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Loot box warning added to game rating labels in the US and Europe
The ESRB's 'Includes Random Items' label will more clearly reveal games with loot boxes.
ESRB ratings changes could hurt indie games in the PSN Store
It sounds like the ESRB could make it harder for indie game developers to sell their games. Recently, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board announced that it will be eliminating free, short-form ratings for digital games according to Gamasutra. While there aren't any laws mandating a rating, if a game isn't rated by the ESRB (or PEGI internationally) good luck purchasing it at a brick and mortar store, or on a console's digital marketplace.
Trump spurns experts for his video game meeting
Donald Trump is hosting a meeting today, which, according to a White House spokesperson, has been set "to discuss violent video-game exposure and the correlation to aggression and desensitization in children." CNN's Jake Tapper tweeted the list of attendees earlier today and it includes members of the video game industry as well as outspoken critics of violent video games. However, as Rolling Stone points out, there aren't any scientists included in the meeting -- a glaring omission if you're interested in having a truly representative discussion about video games and real-world violence.
ESRB addresses loot box controversy with ‘in-game purchases’ label
The controversy over loot boxes in games like Star Wars: Battlefront II, Need for Speed: Payback and Destiny 2 hasn't settled and state legislators in the US and governments abroad are considering legislation that would limit their use or straight up ban them. Central to the debate is whether loot boxes should be considered gambling and in that regard, the ESRB has maintained that's not the case, saying last year, "While there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don't want)." But that hasn't kept people from pushing the ESRB to do more. New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan sent an open letter to the regulatory body earlier this month, asking it to review its policies on loot boxes and take into account their potential to do harm. And today, the ESRB announced what it will be doing to address concerns over loot boxes.
Why your favorite indie game may not get a boxed edition
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is not a government entity. In fact, it was created in the 1990s specifically to keep Congress out of the video game industry, at a time when lawmakers were loudly condemning the infusion of digital violence in popular culture. The ESRB was modeled after the film industry's MPAA, doling out ratings for video games in North America. Back in the Clinton era, there were no federal laws requiring publishers to display ratings on their games, and there still aren't today. The ESRB oversees the entirety of the video game ratings system, from AAA to independent developers and specialty shops like iam8bit, Special Reserve and Limited Run Games (which release physical editions of digital indie titles). This year, the ESRB announced a change to its rating policy that rocked the very foundation of Limited Run Games' business model.
Violence for all: 'Postal' goes open source
Behind the ongoing public debate on violent video games, a few key titles always stand out -- but before the public was freaking out about Grand Theft Auto, it was reeling in shock from Postal. This ridiculous satirical smorgasbord of violence earned the accolade of "digital poison" from Senator Joe Lieberman at launch, but still gathered a cult following. Earlier this year, the game saw a high definition remaster -- but the original game isn't dead yet. Developer Running With Scissors just announced that its making the 1997 original open source -- publishing the code on Bitbucket under the GPL2 license.
Twitch: please don't broadcast Adults Only games on our service
Twitch is asking that its legion of video game broadcasters think twice before they share video of a game with gratuitous sex or violence. In an update to the streaming outfit's rules of conduct, users are asked not to publish their exploits if the title has been rated Adults Only by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. That's not to say that titles like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are instantly banned, however, since the Mature-rated version of that same game is still allowed to run.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ESRB rating almost a Barry sandwich
ESRB's newly-published rating for Resident Evil Revelations 2 hints at a third playable character, and that hint seems to point toward a return for Barry Burton. As DualShockers spotted, the rating notes "players assume the roles of an imprisoned woman and a father searching for his daughter on an island." Moira Burton and Claire Redfield are already confirmed as playable characters, so it's hardly a giant leap to Moira's father Barry, who debuted memorably as a STARS operative in the first Resident Evil. When approached by Eurogamer about the details of the ESRB rating, a Capcom spokesperson said the company won't comment on rumor or speculation.
