their parents, GameStop, the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, has launched the GameStop Playground, a virtual online playground of fun activities, videos, and mini-games for families to enjoy. In conjunction with its on-going "Respect the Ratings" efforts, the site also provides tools to help parents select appropriate games for their children, including shopping guides, gaming tips, ESRB ratings, and a list of recommended games for kids.

The GameStop Playground can be accessed online at: http://www.gamestop.com/playground,

where visitors are invited to try the WALL•E mini game, print out a template to make My Fashion Studio paper dolls, learn how to draw LEGO Batman, watch a Mario Kart video, and more. The site will be updated regularly to include new games, activities, contests, and helpful information.

To coincide with the launch of the site, GameStop Playground is currently hosting the "Build Your Own Activity Contest," which invites contestants come up with a cool and unique activity for the next issue of the GameStop activity book. The winner of the activity contest will receive a $500 GameStop gift card and have his/her activity featured in the book coming out this winter. Four runner-ups will each get $100 gift cards. All entries must be postmarked on or before Sept. 12, 2008. For complete rules, visit www.gamestop.com/playground/contest.

With more than 1,600 E-rated game titles to choose from, GameStop simplifies the game-selection process and gives power to the players. As the world's leading gaming specialty store, GameStop has the widest assortment of titles and an experienced staff to guide game selection for any ages.

"Minnesota's citizens should be outraged at paying the bill for this flawed plan. Minnesota's public officials ignored legal precedent and instead pursued a political agenda that ultimately cost taxpayers money," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Courts across the United States have ruled consistently that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as other forms of art, such as music and literature."

Minnesota Pays $65,000 in Legal Fees to the Video Game Industry Taxpayers Pay for Politicians' Decision to Pursue Unconstitutional Law

JUNE 30, 2008 - Washington, DC - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today that the state of Minnesota paid $65,000 in attorney fees and expenses incurred as a result of their successful challenge to Minnesota's unconstitutional video game law. The ESA, which prevailed over similar unconstitutional laws in nine other jurisdictions, now has been awarded close to $2 million in fees and expenses spent in defending gamers, developers and publishers' First Amendment rights.

"Minnesota's citizens should be outraged at paying the bill for this flawed plan. Minnesota's public officials ignored legal precedent and instead pursued a political agenda that ultimately cost taxpayers money," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Courts across the United States have ruled consistently that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as other forms of art, such as music and literature."

On July 31, 2006, Judge James M. Rosenbaum, US District Court, Minnesota, issued a permanent injunction to halt implementation of a Minnesota law which sought to penalize minors for the purchase or rental of M- or AO-rated games. In his decision, Judge Rosenbaum stated that "...there is no showing whatsoever that video games, in the absence of other violent media, cause even the slightest injury to children." The Court then raised questions about the Legislature's motives in passing such an obviously unconstitutional law, stating "...several other states have tried to regulate minors' access to video games. Every effort has been stricken for violating the First Amendment....The Court will not speculate as the motives of those who launched Minnesota's nearly doomed effort to "protect" our children. Who, after all, opposes protecting children? But, the legislators drafting this law cannot have been blind to its constitutional flaws."

Gallagher said that "politicians need to realize that the key to protecting our children from inappropriate media content is not haphazard legislation, but rather parental education. Video games have a first class ratings system supported by retailers, opinion leaders and parents. It would be a far better use of public funds to help support this system, rather than continue to pursue unconstitutional legislation that works against it."

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) assigns content ratings to computer and video games. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 80 percent of parents are aware of the ESRB system, and over 70 percent of parents use it in making their buying decisions. And, a new FTC report released last month shows that 80 percent of the agency's undercover underage shoppers were not able to buy M-rated video games, 433% above the rate measured in 2000.

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Media & Business Summit, business and consumer research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.

ECA President Hal Halpin called the results, which improved significantly over 2007, "an extraordinary accomplishment," praising retailers' commitment to keep M-rated games out of kids' hands. "Perhaps most impressive is the incredible reversal in their failure rate over such a short period of time and with a comparatively new rating system," Halpin said.

"This is truly a vindication for video game merchants who have been falsely damned by anti-game advocates and special interest groups, who now don't have a leg to stand on. Our congratulations and thanks are extended to these retailers, who, above music and movie merchants, have proven their word, empowered parents and shown a commitment to corporate social responsibility."

