Author Topic: ESRB Adds new "E 10+" Rating  (Read 5335 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline StrikerObi

  • BanEditLockDelete Podcast Editor
  • NWR Staff
  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
    • Pixel du Jour
ESRB Adds new "E 10+" Rating
« on: March 02, 2005, 11:14:32 AM »
Look out for a new rating when you're shopping for games.

New Video Game Rating Category, 'E10+,' Added to ESRB Rating System


NEW YORK, March 2 /PRNewswire/
-- A new video game rating category, E10+ (Everyone 10 and older), was introduced today by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), to help consumers more easily differentiate between games that have content appropriate for the whole family and games that are suitable for ages 10 and older.


"The content of computer and video games continues to advance in terms of sophistication, complexity, and graphic quality," said Patricia Vance, president of ESRB. "Given this evolution, the new E10+ rating category will provide consumers, particularly parents, with more precise guidance on the age appropriateness of certain titles, fulfilling our goal of helping ensure that the right games are selected for their children and families."


Vance added that the ESRB consulted numerous child development experts and academicians in creating the E10+ category and found broad agreement with its introduction and the theory underlying it. "Given the significant developmental differences between very young and teen-age children, the E10+ category will be very useful for parents," added Dr. Ralph I. Lopez, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Cornell Medical College, and Author of "The Teen Health Book: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Health and Well-Being."


Game titles that carry the E10+ rating might contain moderate amounts of cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. Games appropriate for all ages will continue to receive an E (Everyone) rating.


"We expect that many of the best selling sports, racing, and adventure games will continue to receive E ratings appropriate for ages six and older," said Vance. "Games with content that may not be suitable for younger ages of six to nine, such as racing games with more extreme crashes or fighting games with super heroes, will now receive an E10+ rating," Vance explained.


"Since its establishment in 1994, the ESRB rating system has consistently focused on providing useful information about game content so that parents and other consumers can make informed purchase decisions," Vance said. "This new category, just like the addition of more detailed content descriptors in 2003, reflects our commitment to a rating system that evolves and stays abreast of game content trends, while meeting the needs of consumers."


"The ESRB has once again taken timely steps to enhance its rating system for computer and video games," added U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). "When used properly and consistently, ESRB ratings continue to be an effective tool for parents to understand the content of video games. I encourage parents to check the rating so that our children can play the video games that are right for them."


E10+ Rating


Offline Bill Aurion

  • NWR Forum Loli
  • Score: 34
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2005, 11:23:39 AM »
I don't like this at all...Now games with a little punching and kicking will seem "childish" because it's "E10+," with the age actually shown on the box...Thanks, ESRB!
~Former Resident Zelda Aficionado and Nintendo Fan~

Offline Robotor

  • The Robot Knight
  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2005, 11:36:23 AM »
This is kind of like the PG and PG-13 thing.  A lot of parents don't even check ratings, and adding this new catagory will just cause confusion.  But now a lot of Nintendo games will be E 10+, I don't know if that's better though.
It may be simple, but it ain't easy.

Offline Hostile Creation

  • Hydra-Wata
  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2005, 11:38:27 AM »
This is retarded.  Everyone 10+ is practically redundant anyway, it defeats the purpose of the rating being called everyone.  They could have easily called it something else, like Bill said this could affect people's opinions slightly.
HC: Honourary Aussie<BR>Originally posted by: ThePerm<BR>
YOUR IWATA AVATAR LOOKS LIKE A REAL HOSTILE CREATION!!!!!<BR><BR>only someone with leoperd print sheets could produce such an image!!!<BR>

Offline Ian Sane

  • Champion for Urban Champion
  • Score: 1
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2005, 11:41:34 AM »
Stop overreacting Bill!  YES!  Now you see what's it like.

Anyhoo I like this because it provides a better seperation.  Movies have G and PG but before games just lumped these two into E.  Now we have something that more clearly mirrors the movie ratings which no one complains about.

My only complaint is that they didn't give it a new name.  Maybe they could have resurrected the old KA rating.  It's going to be awkward to annouce "rated ee ten plus for everyone ten plus" in commercials.  It's easier to just say "rated ee for everyone."

Offline Bill Aurion

  • NWR Forum Loli
  • Score: 34
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2005, 12:38:25 PM »
But I'm hardly over-reacting...Only Disney games will be rated E now...
~Former Resident Zelda Aficionado and Nintendo Fan~

Offline joshnickerson

  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2005, 12:58:51 PM »
Finally! I've been saying for years they needed a "PG" type rating, though I agree with Ian that they should've used another letter or something other than just "+10"

Offline Aussie Ben PGC

  • BIG BAD BOOT!
  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2005, 12:58:53 PM »
Hah, that's quite funny - the OFLC only recently reworked the Australian classification system, and the only change for the video game ratings was to remove the "G8+" rating and replace it with "PG" to make it more consistent with television and movies.  Strange that one ratings board should add such a similar rating as another removes it.
It's got a duck bill, you moron!

Watch Me Unnecessarily Flaunt My Games

Offline JonLeung

  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2005, 01:32:40 PM »
I always thought it was funny whenever I saw a game that said "Rated E for Violence".  I guess I always assumed that something rated E would have nothing in it that would make the most conservative person even raise an eyebrow, so it seemed funny that something would be "for everyone" and yet have some violence.  I suppose E10+ would be on those games now...

Offline Famicom

  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2005, 02:44:42 PM »
It's rediculous. They got rid of the KA because not enough games warranted it's use. Now they introduce a E10+, which will just do to the E rating that the E rating did to KA years ago.
Oops pow suprise!

