Dear Reader:
ESRB starts rating games through game publisher/developer questionnaire
- evaluations for age ratings for hundreds of games will come from a detailed digital questionnaire
- questionnaire asks publishers to detail the violence, sexuality, profanity, drug use, gambling and bodily function content in their games
- penalties for nondisclosure
- offensive language is broken down into six subcategories: minor profanities, epithets, scatological vulgarities, racial obscenities, sexual vulgarisms and a final category
- sexuality category is straightforward
- system will be used for rating games on Microsoft (Xbox Live), Sony (PlayStation Network) and Nintendo (Wii and DSi Shop)
- “All games rated via this new process will be tested by E.S.R.B. staff shortly after they are made publicly available to verify that disclosure was complete and accurate.”