The FTC survey, and Halpin's comments, come just on the heels of a bill in the U.S. House that would levy $5,000 fines for retailers who sell adult games to kids. The proposed legislation is similar to bills in states such as Oklahoma, Illinois and California, that were all ultimately ruled unconstitutional in 2007.

ESRB president Patricia Vance, PTA president Jan Harpe Domini, and Andrew Bub of GamerDad.com spared nothing in an accessible, deliberate explanation not only of the ratings system, but in clarifying for parents how to open a dialogue on media exposure with their kids.

Vance reminded the webcast's audience, comprised in large part of parents and PTA members, that the average age of gamers is actually 33 years old — just as with books and movies, she said, there are games for all ages. It was noted that, despite M-rated games receiving the largest share of attention in the media, only about six percent of titles on the market receive that rating. The largest portion of available titles fall under the "E for Everyone 10+" umbrella.

In addition to checking the ratings, Vance noted that parents can reference content descriptors on a game's package to learn what elements earned the game its rating, and encouraged them to check other parts of a game's package, like its title or display screenshots, to inform themselves.

"We want parents to understand the important role they play in their children's video game activity, and it's their responsibility to ensure they have every opportunity to seek out every help they can get to make sure their child's safe and secure in what they're doing, and that they know what they're doing," said Harpe Domini.

Added Vance, "It's never been easier to get control over what your kids are playing... it's just a very easy thing with ratings and parental controls... there's really no excuse for a parent not to be informed and not to be involved."

The partnership between the ESRB and the PTA has produced a comprehensive booklet for parents of school-aged children, which features in-depth explanation of games ratings, content descriptors, online play and tips on discussion topics through which parents can engage their children, Vance explained.

Harpe Domini, Bub and Vance also explained parental controls on current consoles - in particular, how the Xbox 360's Family Timer feature can help parents restrict what types of content can play on the console and for how long. The booklet offered through the initiative explains step-by-step how to set up such controls. They also discussed why online interaction cannot be rated by the ESRB - "It's user-generated content," Vance summarized - and recommended that parents supervise their children's friends list and maintain awareness of who they are playing with online, while at the same time noting positives: online play can be a good way for family members to stay in touch.

Harpe Domini had a refreshingly realistic assessment of the value of online play to some kids. "Players have built a social reality in the online world," she explained - and urged parents to watch for signs of cyber-bullying the same way they would observe signs of face-to-face bullying in their children.

A more sophisticated element of parental involvement beyond just glancing at ratings was the theme of the webcast. "Most parents understand that it's their job to teach their children the ABCs, how to tie shoes or ride a bike. But it's just as much parents' responsibility to make sure that their children are consuming media that is appropriate based on their age and maturity level," said Harpe Domini.

"Every family is different; we don't make assumptions about what's appropriate for you," Vance added.

According to the ESRB, research indicates that 9 out of 10 parents are aware of the ratings and 3/4ths regularly use them. But, Vance conceded, "there's always more we can do" about that 25 percent of parents who don't pay attention to the ratings of the games their children play. She added that she hopes the initiative with the PTA will knock out those last few from the statistics.

During the webcast, audience members could answer poll questions that popped up. Only 51 percent of the audience responded that they always check game ratings; 10 percent said they never check. When it comes to parental controls, 50 percent responded that they had never set any up. 44 percent of parents monitor their kids' online play, 44 percent claim their kids do not play any games online, and 10 percent don't monitor at all.

Altogether, the team webcast went quite a bit beyond the usual degree of information and encouragement available from the already-forthcoming ESRB. Numerous times, the panelists stressed open communication and participatory dialogue between parents and children.

Harpe Domini added that, despite the priority of safety, "Parents should make sure kids aren't scared about these kinds of conversations. We don't want children to be frightened of different types of media." Parents should talk to kids, she urged, listen to their concerns and leave communication lines open on any topic.

In other words, concluded host Alex Goldfayn, "Parenting video games is exactly the same as parenting everything else."

Bionic Commando Comminucator [Official Site via Videogaming247]

Professor Layton and the Curious Village
"...A 10 year-old boy is traveling the countryside with an old professor he has no relation to? By all the ESRB's guidelines this is an E-Rated game with no objectionable content..."

Baby Pals
"...Though young girls may play out taking care of babies with their dolls, the thought of wiping a baby's ass on a DS's touch screen is counter to everything that is good and pure..."

High Rollers Casinos
"Huh, what? Hanging out in a casino and gambling is E-Rated?"

