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ESRB's censorship wound re-opened, user-made content to break the ratings system
In an article published today titled "The Breasts that Broke the Game", The Escapist re-visits a bit of news that should have caused a commotion but barely grabbed our attention. In April of last year, the ESRB changed the rating of Oblivion from "T" to "M", citing newly-discovered gore and violence as well as a user-made mod that made all the female characters topless. Bethesda crafted the perfect response, agreeing to comply with the ratings upgrade but reminding everyone it has no control over third-party creations.The mod was created because a woman named Maeyanie hated "government/society/whatever forcing companies to 'protect our innocent population from seeing those evil dirty things 50% of them possess personally anyways'". The Escapist points out that the mod was tame, featuring little more than Barbie doll-style nudity, yet the ESRB still flipped out. User-made content is fast becoming the focus of videogames (see Spore, LittleBigPlanet, The Sims), and with that will come an influx of sex-related creations. How should the ESRB respond? With a new ratings category ("W" for "We're not responsible")? Slapping an "M" on every game that gives you an iota of customization control?
Wii Warm Up: An aural discussion
The ESRB website typically reveals upcoming titles for the Virtual Console, and though it's by no means any sort of surprise, it looks like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will soon be coming to a Wii near you. This prompted some discussion among the staff, of course, and after several fingers were dislocated and a kidney stolen in the night, we reached no definite conclusion. Which of the four major Sonic titles of the 16-bit era was the best? Some say Sonic 3 (and what charming, handsome fellows they must be), but others say Sonic and Knuckles (the more crude, surly members of the staff, certainly). I mean, we already totally know what the right answer is, but do you guys agree? Which of the three remaining are you most excited for?
ESRB: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 rated E for Xbox 360
While not quite as exciting as the news that Lara's latest adventure is coming to the Xbox 360 (in some capacity), the ESRB also let another cat out of its poorly guarded bag today. Well, it's more like a pair of cats. Actually, it's a hedgehog and a two-tailed fox but they're both coming out of that bag with the revelation that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is destined for not only the Wii's Virtual Console service -- no big surprise there -- but the Xbox 360 as well. We're speculating that the title's co-op gameplay and split-screen races were enough to convince the fat cats at Microsoft that Sonic 2 deserved a plot inside Xbox Live Arcade's walled garden.[Update 6/10/07: Good thing we snagged that screen grab of the ESRB's listing because, whaddya know, the Xbox 360 is no longer listed as an upcoming platform. Thanks for the note, SSUK!]
Tomb Raider Anniversary coming to 360 (as DLC?)
Is there anything the ESRB can't do? Routinely revealing numerous Xbox Live Arcade games, the ratings board has now revealed that Tomb Raider: Anniversary is headed to the Xbox 360. In an interesting twist, the ESRB actually lists five different entries for the game, each with a different locale specified. In all, Peru, Lost City, Greece, Egypt, and Croft Manor are listed. This specificity leads us (and Joystiq) to conclude that Anniversary will be offered as downloadable content. Whether this is done via Tomb Raider: Legend or as independent downloadable episodes remains to be seen (if we had to guess, we'd say it'll be Legend DLC). Considering Anniversary costs $30 on other platforms, a $5-6 price tag for each episode on Xbox Live Marketplace would be reasonable (though we're not necessarily expecting it).We really enjoyed Lara Croft's first outing on the 360, so here's hoping Eidos makes an official announcement soon.[Via Joystiq]
June is Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month! Woot!
The ESRB in partnership with Ingram Entertainment has announced a new campaign aimed at educating consumers on store policies regarding the sale and rental of mature rated games to minors. The announcement coincides with a fun-filled declaration by several trade groups that June is Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month, the acronym of which is an anagram for LAMER. Coincidence?The components of the new campaign include shelf strips, tent cards and store policy signs explaining ESRB ratings placed throughout retail outlets. A letter from Ingram senior VP of sales and marketing Bob Geistman stressing the importance of ESRB ratings will also be included. We can only hope shaven-head bodyguards in tight t-shirts will be on hand to force parents to read the words printed on the signs.[Via Gamasutra]
ESRB rates Fatal Fury, Tempest, more for XBLA
We love the ESRB. With the group constantly rating titles that have yet to be announced, it's like getting birthday presents year round. XBLArcade breaks the news that the ESRB has rated 4 new games for Xbox Live Arcade, though not all of them are "new." The three we already know about are Tempest, Mutant Storm Empire, and Fatal Fury Special. We had nearly given up hope on Fatal Fury though. We hadn't heard a peep about it since last August after all. Finally, coming out of left field is SEGA's Streets of Rage 2, a classic beat-em-up from the Genesis era.We have to admit we've been impressed by Xbox Live Arcade lately. Here's hoping Microsoft can continue the stream of new titles unabated.