Korean ratings board suggests Limbo coming to Xbox One
Developer Playdead's eerie monochrome adventure Limbo may soon appear on the Xbox One, if a listing on the website of the South Korean Game Rating and Administration Committee is anything to go by. Discovered by NeoGAF posters, the listing offers scant details, but does indicate that Microsoft's Korean arm submitted an Xbox One version of Limbo to the GRAC for approval. No further information is available as the game is still under review. While this listing is no guarantee that Limbo will reach the Xbox One, either in South Korea or elsewhere, ratings agencies have a long history of revealing a game's existence prior to an official announcement. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Rocksmith 2014 were revealed by the ESRB and GRAC prior to Ubisoft's unveiling, just as the Pan European Game Information group outed the Xbox One version of Stick It To The Man before it was made official. [Image: Playdead]
Rocksmith 2014 ratings point to jams on Xbox One, PS4
Rocksmith 2014 looks set to bring rock and/or roll to the PS4 and Xbox One, at least according to the ESRB and Korean Game Rating Board. Both regulatory bodies issued the ratings for the two consoles over the weekend, though Ubisoft hasn't announced any new versions of its guitar tutoring game. We've reached out to the publisher to find out more. As PlayStation LifeStyle reports, this isn't the first sighting of the supposed new versions. UK retailer Zavvi is currently listing the game for Xbox One, while in July a now removed Amazon Italy listing (via The Riff Repeater) noted players will be able to transfer purchased DLC from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions to the PS4 and Xbox One respectively.
ESRB rates Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 for Xbox One
The ESRB has issued a content rating for the unannounced Fruit Ninja Kinect 2, suggesting that a sequel to Halfbrick's fruit-eviscerating action game will soon find its way to the Xbox One. The Australian Classification Board outed the follow-up in a rating issued last month. Neither developer Halfbrick nor publisher Microsoft has issued a statement confirming the game's existence or upcoming release. Prior to its Xbox 360 Kinect debut in 2011, Fruit Ninja was a hit on mobile platforms, topping the App Store sales charts and spawning the animated film-based spinoff Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots. Teetotalers beware: the ESRB warns that Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 features oblique references to alcohol in on-screen text descriptions like "In Eastern Africa you can buy banana beer." Scandalous! [Image: Halfbrick]
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 rated by ESRB
Want to know if Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 is coming to stateside PS3s? The devil is in the details - specifically, the ESRB's details. A rating for a PS3 version of the game recently popped up on the ESRB's website, hinting at an eventual US release. Atlus has not officially announced a Digital Devil Saga 2 re-release for the US, though its prequel made an appearance on the PSN last month. [Image: Atlus]
The Elder Scrolls Online tagged with Mature rating by ESRB
The Elder Scrolls Online has been given a Mature rating by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Bethesda noted on the game's official Facebook page that while it does not agree with the ESRB's rating, intimating that it expected a "Teen" label, it is "unwilling to change the game's content to achieve a different rating." As a result, fans can expect Bethesda to promptly begin age-gating its Elder Scrolls Online materials, such as the game's website and trailers, though it mentioned that "the game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play." The Elder Scrolls Online is due out April 4 for PC and Mac with next-gen console launches following in June.
The Elder Scrolls Online receives Mature rating
The Entertainment Software Rating Board has given Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating for "Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, and Violence," ZeniMax posted on its Facebook page. The studio is none too happy about the decision, stating, "The ESRB advised us that it has given The Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating. While we may disagree with the ESRB's determination, we do not plan to challenge the rating, and we are unwilling to change the game's content to achieve a different rating. The game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play." ZeniMax said that the ruling has forced the studio to put the Mature rating and age gates on the ESO site, trailers, and ads.
ESRB rating suggests Gradius V is headed for PS3
Initially released on the PlayStation 2 in 2004, Gradius V may soon be making an appearance on the PlayStation 3, assuming a new ESRB rating is to be believed. The rating - "T for Teen" with "Mild Fantasy Violence" - offers no information on when we should expect this PlayStation 3 version of Gradius V, nor any word on what might differentiate it from the original version of the game. That said, it seems likely that Gradius V will be released as a downloadable title, owing to both its hardcore fanbase and the middling sales it produced at retail in 2004. Whenever it arrives, Gradius V will mark the first English-language entry in the series since 2008's Gradius Rebirth, a WiiWare pseudo-remake of the four Gradius games released for the Japanese MSX home computer system.