The widget hunts through the more than 14,000 games indexed at the ESRB and spits out the answer without ever leaving the site.

"Our single most important message to consumers, particularly to parents, is that they should always check a game's ESRB rating when considering a purchase or rental for their children," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "Parents are hungry for this information, and research shows that three-quarters of parents regularly check ESRB ratings when making purchase or rental decisions about which games to bring home. Our ratings search widget makes checking the rating that much more convenient. We're very excited to be offering this widget with the help of Clearspring."

The widget can even be customized by visiting the ESRB site so you can try and match it to your site's colors. You can even enter color codes in Hex to match stranger site colors like, say, deep red and baby poo green.

NEW YORK, NY - The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and Clearspring Technologies, a leading provider of widget syndication services, today announced the launch of a new ESRB ratings search widget that is available for free use and download by consumers. The widget allows users to search for ESRB ratings for more than 14,000 computer and video game titles in a portable application that can be placed directly onto their desktop, as well as imported onto their personal and social networking web pages. Several consumer and parenting websites also will begin offering the widget.

"Our single most important message to consumers, particularly to parents, is that they should always check a game's ESRB rating when considering a purchase or rental for their children," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "Parents are hungry for this information, and research shows that three-quarters of parents regularly check ESRB ratings when making purchase or rental decisions about which games to bring home. Our ratings search widget makes checking the rating that much more convenient. We're very excited to be offering this widget with the help of Clearspring."

The ESRB ratings search widget, which is customizable by color, size and language (English, Spanish and French), can be grabbed using Clearspring's sharing menu. It can be easily embedded on blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace or shared with friends via email. The widget can also be downloaded onto desktops using Microsoft Vista and Macs running OSX, as well as Windows XP machines using Yahoo! Widgets. Additionally, the widget is being made available on various web sites and widget galleries, including Google and Yahoo!, where users can grab and place the widget onto their personalized homepages.

"We're very pleased to be teaming up with ESRB to make this tool available to consumers," said Clearspring vice president of sales and client services, Steve Touhill. "The most successful widgets provide access to functionality that users genuinely need or want in an easy-to-use application. Offering a way to quickly get to ratings information for the video games they're considering buying has real value for consumers."
"Last year, the ratings search feature of our website was incredibly popular, with more than four million ratings searches having been conducted," added Vance. "There's clearly a huge appetite among consumers for ratings information, and providing this widget will make it that much easier for them to make informed purchase or rental decisions."

Since its inception in 1994, the ESRB ratings have become a trusted resource for parents when buying or renting computer and video games. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report last April which found that nine in ten parents of children who play video games are aware of the ESRB ratings, 87% expressed satisfaction, and nearly three- quarters use them regularly when choosing games for their children. ESRB ratings are also featured in the parental control settings of some of the latest game console hardware (i.e., Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360), and supported by all leading game retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

A complete list of ratings, content descriptors and their definitions can be found on the ESRB website at www.esrb.org .

The raters were viewed as more of an electoral college, and our ratings were not always the final ones issued. Sometimes, we'd see a full letter rating change (a game we gave an M would be lowered to a T, for example, or a T raised to an M).

We highly value our raters' recommendations, and their opinions are always the principal determining factor when assigning a rating. But they cannot be the sole criteria on which a rating is based. To avoid confusing parents, consistency in how age ratings or content descriptors are assigned for similar content must be part of the process.

For more of the story, hit the links. Or better still, pick up an issue of this month's EGM.

Ex-Game Rater Dishes the Dirt... ESRB Boss Fires Back [GamePolitics via Gamasutra][image]

There is a handy website that allows you to search the bible for content. Using this we find that the King James version has "harlot" in it 48 times, "sodomite" 5 times, "fornicator" 5 times, "smite" 133 times, "kill" 208 times and "maim" 7 times. This is shocking, you have to wonder what any right minded parent is doing exposing their children to this stuff.

The Bible Vs video games [BruceOnGames via GamePolitics]

The rest of the PC gaming genre's top performers are below, with video game console usage stats after the jump.

Top 10 PC Game Titles in the U.S.
Apr-Nov 2007

1. World of Warcraft
2. The Sims
3. RuneScape
4. Halo: Combat Evolved
4. Halo 2
6. Counter-Strike
7. The Sims 2
8. Madden NFL 07
9. Grand Theft Auto
10. Counter-Strike: Source

It's somewhat surprising to see both the original Xbox and GameCube still outperforming their successors, but I suspect those two older consoles won't hold their spots next year. A bit less surprising, however, to see the gap between those still using their PlayStation 2s versus those playing on a PlayStation 3.