ESRB rates ActRaiser, Fatal Fury Special
The newest update to the ESRB's site isn't all bare hinders. There's also confirmation of some new releases coming to the U.S., even though they may be old news in Japan: ActRaiser for the Virtual Console and Fatal Fury Special for Xbox Live Arcade.ActRaiser is, of course, the bizarre SNES hybrid of action and urban planning and FFS is basically Fatal Fury 2 with three characters from the original Fatal Fury, which we totally knew without checking Wikipedia. Two notes: 1. We have no idea when these are coming out. 2. The listings don't actually say that they're coming for download services. So if you're the type who's fond of baseless speculation, just swap the above headline for "OMG! ActRaiser Wii sequel confirmed!" But trust us, it's not that.[Via GameSpot]
Best Buy adds Common Sense ratings, but whose common sense?
Best Buy waffled on the ESRB yesterday by adding Common Sense Media ratings to their online listings. The new Best Buy page redesign also has larger ESRB ratings and reviews by GameSpot and GamePro. As GamePolitics says, "We're not sure what prompted the move, which seems to provide Best Buy with a redundant layer of ratings. As it stands now, customers can see the entire ESRB rating on the product page, but need to click through to access the Common Sense Media information."One can say that this Common Sense Media rating is just an alternative to the ESRB, but on the other hand, it is rather insulting to the ESRB that Best Buy doesn't think that the industry is doing a good enough job of self regulation (they trust MPAA rating for movies). The thing that really just sticks in our craw is that they are "common sense" ratings. Whose common sense? For a country clearly divided among red and blue states there isn't too much consensus on what common sense is anymore.Update: ESRB spokesperson Eliot Mizrachi told GameDaily.biz, "ESRB ratings are just one tool among many that consumers can and should use to help them make informed video game purchase decisions. Best Buy continues to be a strong supporter of ESRB ratings, and this move expands upon the resources they've been offering their customers, including game reviews from GameSpot and GamePro. The reviews that websites like these provide are a useful supplement to the basic information that ratings convey, offering additional detail about game content that can only further help parents choose games they deem appropriate for their families."
More evidence of a US release for Picross DS
The cat is slowly emerging from the bag, it would seem. We knew that Picross DS was in Gamestop's computers as a July release, and now the ESRB has pretty much confirmed it by rating the game.Just think, this summer we could be filling in squares and making pictures just like they do in Europe. Well, you could be. Availability isn't the issue for us; being able to buy the game isn't going to magically make us less awful at Picross. [Via Siliconera]
Billy the Wizard and others spotted on ESRB
Good news! You can sell that imported European Wii you bought! Conspiracy Entertainment is bringing Data Design's lineup of European budget Wii games to the US, according to the ESRB listings. These are budget Wii ports of Metro3D's budget PS2 games. Let us say it again: budget.So far, four Conspiracy games have been rated for US release: Billy the Wizard (original name: Barry Hatter), Anubis II, Mythmakers: Super Kart GP, and Counter Force. No word on Ninjabread Man yet, and we don't know when any of these will be released. In any case, we recommend preordering now so you won't be stuck in line at 5AM on release day.[Via GoNintendo]
Does tobacco use affect a title's ESRB rating?
Inspired by the Motion Picture Association of America's decision that tobacco use will have a much greater effect on a film's rating, Curmudgeon Gamer has done its own mini-investigation into how tobacco references have affected a game's rating. According to statistics culled from the ESRB's website, only 3 out of 141 games with a tobacco descriptor ultimately earned an M rating, with the rest earning E (29 games), E10+ (18 games) or T (91) ratings. No Early Childhood-rated games have any substance references. The ESRB process uses "specially trained game raters" to decide the rating.Though many can argue that these statistics do not count for the extent or realism of tobacco usage (e.g. Calling All Cars received an E but still has an "Alcohol and Tobacco Reference" descriptor), it should be noted that according to MPAA CEO Dan Glickman, 75% of films with "even a fleeting glimpse of smoking" received an R rating. Should games, the beacon of controversy they can be, hold themselves to similar standards?
