ESRB adds a new rating @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on March 02, 2005

News: Everyone 10+ joins the list of ratings.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) have announced that they are adding a new rating to their system. Everyone 10 and Older (or E10+ for short) will be added to split off some of the more risque elements of the Everyone rating into this new classification.

The ESRB has said E10+ will include games that would be rated E that include moderate amounts of cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.

"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," Patricia Vance, President of the ESRB, explained. This may explain why recent games such as The Incredibles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 were rated Teen for their fantasy violence. This new rating seems designed specifically for them.

The ESRB cited the "differences between very young and teen-age children" for the creation of E10+ and even Joseph Lieberman, the man who has spent most of his Congressional career attempting to restrict the sale of video games, had this to say: "The ESRB has once again taken timely steps to enhance its rating system for computer and video games. 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."

The ESRB has still never issued an Adults Only rating to any console game and this reporter wonders what, if the full range of ratings are not being utilized, a new rating is needed for. But that's probably an editorial for another time.