Video Game Console Usage
Apr-Nov 2007

1. PlayStation 2 - 42.2 %
2. Xbox - 13.9 %
3. Xbox 360 - 11.8 %
4. GameCube - 7.1 %
5. Wii - 5.5 %
6. PlayStation 3 - 2.5 %
7. Other - 17.1 %

Oh great. I suppose we're in for a flood of comments from the Other fanboys now. They're the worst.

The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Lists for 2007 (PDF) [Nielsen]

Please be advised that the feature film "HITMAN" has been given an "R" rating for, "Strong bloody violence, language, and some sexuality/nudity.

Well, that's a relief. I still don't have much hope for the film, but at least it won't be the eunuch version.

She noted that there are a lot of people reporting on the matter who are not technically up to speed on how this is different from the Hot Coffee situation. I guess that includes me. Rockstar is clearly getting a pass from the ESRB today. I don't really understand the technical difference that explains why they didn't get a pass last time and they are getting a pass this time. For instance, did Rockstar say to the ESRB: "Oh, yeah, we have the original execution scenes here and we blurred them. We don't think anyone can unblur them and we have done our best to make sure that doesn't happen." If it did something like that, I can see why they get a pass. But if they stopped short of that, then it's a little foggy to me.

I realize the difference between AO and M is a line that doesn't mean much in terms of who the game is geared towards, but a question of game sales. Still, a little more transparency to the whys and wherefores of these decisions wouldn't hurt.

Patricia Vance explains ESRB's latest decision to keep the M-rating on Manhunt 2 despite hacks [Mercury News A + E Interactive, thanks Eric!]

Movie site Twitch reports that Fox has stepped into what was shaping up to be perhaps the best video game movie ever made, and "improved" it. And by improved I mean screwed it all up.

Apparently the studio has yanked director Xavier Gens from the film and put Nicolas De Toth in the saddle. De Toth, apparently, is the guy who watered down Live Free or Die Hard.

Fox made this move, Twitch reports, because they wanted to avoid the hard R rating the movie was headed for, what with all of its gore, headshots and inspiration drawn from action films like The Killer and A Bittersweet Life.

That's right, they don't want Hitman to be too gory. Next!

Fox Yanks HIT MAN From Director Xavier Gens [Twitch, via First Showing]

"Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis," said ESRB president Patricia Vance in a statement Tuesday. "It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released.

ESRB Refuses to Detail Manhunt 2 Re-rate [Next Generation]

We'd prefer a campaign titled, "Get Off Your Ass And Parent," but this will do just fine for the time being. Still, we can't help but wonder, once again, why the ESRB didn't adopt the movie rating system already in place and eliminate the need for such ads altogether.

Other changes to the German 360 version include removal of four of the Darkling kill methods, and the ripping out heart animation being replaced with sucking out souls via a green mist. Weak. German players could always trade or import the uncut version the rest of Europe is getting, but I wouldn't recommend it, since possessing a copy of it in Germany can carry a sentence of up to three years in jail. The Darkness expurgated version should hit Germany as soon as changes are completed.

The Darkness: Uncut-Version in Deutschland verboten [AreaGames.de - Thanks Platinum!]

Strauss Zelnick at Take-Two had explained to him:

This is still animation. It's not photo-realistic. It's not live action. And compared to an R-rated movie, which is intended for 17 and above, like 'Saw' or 'Hostel,' it's actually pretty tame. But you make your own conclusions when you play the game.

After playing the game, the NYT writer commented that, "(He) did not find Manhunt 2 particularly frightening or sickening, more like a violent interactive cartoon", but he did completely agree with the game being rated as Adults Only. Then Schiesel took Zelnick's advice by comparing it to Hostel and Saw II which the writer rented. The outcome? In Schiesel's words:

Banning the original version of Manhunt 2 may be a good way to demonstrate that the industry can police itself. Side-by-side, though, movies seem to be way ahead of games in delivering top-notch gore.

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Kim Phu

Gore Galore but a Violent Game Can't Hold a Gutbucket to the Movies [NYT]

Sure it was in an email crowing about Take-Two's recent woes over the preliminary Adults Only rating for Manhunt 2, but he said it.