Offline ruby_onix

  • Obsessive Sailormoon Fanatic
  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2005, 03:12:41 PM »
Quote

I don't like this at all...Now games with a little punching and kicking will seem "childish" because it's "E10+," with the age actually shown on the box...Thanks, ESRB!

People should just do what Team Ninja does, and only apply for the "M" rating.

It is actually harder to get an "E" than it is to get an "M". You apply for whichever one you want. But the restrictions for the "kiddy" ones are tighter to get into.

Of course, we all know Nintendo of America will just censor their own games even further in order to qualify for this new "more kiddy than ever" ESRB rating.

Misty says "Thank you, Nintendo!"
Poor people should eat wheat!
I'm about to go punk up some 3rd parties so they don't release games on other hardware, ciao!
- Ken Kutaragi

Offline Bill Aurion

  • NWR Forum Loli
  • Score: 34
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2005, 03:24:52 PM »
I'm sure a lot of parents would say "Thank you!" as well... =P

But seriously, NOA has started to censor less and less...They left all the crude humor in Paper Mario 2 completely untouched, save for the Peach-shaped chalk outline in Rogueport...
~Former Resident Zelda Aficionado and Nintendo Fan~

Offline Djunknown

  • HEY! HEY! LISTEN!
  • Score: 1
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2005, 03:38:19 PM »
Quote

The ESRB has once again taken timely steps to enhance its rating system for computer and video games," added U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman


Lieberman can kiss my grits. He wants to censor media, peroid. How he's a democrat I'll never know...
(For our Euro and Aussie posters, Democrats are usually on the liberal side of things. However there are exceptions such as the man mentioned above.)

Could some T-rated games go down to E-10? I just glanced at my Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles box, and all it has under the T label is "Fantasy Violence".  This might be confusing in the short-term, unless they bother to re-rate games if they're ever re-issued.
Ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa,
Ma ma coo sa

Offline G3cyco

  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2005, 03:46:00 PM »
if this was set before paper mario, paper mario would of gotten the 10+
I feel smash bros melee would have got the same.
http://www.touchdownlakers.com
"When I die, tell the media I always had a smile on my face"

Offline joshnickerson

  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2005, 03:47:44 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: ruby_onix
Quote


Misty says "Thank you, Nintendo!"


Eep. I honestly don't blame them for censoring THAT. I mean, c'mon, she's only like 12-14 man!


Offline ruby_onix

  • Obsessive Sailormoon Fanatic
  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2005, 04:57:06 PM »
Quote

Eep. I honestly don't blame them for censoring THAT. I mean, c'mon, she's only like 12-14 man!

Well... hmmm... I just picked that one cause I liked it.

How about Gary's older sister?
Poor people should eat wheat!
I'm about to go punk up some 3rd parties so they don't release games on other hardware, ciao!
- Ken Kutaragi

Offline Ian Sane

  • Champion for Urban Champion
  • Score: 1
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #16 on: March 02, 2005, 05:53:45 PM »
"I just glanced at my Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles box, and all it has under the T label is 'Fantasy Violence'."

I always assumed the rating was because of the scantily clad chick with the huge hooters on the cover.

And I don't really have a problem with censoring Pokemon.  I mean that's clearly targeted at kids.  Censoring a game designed for an older audience is lame as hell but kids games should be kid friendly.

Offline ruby_onix

  • Obsessive Sailormoon Fanatic
  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
RE: ESRB Adds new
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2005, 10:03:02 PM »
Quote

And I don't really have a problem with censoring Pokemon. I mean that's clearly targeted at kids. Censoring a game designed for an older audience is lame as hell but kids games should be kid friendly.

Not only do I not agree, but I don't really think that NOA makes that distinction.

I think that NOA wants to sell you games that your mommy says it's okay for you to play, regardless of how old you are.

I think it started with NCL (or Shiggy, or whoever) wanting to deliver games with "universal appeal", but NOA wants games that are "safe" for the lowest common denominator.

Lately that's been turning into the Kiss of Death for Nintendo, so NOA's exploring, trying to see what the "bare minimum" is that they can do to effectively get people to stop paying attention to it.

I don't believe that there's honestly been a fundamental "shift in philosophy" within NOA. They just want the stigma of it to be gone. The fact that another Pokemon movie just came out, and there's still never any Japanese language track on the disc (which is done so they can edit the movie to their heart's content) feels like yet another confirmation to me.

</rant>
Poor people should eat wheat!
I'm about to go punk up some 3rd parties so they don't release games on other hardware, ciao!
- Ken Kutaragi

Offline NinGurl69 *huggles

  • HI I'M CRAZY
  • Score: 28
    • View Profile
    • Six Sided Video
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2005, 11:04:05 PM »
Oh great, censor the stuff out to keep teh kid.dies from the bowels of temptation.

NICE TRY NINTENDO, BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME AND THE FREEDOM OF MY IMAGINATION.

FREEEEEDOOOMMM!

Daisy's got some shorts.
:: Six Sided Video .com ~ Pietriots.com ::
PRO IS SERIOUS. GET SERIOUS.

Offline couchmonkey

  • I tye dyed my Wii and I love it
  • Score: 2
    • View Profile
RE:ESRB Adds new
« Reply #19 on: March 03, 2005, 04:38:16 AM »
This isn't a bad idea, but I think the naming convention they chose is confusing.  Personally, I'd get more out of better descriptions than the extra rating.

I think plenty of Nintendo's games will still make the E rating (all Mario titles minus the RPGs, Kirby, probably Pokemon...), and I also think Nintendo will be okay with getting quite a few E10+ ratings - they're certainly not going to make humongous changes in game design just to get E ratings.
That's my opinion, not yours.
Now Playing: The Adventures of Link, Super Street Fighter 4, Dragon Quest IX