ESRB Lays Down the Law

[*NormalGamer*]

ds.ign.com/articles/650/650692p1.html

ESRB Lays Down the Law

Publishers must re-inspect all games released in the past year.

by Tom McNamara

September 13, 2005 - In the wake of GTA San Andreas being re-rated to AO following the exposure of content not intended to be accessible, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has sent out an email to all major publishers that they must perform internal audits of their products to determine if their titles contain similar elements, dating back to September 1, 2004.

Disclosure of hidden content is regular practice, if it is deemed to be eventually accessible by the user through conventional means (the controversial content in GTA:SA was exposed through an unauthorized, third-party hack). A complicating factor is that many games have content cut out but not removed from the programming code, for one reason or another. Additionally, the ESRB mandates that this industry-wide, internal audit must be finished by January 6th, 2006.

According to industry publication Gamasutra, the email further states: ""If you fail to notify us of previously undisclosed, non-playable, pertinent content by January 9, and such content becomes playable through a subsequent authorized or unauthorized release of code to unlock it, rendering the original rating assignment inaccurate, punitive in addition to corrective actions may result."

Lastly, the ESRB also addresses third-party modifications (of which Counter-Strike, BF1942: Desert Combat, and GTA: Multi-Theft Auto are a few examples), with specific attention to violent and/or sexual content. The email continues, "ESRB remains concerned about third party modifications that undermine the accuracy of the original rating, and we are exploring ways to maintain the credibility of the rating system with consumers in light of modifications of this nature."

We'll have more as the story develops.
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NG: Looks like the ESRB is changing it's tune for game developers. I wonder how this will turn out.

[BRO_co03-RN]

I wonder if they will they go after Maxis for the "move_objects on" cheat that allows your to move a sim out of the pixelated boxes?

[KazeYoukai]

That's bullcrap that they're trying to rate games based on mods that the company has nothing to do with. The ESRB and the government both suck.

[Jason-RN]

I think it's kind of funny how the ESRB is threatening companies that have volunteered to use its rating system... Sure, the ESRB's rating system is the standard for the entire game industry. But there isn't a law forcing companies to use it.

Then again, I'm sure video game companies are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the rating system out of the government's hands.

[Richard-RN]

Jason, the only problem with your logic is that no stores will sell products that aren't rated by the ESRB. The company would basically have to sell it off of their website

[Jason-RN]

richardrn said:

Jason, the only problem with your logic is that no stores will sell products that aren't rated by the ESRB. The company would basically have to sell it off of their website

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that. I guess companies are basically forced to volunteer, lol.

[gamefreaks365]

For the industry's benefit, this is a good thing. The ESRB's intentions are to cover their own hide. So while they might not be pure, at least it's the right call. The industry has proven that they are ineffective in regulating themself.