ESRB and parents -- growing closer than ever
Video games and violence -- a hot topic in any month of the year. Since the "hot coffee mod", we guess we should add sex to the list, too. Violent sex language drugs, er, violence, sex, foul language, and drug usage have begun to plague the world of gaming just like it does in movies. So, many studies have been conducted to see how the ESRB is being used -- initially, these studies proved that parents have no idea what the ratings are for the most part and very few use them to restrict their kids' playing.In fact, a bill is in circulation in the U.S. Senate to try to get a different rating system by an independant company with no stakes in the industry. But the latest studies show that nearly all parents are taking heed of the ratings. Here's a few examples: 90% of parents are aware of the ESRB system, 85% use the system when they're out buying games for their kids. 60% of parents surveyed said they never allow their kids to play M-rated games, 34% say they sometimes do. The other 6% probably said "yeah, of course!" 90% of parents rated the ESRB very/somewhat important for when they buy games. Really, 55% said "very" and 35% said "somewhat". So, we've got to ask, for the parents out there in our readership, what's your take on the ESRB? Do you use it, or do you not really care so long as you're with the kid, making sure they understand it's just a game, or could you not care less? How about those not-parents in our readership? Do you think the ESRB is important, has it prevented you from getting any games? Let us know.
ESRB says 90 percent of parents aware of ratings
The ESRB is attempting to prove with a new study that their ratings system is doing more than just cluttering up game boxes. The group says that 90% of American parents of gaming kids are aware of the ratings and 85% use them regularly when buying games. Those numbers are up from 84% and 73% from last year.While it's certainly good news for fans of industry self-regulation if accurate, this surprisingly high number of rating-literate parents comes at a conveniently good time for the ESRB, which currently has its independence threatened yet again by the "Truth in Video Games" act reintroduced by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas).But who knows? Maybe the ratings are catching on. One concerned 4-foot-tall man pre-ordering Grand Theft Auto IV in our local game store who assured us that was "really a parent" certainly thought so. "Yes, I don't want my son, the son that I really have, playing those awful violent games," he said, pressing on his waxy-looking mustache nervously for emphasis. "When I have a legally-obtained beer with my adult friends at adult parties, we often talk about the ratings of games being played by our children, our real children ... the ones who are not us. Now, if you'll excuse me I hear my mom honking. Wait, no -- my wife. It's my wife honking. The wife that I have."
Turtle power envy
Seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game on the ESRB's list of upcoming Virtual Console titles should bring joy to our nostalgia-ruled hearts, but we're finding it hard to not be pessimistic about this particular release. We've put more hours into Konami's beat'em up than you can shake a bo staff at, so it's not the actual game that we have problems with. No, it's just outright jealousy over the XBLA port of the arcade version. While we're stuck with 8-bit graphics and support for only two players, the 360's turtle fans have the original cut scenes, arcade graphics, and online co-op for up to four players! Inconceivable! To add insult to injury, we might have to shell out 600 Wii points for the NES game instead of the usual 500 because of licensing issues. If that'll be the case, we would actually be spending more than what 360 gamers are paying! We can at least find solace in the NES version's extended levels, extra stages, and Pizza Hut advertising. Also, TMNT II wasn't the only new ninja release spotted on the ESRB's Virtual Console catalog. Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo's 1989 platformer, will also be stabbing its way onto the Wii. Let's see the Xbox try to top us with a game like that! Oh wait...
British ratings board: violent video games less harmful than movies
The British Board of Film Classification, which assigns content ratings to both films and video games, says that video game violence is less influential and harmful to young players than violence in films or television. The board came to this conclusion as a result of their 107-page study, "Playing Video Games," featuring interviews with players ranging from very young children to the middle-aged.Says BBFC spokeswoman Sue Clark, "We have traditionally taken the view that because a game is interactive, by definition we need to be more careful. But ... one of the key conclusions of this report is that interactivity actually helps players distance reality from adult experiences in games." The study was conducted to prepare for a revision of the BBFC's video-game ratings system -- which means that their new ratings may actually become less restrictive.A study, huh? Using research, data, and possibly even science to draw conclusions? Silly Brits! We independent-minded Americans can make judgements without any facts whatsoever!
SNK bringing Art of Fighting Anthology to Wii?