Angry Birds: Star Wars rated for next-gen by ESRB
Angry Birds: Star Wars is X-winging its way onto PS4 and Xbox One, at least according to multiple ratings. North American ratings board ESRB listed it for the next-gen systems this week, while in Brazil the game was classified for both systems back in July. To add further evidence, in August retailer GameFly listed the next-gen versions too. When approached on the ratings, an Activision rep told Joystiq the company wasn't able to comment. What we do know is Rovio's fusion of force and feathers is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, and PC, and you can peck it up for those systems on October 29. Meanwhile, Angry Birds Star Wars 2 is available on PC as of today, if you'd prefer to play it on a computer far, far away from your mobiles.
Walking Dead: Game of the Year Edition rated by ESRB [update]
Whether or not to pick up a GOTY version and relive all those horrors again; that may be the next heart-wrenching choice for The Walking Dead fans to make, going by a recent ESRB rating. The listing notes a Game of the Year Edition that's apparently headed for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Mac. We've reached out to Telltale for comment. The Walking Dead was one of our favorites from last year, placing third in our Top Ten list after winning and subsequently breaking our hearts. The zombified adventure continued via the 400 Days DLC this summer, and we'd expect that to be included in a GOTY version. As for the second season, Telltale is teasing more news on that later this month. Last we heard, the next batch of difficult decisions is due sometime this fall. Update: Reliable Xbox-hound @lifelower unearthed a GameStop listing that has it going for $30. According to that, the GOTY edition includes the 400 Days DLC, the soundtrack, and a behind-the-scenes vid.
Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies rated 'M' due to 'various crimes and storylines'
Capcom has confirmed to Joystiq that Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies has been rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB, making it the first game in the series to be given such a designation. Previous entries in the Phoenix Wright mythos have all been rated "T" for Teen. "Due to the nature of the various crimes and storylines in this latest title in the series, ESRB deemed the title an M," a Capcom representative told us. The ESRB, which declined commenting on its reasoning behind the game's rating, has labeled it with the same "Blood, Violence, Suggestive Themes, Language" descriptor given to the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies will be available exclusively through the 3DS eShop sometime this fall.
Wolfenstein 3D re-rated by ESRB, gets new page on XBLM [update: housekeeping]
There's something odd going on with Wolfenstein 3D on PSN and XBLM. First off, this week the ESRB re-rated the classic game on Xbox 360 and PS3, nearly four years after it arrived on the platforms digitally. Secondly, it's sprouted an additional page on XBLM. Playing Spot the Difference between the two pages, the new one lists the publisher as Bethesda rather than Activision. Developer id Software was acquired by Bethesda's parent company Zenimax in June 2009, just a few weeks after Wolfenstein 3D came to XBLM and PSN. Also, the release date is now listed as May 31 of this year, which is a bit odd. The box art is slightly different too, and once more notes Bethesda's name instead of Activision's. Overall, the whole thing's as curious as Adolf Hitler in a mech suit. The timing's certainly interesting given the recent reveal of Wolfenstein: The New Order. When approached on the matter, a company spokesperson told Joystiq, "No comment on that from Bethesda." Update: Bethesda VP of PR and Marketing Pete Hines told Joystiq there's nothing to see here. "No changes. Was originally published through Activision, so now that it's reverted back to us we have to jump through ESRB (ratings go to the publisher, they don't "follow" the game to a new publisher) and console hoops (game has to be "re-certed" by the new publisher)," Hines said.
ESRB rates 'Sly Collection' for Vita
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has issued an "E" classification to the PlayStation Vita version of The Sly Collection, which is interesting since that game hasn't been announced for that platform – insert dramatic musical sting here.As is typically the case with these sorts of ESRB leaks, the rating summary gives very little pertinent information beyond the fact that the port exists, and that one of the games briefly shows a barrel marked "ale." We've reached out to Sony for more information and will update with any official word we receive. In the meantime, we're going to follow the ESRB's lead and see if anything in our fridge is also marked "ale."