Specifically, Thompson said that the ESRB has done something that "indicates is(SIC) might be trustworthy" and that "this development is a HUGE benefit to the video game industry. It fits nicely with their argument that the ESRB ratings are real and actually mean something."

There ya go, move along Jack, "problem" fixed. Hit the jump for the full diatribe. Brian Crecente, not an attorney, and soon you won't be either

This is all absolutely delicious. I warned Take-Two months ago that there would be huge problems if it went ahead with Manhunt 2. Who was right about that kiddies?

Secondly, the BBC and the world are now laughing at Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick for his idiotic statement yesterday that Manhunt 2 is "a fine piece of art." Find the BBC story on that!

Right, and Jack the Ripper was his generation's Rembrandt. Please.

Take-Two has been hemorrhaging cash over the last few financial quarters, and this must makes it worse. I love it.

If you all would stop and think about this for a minute, this development is a HUGE benefit to the video game industry. It fits nicely with their argument that the ESRB ratings are real and actually mean something.

Responsible people within the industry, even Doug Lowenstein, have been saying for quite sometime that Take-Two had become a problem for the entire industry because it was painting a bullseye on the back of the whole industry and making it more difficult for the industry to get US politicians off its back.

Now the ESRB does something that indicates is might be trustworthy, and you nitwits go bonkers because of that development.

Grow up and smell the hot coffee. This is the best thing that could have happened to the industry. The isolation and ostracism of Take-Two by the industry was long overdue.

Now that it has come, rejoice.

Jack Thompson, Attorney, and you're not

From The Escapist, the magazine that occasionally takes itself a wee bit too seriously, an interesting wrap up of the 2006 Oblivion topless mod/subsequent ESRB re-rating issue. At the core is the idea a developer or publisher could be punished - by bumping an original T rating up to an M - for content that they didn't produce or distribute. But with their hands tied - a game without a rating is a game that can't be sold in retail stores - Bethesda agreed to abide by the ESRB decision. But was the Oblivion problem a blip on the radar screen, or a sign of larger future problems lurking in the distance?

Looking back, there's a reason the incident didn't make bigger headlines: The news dropped in May, just a week before the last real E3 event, and there were bigger stories to cover that month. But with player-centric content vehicles like LittleBigPlanet and PlayStation Home on this year's docket, last year's ESRB decision may prove to be the gift that keeps on giving for an already beleaguered industry.

Maggie Greene

The Breasts That Broke the Game [The Escapist]

The ESRB is busily handing out ratings right and left and the two newest victims recipients are two highly anticipated Xbox 360 titles; the Japanese RPG, Blue Dragon and Irrational Games' art deco underwater utopia gone wrong, BioShock. Blue Dragon has received a "T" rating, causing game site 2Old2Play to speculate (and not unreasonably) that we can expect a release date for the US to be coming soon. Not surprisingly, BioShock has garnered a "M", citing "Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language" as reasons for the mature rating. In my opinion, those are all the things that make a game worth playing. Flynn De Marco

Blue Dragon And Bioshock Given ESRB Rating [2old2play]

Earlier this week an ad was posted at GamerDad, seeking out full-time raters in the New York area with experience with children (not Pictochat!), familiarity with video games, and strong communications skills, which effectively rules out anyone I've ever played Halo 2 against.

This most is perhaps partly in response to Senator Sam Brownback's intentions to bring back the Truth in Video Game Ratings Act, which would require the ESRB to play the games in order to rate them. In the post I wrote back on the 14th I said, "The only way this could work without creating a massive bottleneck of games trying to pass through the ESRB system, is if they hired actual gamers to sit on the board." Damn my psychic powers. It's a gift...and a curse. Michael Fahey

ESRB Seeks Full-Time Raters [Gamasutra]

The ad reads:

We share your responsibility. GameStop is committed to helping your family choose games that are appropriate for your child's age and maturity level. We support the Entertainment and Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system and enforce our policy not to sell M rate game to kids under 17 without their parents' permission.

In order to help, GameStop and EB Games have created RespectTheRatings.com. This valuable tool provides parents and concerned adults with a detailed explanation of the ESRB rating system, helpful tips and resources for monitoring game play, as well as an informative gaming 101 section. ESRB ratings information is provided to customers at all 3,700 U.S. GameStop and EB Games store.

Full scan, courtesy of Rye, after the jump.

