FTC Report Praises ESRB's Efforts on Ratings Disclosure and Marketing Guidelines

Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 2:16pm

The FTC issued a report today that commended ESRB for our new rating summaries, said that video game industry "continues to have the strongest self-regulatory code," found that game retailers sustained their 80% rate of turning away M-rated game sales to those under 17, and acknowledged that ESRB "outpaces" other industries efforts.

You can check out the full report if you like (and have some reading-time on your hands), but here are some highlights:

“[T]he video game industry outpaces the movie and music industries in the three key areas that the Commission has been studying for the past decade: (1) restricting target-marketing of mature-rated products to children; (2) clearly and prominently disclosing rating information; and (3) restricting children‟s access to mature-rated products at retail.”

“Of the three entertainment sectors, the electronic game industry continues to have the strongest self-regulatory code.” In addition, “…compliance with the ESRB code was high in all media.” “The electronic game industry also performed well with respect to prominent disclosure of rating information in ads and retailer websites.”

“[R]etailers are strongly enforcing age restrictions on the sale of M-rated games, with an average denial rate of 80%.” Also, “video game retailers have implemented a robust system of checking for age ID when unaccompanied children attempt to buy M-rated games.”

“The Commission found no evidence of M-rated game ads on television programs with a substantial youth audience that aired prior to 10:00 p.m. and a decrease in the number of M-rated game ads on websites highly popular with teens or children.”

Finally, “Overall, the Commission uncovered little evidence of inappropriate target marketing through the traditional media.”

HOLIDAY BOON TO PARENTS: ESRB RELEASES FREE RATING SEARCH APP FOR IPHONE

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 9:26am

New App Gives Parents Access to Rating Summaries Right from the Store When Shopping for Video Games; National TV and Radio PSA Campaign Informs Parents

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) – which assigns age and content ratings for computer and video games – has developed a free iPhone app giving parents instant, on-the-spot access to its new ‘rating summaries’ right at the store when making decisions about which games to give as gifts. To educate parents about ratings, rating summaries and the new rating search app, ESRB developed a new series of TV and radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) ads that will begin airing nationwide in the coming days. Major video game retailers will also air the PSAs in their stores throughout the coming year.

Rating summaries, which are provided by ESRB but are not displayed on game boxes as are the ESRB ratings and content descriptors, give parents a detailed, straight-forward explanation of the context and relevant content that factored into a game’s rating. They go beyond a game’s rating by elaborating on its content descriptors and explaining its context, helping parents make truly informed game choices for their children.

“Rating summaries provide just the kind of specific, descriptive information that parents find useful when having to make decisions about whether a game is suitable for their child,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance. “This new rating search app puts all this information at parents’ fingertips when they need it most, right at the store. It’s a powerful tool that will help assure parents that the games they give as gifts are not only fun but also appropriate for their children.”

The new rating search app is available for free via the iTunes App Store and offers access to ESRB rating information for over 18,000 titles. Rating summaries are available for all games rated since July 1, 2008, which means that many of the games likely to appear on kids’ wish lists this year will have rating summaries.

“The holidays are an ideal time to reach parents about the importance of using the ratings and making sure they are bringing home age-appropriate games for their children,” added Vance. “ESRB provides resources like ratings and rating summaries to make a parent’s job a little easier.”

While many video game websites provide in-depth reviews and other helpful content, ESRB rating summaries are unique in that they focus specifically on the content in a game that parents would likely want to know about – such as violence, sexual or suggestive themes, profanity, depictions or use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and gambling, among others. In addition to being accessible via this new mobile app, rating summaries can be found by searching game titles on ESRB’s website at ESRB.org as well as via a rating search widget and customizable ParenTools newsletter.

“This mobile app is exactly the kind of thing we parents need. It gives us more information about a game’s content which allows us to make a good, informed decision right on the spot. It’s very easy to use, and it’s also free!” said Monica Vila, Chief Technology Mom and co-founder of The Online Mom. “Rating summaries take all of the guesswork out of picking games for the kids and serve as a valuable tool for informing the conversations we need to have with them about our decisions regarding what we deem appropriate.”

SAMPLE ENTRY 2: IF MY FAMILY WERE A VIDEO GAME...

