Topic: New Details Emerge For Zero Time Dilemma

[Shaymin]

Multiple playable characters and a potential 3DS first

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/42288/new-details-emerge-for-zero-time-dilemma

Last week's edition of Famitsu contained new details about the upcoming Zero Time Dilemma in the game's first acknowledgement in Japan.

The article confirms that Zero Time Dilemma will feature three playable characters, with probable switching between different teams where you control the leaders. There will be five new characters in addition to returning cast members from the previous two Zero Escape games.

Although not confirmed, the article discusses the possibility of a CERO Z rating for the game in Japan; should this happen, it would be the first 3DS game to reach the rating. Zero Time Dilemma is expected this summer, and new details will emerge this week as director Kotaro Uchikoshi is in San Francisco for the 2016 Game Developer's Conference and a trailer will run on the game's website on March 17.

[Khushrenada]

What is a CERO Z rating?

[TOPHATANT123]

Rated Z for Zero Escape.

[Mythtendo]

What is a CERO Z rating?

Basically Japan's version of the M rating from the ESRB.

[Mythtendo]

CERO is the rating board in Japan. "A" is for All Ages, "B" is for ages 12 and up, "C" is for ages 15 and up, "D" is for ages 17 and up, "Z" is for ages 18 and up.

[Darth Asterix]

CERO is the rating board in Japan. "A" is for All Ages, "B" is for ages 12 and up, "C" is for ages 15 and up, "D" is for ages 17 and up, "Z" is for ages 18 and up.

Isn't D the equivalent of M? Besides, there's been lots of M games for the 3DS; hell, Virtue's Last Reward was one of them. Z is defined as "Content is clearly adult. No one under 18 is allowed to buy video games with this rating. May contain prolonged scenes of intense violence with blood and gore, sexual content or nudity, or very strong profanity." which would make it be an ESRB AO.

[Khushrenada]

Now I'm more curious as to what content Japan considers suitable for 12, 15, 17 and 18 year olds to handle. I'd like to know what that progress chart is.

[nickmitch]

I'd rather not see that chart as I'm sure it involves tentacles.

[TOPHATANT123]

While 18+ is obviously adult only, I wouldn't equate it to the esrb adult only. AO esrb games would be something intensely violent like uncensored Man Hunt 2 or something erotic in nature, whereas I'd say Cero Z is more like a slightly harder M in the same way you have Pegi 16 and 18.


12 Year Olds - Twilight Princess HD, Genei Ibun Roku #FE, Project X Zone 2
15 Year Olds - Fire Emblem If, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Bravely Default
17 Year Olds - Devil's Third, Bayonetta 2, Attack on Titan
18 Year Olds - Zombie U, GTA, Skyrim

[Darth Asterix]

While 18+ is obviously adult only, I wouldn't equate it to the esrb adult only. AO esrb games would be something intensely violent like uncensored Man Hunt 2 or something erotic in nature, whereas I'd say Cero Z is more like a slightly harder M in the same way you have Pegi 16 and 18.

Well and that whole no-retailers-in-NA-carry-AO-games thing would be marketing suicide anyways. I fully expect it to be rated M over here.

[ShyGuy]

Zero Time Dilemma sounds like a fatal hardware or software bug. Like Red Ring of Death.

[Ian Sane]

Class D seems rather idiotic.  If you're narrowing a rating down to one year you're being pretty nit picky.  So I look a the ESRB rating and, holy ****, it's the same stupid nonsense.  M is 17 and AO is 18.  What the hell arbitrary nonsense is this?  I just never noticed with the ESRB since AO is like the magical leprechaun rating that never exists.  I imagine if you get AO the ESRB probably gives you fair warning so you can retool your game before release.

I seriously think there only needs to be three ratings: E,T & M.  E has nothing unsuitable for kids, T has stuff that kids might find scary or parents might not want young kids to see, M is for grown ups.  The ESRB has EC which I have NEVER seen and they introduced E10 years ago and that seems to get unnecessarily specific.  If I have kids I figure all I'll really give a **** about is if the game is M or not.  The whole outrage that created the ESRB were over games that would have gotten M ratings in the first place.

[Shaymin]

A Wii game once got an AO rating on first blush from the ESRB, and it got the game delayed a few months. But yes, the ESRB will warn you if you go over the line.

It looks like the biggest differentiation between CERO D and Z is sex v violence. Sex is a D (Senran Kagura games, DOAX3) while violence is a Z (Zangeki no Reginlev and probably Zero Time Dilemma).

[Mop it up]

I've seen EC (Early Childhood) on some edutainment games, such as Sesame Street ones, though those are old games. Not sure if edutainment stuff is still made, but I haven't looked.

I feel like the AO rating would be used for pornography and such, it seems similar to the X rating for movies (or maybe NC-17, not sure), especially since all three console manufacturers won't allow games with that rating to exist on their platforms. I don't know if I've ever seen the rating actually be used, and I probably don't want to see the kind of game that would get slapped with that rating...