This is a smart move by GameStop, but this sort of action needn't stop with one full page ad in USA Today. I hope that the nation's specialty retailer will be more proactive about informing its customer base on ESRB ratings, making an effort to inform parents of the system during any sales transaction. In particular, I'd like to see the ESRB and GameStop push for more awareness during the holiday shopping season in an effort to educate once-a-year video game shoppers on the ratings system.

What do you think? Is GameStop doing enough to illustrate the importance of the ESRB? What has your experience been like when shopping at one of their locations? How else can the gaming industry get the word out on ratings and descriptors? Michael McWhertor

It's apparently open season on gaming in the television news industry. First we get warned that the Nintendo DS could possible cause our children to be violated, and then a hard-hitting expose on the ease of which minors can obtain M rated games at specialty game stores. Reporter Kris Van Cleave took a couple of children undercover with hidden cameras to try and purchase copies of 'adult' video games. They showed several stores selling games to the underage kids, and then spoke to the clerks on camera (or tried to), most likely getting them completely fired.

The funny thing here is that at the end of the story he cites an FTC study that found that 42% of the time kids had no problem buying M rated games. "Here's a study that got the same results as we did, only 2 years earlier. We could have just shown you that, but I look damn good on camera."

The story could have a good effect on parents at least, letting them know that they have to take some of the responsibility themselves and that they cannot rely on retail stores to monitor what their children purchase and play...or it could be showing them where to point the blame should someone discover their children shooting virtual hookers. Michael Fahey

Minors And Video Games
[ABC 7 News via GamePolitics]

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a coalition of 275 faith-based institutional investors, said in a report released today that video game retailers are doing a better job of controlling sales of violent video games to children.

In particular, the group applauded Target and Best Buy's efforts.

"It is evident that retailers are doing well on several fronts: all retailers included in the report have video game policies to restrict access by young teens to M-rated games; all display signage about the ESRB rating system; all conduct employee training programs and ongoing education on the video game rating system for employees; and all have established a system to identify the age of the purchaser at the register. ICCR is pleased with both Target's and Best Buy's policies to restrict ads for Mature-rated games in teen publications and on television. Target also places a prominent "M" on games advertised in its store circulars and Best Buy has a robust internal auditing process and compliance program, which are noted improvements."

The report also looked at Circuit City, K-Mart, Sears, Toys R Us, GameStop and Wal-Mart. The group goes on to highlight a number of things that should be done to improve the existing system, all of which, I kid you not, I agree with.

The improvements that the ICCR suggests are:

* Adherence to policy. ICCR understands that retailer members of the ESRB Retail Council will participate in a 'mystery shopping' verification program, coordinated by the ESRB, which will publicly disclose the mystery shop results on an aggregated and anonymous basis. This is an important action. However, shareholders that own stock in each of these companies deserve to see individual results, excluding confidential information. ICCR believes that companies have the capacity to develop such a report without providing proprietary information.

* Long and short term goals for compliance. ICCR recommends that companies set aggressive goals and objectives and track results to ensure progress is being made, with the end goal of 100 percent store compliance.

* Benchmarks or indicators. ICCR suggests that companies create indicators to demonstrate implementation of their policies on violent video games and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs.

* A balanced assessment. The public needs to understand the challenges relating to policy implementation, and what are the areas for improvement. There is no need to only present a rosy picture of policy implementation. ICCR recognizes the challenges in this area and believes that providing a balanced picture builds credibility.

It's good to see a group taking this issue seriously and making recommendations that actually make sense. In particular I think that the ESRB releasing the mystery shopper results by chain would help to dispell the belief by some that they are more concerned with protecting their members than the public. Brian Crecente

Retailer Comparison Chart [ICCR]

In this Apple-thieving Sears commercial, wee Conner tells us how much he digs like, Need for Speed, and also like, Halo and Halo 2. The latter are, of course, M-rated.

The tipper who wrote in about this was incensed that Conner could buy games that "no one else would sell him", and natters worriedly about the Jackass Army "licking their chops" at this blatant "corporate irresponsibility".

Is this what we've bred? The assumption that Conner's parents could not possibly have purchased these games, and the Xbox, for him? That he has the money to acquire these things far from their protective gaze?

I call bullshit. Halo is no worse that what you see on the History Channel, and this paranoia is getting on my nerves. If you're worried about your kids seeing things you don't want them to see, which they always have and always will, equip them with the right tools to deal with it.

It is not the responsibility of Sears or even the ESRB to determine what's right for your kid. They can offer some help as guides, sure, but ultimately it's up to you. And even then, you only have so much control. Eliza Gauger

Danzuke over at B&B&P&S — teacher, mother, secret lover — spotted this excellent t-shirt over at TShirtHell.com.