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 9:04am

IF MY FAMILY WAS A VIDEO GAME, OUR ESRB RATING SUMMARY WOULD BE:

This is a daughter care simulation game in which players assume the role of the father of three young girls (i.e., the “Daughters of Triton”) in the midst of their mother’s 3-week-long Caribbean ~~vacation~~ business trip. Presented from a seagull’s-eye perspective, the game allows players to interview prospective play dates, navigate through daycare centers/babysitters, and pack the perfect mid-morning snack (e.g., Omega 3 fatty acid enriched fruit roll-ups). Players use wit, wisdom, and babywipes to survive 3 weeks in New Jersey, while learning to appreciate the sacrifices made by their spouse. Some female characters wear outfits that are obscenely expensive (for toddlers); one cutscene depicts a girl repeatedly undressing a Barbie doll because that’s what girls do. During the course of the game, players can accept quests to visit the liquor store, the local pub, and the “anywhere-but-here,” but are admonished not to by the game’s virtual “Mother-in-Law.” Some dialogue includes expressions such as “But Mommy doesn’t make milk like that,” “No more Omega 3 fatty acid enriched fruit roll-ups,” and “when the hell is Mommy coming home!”

Spoiler Alert: Players’ spouse does come home on a Saturday night, but that’s a different game – and more appropriately – a different rating category.

I PERSONALLY THINK VIDEO GAME RATING SUMMARIES ARE VALUABLE BECAUSE:

They allow parents to regain a measure of control. It is so difficult to monitor my children’s use of technology, including video games. With rating summaries in hand, I know what games are “OK to Play” for my kids. The summaries provide a detailed description of what games contain. Information is power, and my job as a parent just got a whole lot easier!

ESRB FACEBOOK CONTEST
The ESRB is holding a contest on Facebook to get the word out to parents about its new video game "rating summaries" and how parents can use them to make more informed decisions when choosing video games for their families.

TO ENTER:
1. Go tohttp://www.esrb.org/ratingsummaries and use the "SEARCH" feature to check out rating summaries listed under titles that have one so you can see what they are and how they sound.
2. Copy and paste this message into a new Note on Facebook. Delete my answers to the two questions above and provide your own (100 words or less each). Your Note should be entitled "IF MY FAMILY WAS A VIDEO GAME..." and must have all of these details and instructions pasted beneath your answers.
3. Tag at least 10 of your friends in the Note (the more parents, the better!) and be sure the Privacy setting at the bottom is set to either "Everyone" or "My Networks and Friends" before you publish it.
4. Once you have published your Note, become a Fan of the ESRB at http://www.facebook.com/oktoplay and paste the link to your Note onto ESRB's Wall. This will serve as your official entry to the contest.

PRIZES
The winners will receive a prize package including:

- A game console of their choice (Xbox 360™, PLAYSTATION® 3, or Wii™) and a selection of three games for that system
- Two "All Access" passes to the first-ever PAX East (http://www.paxsite.com/paxeast) to be held in Boston, MA in March 2010
- The opportunity to be one of the faces and voices of ESRB's next PSA advertising campaign

In addition to the console and games, the three winners and an additional person of their choosing will each be invited to meet Gabe and Tycho (the creators of the popular Penny Arcade webcomic) at PAX East and be turned into cartoon characters for the ESRB's next PSA campaign using their entry as its basis. Winners will also be given the opportunity to voice ESRB's next radio PSA campaign. The winning entries will be announced via Facebook in the Fall.

For more information and to view the official rules for this contest go to http://www.esrb.org/facebook. To learn more about ESRB rating summaries please visit http://www.esrb.org/ratingsummaries.

See more notes

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)'s Notes

FTC Report Praises ESRB's Efforts on Ratings Disclosure and Marketing GuidelinesDec 3, 2009

HOLIDAY BOON TO PARENTS: ESRB RELEASES FREE RATING SEARCH APP FOR IPHONEDec 1, 2009

SAMPLE ENTRY 2: IF MY FAMILY WERE A VIDEO GAME...Jul 15, 2009

SAMPLE ENTRY 1: IF MY FAMILY WERE A VIDEO GAME...Jul 15, 2009

ESRB Contest! Win a Video Game Prize Package, a trip to PAX East and the chance to be drawn by Penny ArcadeJul 1, 2009

ESRB Rating SummariesJun 22, 2009

ESRB's Mobile WebsiteMay 12, 2009

The ESRB Rating Search WidgetMay 12, 2009

A Parent’s Guide to Video Games, Parental Controls and Online SafetyMay 1, 2009

ESRB's Resources for ParentsMay 1, 2009

See Older Notes

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