Our network of crow spies have reported to us that the mountain pass is blocked, enemy troops are amassing at our eastern border, and Art of Fighting Anthology for the Wii has been spotted on the ESRB's list of future releases. Eager to learn more about any possible wartime advantages, we've consigned a scout to gather more information on SNK's 2D fighter.The Art of Fighting Anthology collects the entire Neo Geo trilogy of releases (Art of Fighting, Art of Fighting 2, and The Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3). 33-characters strong, the anthology will feature series hallmarks like spirit gauges, desperation attacks, and a graphical-scaling camera system. It hasn't been revealed yet how the Wii's unique controls will be used, but we hope it won't turn out to be a debacle like Metal Slug Anthology's implementation.With hints of a Wii port accompanying Art of Fighting Anthology's PS2 and PSP releases, could this also mean that SNK's Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1 might have a version for our fair console too? And how long will it be until we see some Neo Geo games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Neo Turf Masters on Nintendo's Shopping Channel? Jump past the post break for a showcase of super moves from Art of Fighting 2. [Via Siliconera]
Gallery exhibit looks to teach parents about video games
Brenda Brathwaite is a vocal advocate within the industry known for frank discussions on sex, censorship and ESRB issues. Recently she was awarded the 2007 Presidential Fellowship at the SavannahCollege of Art and Design to create a lecture and gallery exhibit titled, "What You Don't Know About Video Games..." The installation is aimed at parents and others unfamiliar with video games and the industry. The lecture is designed to cover all kinds of topics like ratings, game content, career options and the good video games are doing in all kinds of fields.The portion that Brathwaite is most excited about is the exhibit. It'll be in an actual gallery space and will give parents a hands-on guided tour of video games at every rating level from E to AO. The latter, of course, will not be readily viewable, and not at all viewable by those under 18. Brathwaite says, "For me, the motivation comes from both being a parent, a game designer and an acquaintance of many parents who know little about our industry, or believe that video games 'are just for kids,' or some great violence-filled, blood-soaked evil ... Hopefully, they'll come away more knowledgeable about our industry, excited about the games we make and better able to make informed choices at retail."For those who have seen Brathwaite speak, she knows how to keep an audience's attention. She explains large concepts in a clear and entertaining manner. If there is anyone we think can explain the industry to parents evenly by showing the good and the bad -- it's Brathwaite. We'll learn more about exhibit details and look forward to some preview photos as the opening draws near. What we're really hoping for is a good internet video of the lecture and exhibit for those who can't get to Savannah but want to see it -- or show it to someone who should.
How would the ESRB rate your game collection?
I'm very open to all sorts of games, be it genre or game rating. That being said, I've noticed that, more often than not, I'm buying mostly M-rated games. It's not a huge surprise to me. If given the option, I'd rather shoot someone in a game than shake their hand. It is a bit unique to a portable system though, and while I don't only love the PSP because I can play M rated games on it, I do appreciate it. Are you similar to me in this regard? If the ESRB were to give a blanket rating to your PSP game collection, what would it be? Did you get the PSP partly because of the ability to play more M rated games?
ESRB leaks 'Quake III: Team Arena' for Xbox 360 (XBLA?)
The ESRB is always a great place to spot upcoming Xbox Live Arcade titles with the word "arena" in the title (Wing Commander Arena, anyone?). Without the enormous lead times of their retail counterparts (see Shadowrun above), these digitally distributed darlings will often sneak in under the radar. Take the Xbox 360 listing for Quake III: Team Arena above. The 1999 multiplayer classic would be a perfect fit for the Xbox Live service (right alongside older brother DOOM), and the newly enlarged 150MB size limit could make it a possibility. Or maybe this is just a retail port, though we can't imagine it faring well in today's competitive FPS environment. We've asked Microsoft and Pi Studios to comment on the listing.[Via GameAlmighty]
ESRB reveals revolutionary "beats" project for PSP
One of our readers, Y.M., has unearthed an incredible discovery. The ESRB lists a mysterious new product for PSP, simply titled beats. According to our reader, Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe trademarked the title back in January, with a truly ambitious description. We're still looking for the original source, but we've seen this description on NeoGAF as well:"Providing access to gaming, digital music and/or video web sites; providing wireless transmission of music, video and games, via the Internet and via communications networks; uploading and downloading of music, video and games, via the Internet and via communications networks; providing on-line bulletin boards for the transmission of messages among computer users concerning games, music and videos; distribution of computer software relating to music, video and games over local or global communications networks; communication services in the form of matching users for the transfer of music and video recordings via communication networks; information, advisory and consultancy services relating to all the aforesaid."Y.M. has intelligently put two and two together: Sony said they were looking into expanding the capabilties of PSP to target the teen market. Certainly, a wireless music and video sharing service would out-do everything Zune tried to. The evidence is pointing to a truly revolutionary service for PSP--beats can become the PSP equivalent of PS3's Home.
