The ESRB Don't Get No Respect

Via the ffwd linklog, a story on the Hollywood Reporter site discussing the public image of the ESRB, from "pain in the butt" on the developer's side to lax child perverter on the lawmaker's side. From the article: "The issue Greenberg describes is one involving dollars and cents: Almost every single retail chain chooses not to sell 'AO' rated games, period. In just the same way that many movie theaters will not show films branded with an 'NC-17' rating, the 'AO' severely limits a game's distribution, to put it mildly."

Comments

Not a replacement

[9mm Censor]

A rating system no matter how good it is, is not an excuse for poor parenting.

The trouble with the ESRB.

[ronfar]

People have gotten used to the movie rating system. They know what G, PG, and R mean. (I know PG-13 and NC-17 are in there too, but I think those are both more ambiguous.).

G - Kid's cartoon
PG - Action movie without much violence
R - Movie with enough violence and/or sex to be a concern for children

Do people know what E, T, M mean? Well, I was reading a review of The Incredibles for Gamecube on Amazon. The angry dad reviewer said he wanted to get the game for his kid, but he was upset that it was "Teen" rated. He thought it was inappropriate for a game based on a G Rated movie (of course, The Incredibles was PG, but never mind.).

It's clear that T, in this case, was meant to indicate a PG rated game. Instead, T means an age group. It is more like the "reccomended for kids 8 and up" notes on toys than a movie rating.

Some parents see the system as:

E = games for kids
T = games for thuggy teenagers
M = X-Rated games that should be banned.

So, of course the ERSB gets no respect. They've failed to create a coherent rating system.