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Is The ESRB Ratings System Broken?
November 8, 2007
The introduction of Take 2 Interactive/RockStar Games’ Manhunt 2 shows is the Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings have problems. Developers can play a song and dance with the ESRB, lock up certain content, release the game and unlock it to create just this case of firestorm.
But the fact is that the ESRB ratings have had problems for years, and Manhunt 2 may have finally broken them for good. For several years I’ve covered and reported on game ratings. During this time, numerous video game authors, reviewers and analysts have expressed the same concern to me. The ratings can be confusing, and the fact that Manhunt 2 has earned a Mature rating just further complicates matters.
An example I’ve used is that a World War II shooter such as Call of Duty has earned a T for Teen rating. This is for the game’s cinematic violence, language and situations, which seems clear enough. However, another World War II shooter Brothers in Arms earned a Mature rating for graphic violence and harsh language. A few choice four-letter words can make all the difference from Teen to Mature, just as the same words can turn a PG-13 film into an R-rated movie. That’s fine, but when Manhunt 2 — with scenes of torture, execution and non-stop violence — earns the same rating as the heroic gameplay of Brothers in Arms, there is a problem.
If there was ever a game that deserved the Adults Only rating, it was Manhunt 2. Now, many critics (and even gamers) might find this to be a problem, and I’ve seen much flawed reasoning used in the defense of the Mature rating. The biggest argument is that Mature-rated games can be purchased by those 17 years and older, while AO is not for sale to anyone younger than 18 years of age. So, say the critics, does a year’s age make a difference? Why even have an AO rating they ask?
But the point again is that the ESRB ratings are a bit confusing. There is E for Everyone, T for Teen and M for Mature. Notice this isn’t A for Adult, it is M for Mature. And this is an important distinction to make. It doesn’t mean you have to be 17 years old to play the game, just 17 years old to purchase the game.
Thus parents are left to decide whether their children are mature enough to play the specific game, and yes I would agree that parents should always monitor what their kids play. But the ratings are confusing when one WWII game is Teen, another is Mature and features nearly the same type of gameplay, while yet another Mature-rated title is more violent than nearly anything in any R-rated film.
There are many Mature-rated games that are probably fine for teens to play. This should be left to the parents. But the ratings are confusing when one M rated game, such as Dungeon Siege features virtually no foul language and earned its rating for “blood and gore.” However, Dungeon Siege is about as gory as “The Lord of the Rings” films, so it is a far cry from the graphic violence of Manhunt 2.
Ratings are a guide for parents, and should be used as such; however, it would make it much easier for parents if games such as Manhunt 2, and even titles such as Grand Theft Auto and Scarface rightfully were given AO ratings. The developers of these titles will often say that these games are meant for adult players, so why not an Adults Only rating?
Well, because the mass retailers won’t carry AO rated games at this point. It all comes down to the retailers at the end of the day. And this can be respected. Games cost a lot of money to make, and developers and publishers rightfully want to see a return on its investment. What is more surprising is how little the creators try to defend their work. Rather than standing behind their “creative vision,” the “artists” (and I use the term loosely) at RockStar found it better to edit their content and get a rating so they can sell to the masses. If the game’s extreme violence was so important to the story, you’d think they accept the AO rating and say, “Well, we always said it for adults.” But instead they filtered and edited the content, and pushed for a Mature rating.
The real shame is that the ratings, which have had problems, may now be broken beyond repair.
Posted by Peter Suciu on November 8, 2007 | Comments (7)
