ESRB introduces age rating summaries

US regulator The Entertainment Software Rating Board has introduced online summaries of each video game it rates in an effort to grant parents more opportunities to research the potentially harmful content in games.

The move follows similar measures already in place at UK body the BBFC.

And in a boost to the ESRB, former games rating critics Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Joseph Lieberman have both praised the new measures.

This new supplement to the ratings is a real gift for parents as we head into this holiday season,” former Democratic Presidential candidate Clinton stated. 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.”

Lieberman added: 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.”

Source: Kotaku