Now, tell me the truth: isn't this just the perfect t-shirt for a guy like Jack Thompson? Florian Eckhardt

Finally! A shirt that seeks to raise the public discourse on video games [thebbps.com]

While the "summit" won't be attracting any world leaders, it will be host to a select group of media, retailers, developer partners and "other parties" in a maze-like clutch of "premier hotel suites and meeting rooms."

One of the good things to come out of this is that the event will no longer be in that pit Los Angeles, home to the worst, most homogenous downtown and stinking disgusting airport in the world. I will miss those hot dogs and Hollywood though.

The three-day event, which will run from July 11 through 13 in nearby Santa Monica, will give both ESA members and non-members a chance to show off their games in smaller settings as well as at the Barker Hangar, where there will be a smaller show floor. Each booth will be 100 to 400-square feet, according to the ESA.

The ESA expects to have the event fully booked within the next 30 days. I'm still curious about how they will determine who's going to be invited.

The chief question, with the downsizing of E3, Microsoft's jump into ratings promotion and the retailers' push into legislative issue, is just how relevant the ESA is now. Brian Crecente

(Washington, DC) - October 13, 2006 - The new E3 Media and Business Summit will be held July 11-13, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, and will combine the best elements of the former trade show into a business event celebrating the video game industry's present and future, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today.

The centerpiece of the invitation-only, three-day event will be the opportunity for both ESA members and non-members to stage major press events, and to have intimate meetings in premier hotel suites and meeting rooms with media, retailers, developer partners, and other audiences. In addition, the nearby Barker Hangar will be converted into a software showcase where attendees will be able to casually test drive the featured video games planned for the coming holiday season and beyond.

"By combining suite-based meetings with the software showcase in a controlled and business-like environment, we believe we will successfully fulfill our primary objective of giving high-level media the best of all worlds — the chance to engage in highly personal, one-on-one dialogue with leading game company executives, as well as the chance to demo games on their own time and to check out offerings from both the best known and emerging game publishers and developers," said Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA. "It will also provide an excellent opportunity for meetings with retailers, developers and other audiences."

The new E3 will also feature a daily luncheon conference session with top executives and/or analysts and a Serious Games showcase. In addition, ESA is exploring adding an independent games showcase and including the highly successful "Into The Pixel" video game art competition and exhibition. Finally, evenings will be a time for receptions and parties so participants can interact at the informal events that have been an E3 tradition.

"The new E3 is first and foremost about getting business done. When we asked key audiences what they wanted in the new event, we heard that they wanted opportunities for high-level meetings in a business-like setting, to play games, network, and socialize, to see major company offerings while also preserving the sense of discovery that is so much a part of E3, and to hear substantive presentations on the most important issues and trends facing the industry," said Lowenstein. "We believe the event we have shaped will fulfill all those needs."

Lowenstein noted that all the hotels involved will be within easy walking distance of one another, and there will be a shuttle bus system to facilitate movement to the hotels and Barker Hangar, as well as to major off-site press conferences, such as those staged by the major console companies. "The new E3 event will be more personal, efficient and focused, and it will provide the top stakeholders who make games, sell games, and cover games streamlined access to the people and products they most need to see."

The Barker Hangar venue, a short drive from the hotels, will allow participating companies to showcase their games in standardized, turnkey displays areas ranging from 100 square feet to 400 square feet. All display areas will be developed by show management to ensure that the venue is staged efficiently.

As noted, the event will be open to ESA members and non members alike. Companies involved in console, PC, online, and mobile game publishing and developing, as well as makers of video game hardware and peripherals will be eligible to participate. Attendance at all events, meetings, and demonstrations will be by invitation only. Transportation between venues will be provided to event participants. ESA expects that event booking will be launched within the next 30 days.

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

The fellas at Game Science are reporting that the newly-released-in-Japan schlock horror adventure Dead Rising is going to have an uphill battle at retail, mostly due to its restrictive Z-rating. The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (aka CERO) has given the title the North American equivalent of an "adults only" rating, meaning that retailers must verify that the buyer is 18 years or older.

