Analysis of Modern Video Game Rating Systems
Analysis of Modern Video Game Rating Systems
Before 1994 video game companies put their own age rating to show what kind of age category the game was for. In 1994 Electronic Systems Rating Board (ESRB), a rating system company decided that they could help the companies by establishing a standard and rating the game for the companies. ESRB’s rating went as follows, K-A meaning kids to adult (ages 7 and up, similar to the movie rating of G), E for everybody (ages 7 and up, similar to the rating of PG), T for teen (ages 13 and up, similar to the movie rating of PG-13), M for mature (ages 17 and up, similar to the movie rating of R), and A for adult audiences (ages 18 and up, similar to the movie rating of X). When ESRB started they did a great job, but in 1999 ESRB started to incorrectly rating games. Soon after 1999 ESRB started rating a lot more games M that should have been rated T. On the flip side ESRB also rated some games T that should have been rated M. I will be talking about some of the games that I, and many others, believe that ESRB rated incorrectly. I think that ESRB should set a new standard due to their many apparent mistakes.
The first game that comes to mind with a mistaken rating is the game Zone of the Enders for Playstation 2. The game is about a young boy who accidentally puts himself in a fantasy robot type of ship and heads out to save his galaxy. It is rated M for mature, meaning you have to be 17 or older to buy the game. On the back of the game’s package it list the reason why it is rated M because it has animated and animated violence. I have personally beaten the game several times and I have yet to see the reason why they rate this game M. In all honesty I would have troubles rating this game T for teen, which means you have to be 13 or older to buy the game. There is only 1 scene that shows blood, but the amount of blood is the same amount as if you were to prick your finger with a needle. There are far worse things than machines fighting machines, and in reality if they rated this game M for those...