Their observations from the bustling shopping area Shibuya are as follows:

Bic Camera: No cases on display. No advertising in store. Willing buyers must take a small, non-descript card to the cashier to purchase. Game not present in Z-rated section.
Sakuraya: Poster on display on game floor, but 75% concealed by a Pokemon display. Game boxes on display in small Z-rated section at the back of the floor.
Tsutaya: No cases or advertising at all. It didn't appear the game was on sale, in fact. The game was not even present in the Z-rated section.

It's a small sample set, sure, but other Japanese based gamers have chimed in with their own observations, following Game Science's report.

Some have said they've seen the game on outdoor display kiosks, while others back up the Game Science observations, indicating that the game is mysteriously absent from "new releases" sections in game shops. At some shops, no indication is given that the game has been released at all, requiring that interested parties must take a ticket to the clerk, who will pull the game from behind the counter. It's like buying porn, but without the naked fun.

The Japanese release actually features a heavily censored version of the game, with excessive gore like decapitations and the dismemberment of your former fellow humans removed altogether.

As Dead Rising is the first retail release to recieve a Z-rating from the get-go—other games have been re-rated as Z-titles after the ratings system changed—it will be interesting to see how this crippling rating affects game sales. Obviously, this is not happy news for either Capcom or Microsoft. Despite one of our Japanese buddies telling us that "Dead Rising will not attract Japanese gamers", it is still one of Microsoft's flagship releases and it's a shame the game might not reach a wider audience.

Will developers and publishers further nerf their in-development titles? Will we see this sort of legislation here, leading to publisher pre-censorship to avoid offending the irresponsible and holier-than-thou types? Keep your eyes on this one, kids. Michael McWhertor

Z-rating impact on retail [Game Science]

Republican Senator Sam Brownback doesn't want the ESRB to half-ass a game, but to play it through. Dubbed the Truth in Video Game Rating Act, the legislation has been previously proposed and seeks to force ratings bodies to complete a game before rating it. Senator Brownback is trying to push it through the U.S. Senate and says:

The current video game ratings system needs improvement, because reviewers do not see the full content of games and don't even play the games they are supposed to rate. For video game ratings to be meaningful and worthy of a parent's trust, the game ratings must be more objective and accurate.

That's a valid point, but this might be tricky for longer titles or online games. But to understand the content, review boards should definitely play through the entire game. To the end. And presumably get a high score. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [1Up]

Kotaku Scout Fandel noticed the Bully box art on its official website has a very clear T for Teen rating stamp on it.

At least according to what is being shown on Rockstars own website. I checked the ESRB's website, and they have yet to post the rating on Bully. But, do you really believe that Rockstar would show a box of Bully, with it's Teen rating, on their website without knowing that the Teen rating is the true ESRB rating that was given to the game?

Maybe, maybe not. But I'm going with "probably not". I was kind of expecting a Mature rating, weren't you? Eliza Gauger

UPDATE: ESRB now lists Bully as rated T. It's official, gentlemen.

Bully Box Art with Teen Rating [Rockstar Games]

But Reservoir Dogs has not been pulled from UK store shelves for merely sucking. No game has ever been yanked for a mere deplorable lack of quality. Rather, Reservoir Dogs' Xbox version has been pulled because the bright red 18+ marker was not imprinted upon the discs. Presumably, this tattoo alone will prevent small, innocent children from picking up the game, slicing off a police man's ear and then sloshing gasoline into the pulsating hole.

The Playstation 2 and PC versions are still on the shelves though, properly rated. Florian Eckhardt

Eidos recalls Xbox version of Reservoir Dogs [Games Industry]

It's been about a month since the Entertainment Software Ratings Board launched their Commitment to Parents initiative.

I recently spoke with board president Patricia Vance for a story I was working on for the Rocky Mountain News about how the program was going.

Vance says that more retail chains will be joining the program soon and that the ESRB is about ready to launch the first in what will become a biannual mystery shopper audit of member stores.

Right after the program was announced in June, the Rocky sent a 15-year-old boy to four stores in the Denver area and one in Colorado Springs to see how the system was working. None of the stores sold the teen a copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Vance said she wasn't surprised:

"When you look at the issue of how kids are getting games that are treated as being perhaps unsuitable for them, in a vast percentage, it's the parents who have purchased the game. "It all boils down to parental responsibility."

I think the system in place is a good one, but I was surprised. I really thought at least one clerk would give up the game. Vance suggested we go back to the stores and try to get the same teen to buy an R-rated DVD and CD with an Explicit Lyrics sticker on it.

Yeah, I bet he would have had no problem there. Brian Crecente

Board Builds Its Rating Muscles [RMN]