age classifications on games

[tolworthy]

Some big name games have classifications like "16" or "18" (at least here in the UK). Is this a legal requirement? I don't suppose it's an issue with abstract puzzles, but my game features people and events and situations. Under what circumstances (if any) would I be expected to pay for it to be classified?

[Coyote]

There are certain politicians who are trying to make it a legal requirement here in the U.S., but it is not required by law here or in the UK.

The classification may be required by whatever store you want to have sell your game. I don't know if Wal*Mart will sell a game without a rating.

It's pretty annoying - the rating system is supposed to be a tool to help parents and consumers make educated decisions, and now it's being used against us.

[MerscomMan]

In the US, the ratings are actually optional but no major retailer (i.e. Wal-mart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, EB, Gamestop, etc.) will carry any game if it does not have an ESRB rating. It's actually a little silly because even obviously innocuous games (like a Sudoku game) need to get a rating to get on the shelves (btw, the ESRB charges $2,500 per game to apply a rating). At this time, the only online site/portal/retailer who requires a game get an ESRB rating is Microsoft for X-box Live Arcade. Just as with retail, it is technically up to the portal whether to require an ESRB rating for a game they are selling and at this time they don't seem very interested.

[tolworthy]

Thanks. That is worth knowing.
the ESRB charges $2,500 per game to apply a rating
So if it ever did become compulsory that would be the end of small independent games.

[MerscomMan]

Thanks. That is worth knowing.

So if it ever did become compulsory that would be the end of small independent games.

Pretty much so. That's why it is so hard for an independent to launch a game at retail. Unfortunately, the ESRB doesn't take into account (or care) the size of the developer or publisher.

[Coyote]

Nevermind the fact that if it did become mandatory, the price WOULD go up, as their load would increase dramatically (in spite of fewer games getting made). And there's at least one bill making the rounds now that would require the ESRB to play through the entire game first before rating it, which would also increase the price by at least 4x.

[Brumaire]

And there will be poor guys forced to played games to the end just to be sure that there is no violence in them.

- "What's up darling ?"
- "I've been playing Bunny the little rabbit learning maths for 8 hours. Please help me die."...

Interesting job :D

ESRB will have to hire experts for manic shooters with no continue and no save, to check if there is nothing bad on the "end" screen.

Joke aside, if it's ever the case it's going to cost far more than $2500...

[Bad Sector]

If they have to play a game to the end, i wonder how they're going to rate WoW 2...

[tolworthy]

On a related note, I just clicked on soniCron's TIGRS link. What an excellent idea! I will certainly be using TIGRS. I was going to say thanks directly, but when I clicked on "contact us" there was a giant message saying "Contact Information will be made available in a couple days..." - and the copyright date 2005. :)

[soniCron]

TIGRS v2.0 will launch before the end of the year. (Hooray!) And the system will then be fully supported and administered by myself and a couple volunteers. Thanks, everyone, for your patience! :)

[tolworthy]

on a related note...

How would you categorise an adult game that is not adult in the usual way? My game is far more adult than most "adult" games, because it deals with (among other things) philosophy. Most "adult" games have sex and violence so they appeal to teenagers, but my game is more likely to appeal to genuine adults, and kids who think like adults. So is it an "adult" game? :)

Come to think of it, my game includes depictions of death, crucifixion, and massive amounts of sex-crazed nudity. But before you rush out and reserve your copies I should maybe explain: The deaths are on the barricades in Les Miserables and are only seen in silhouette through smoke. The crucified person is Caiaphas from Dante's Inferno and he just kind of lies there and talks (I may even remove the nails for the sake of sensitive readers). And the "massive amounts of sex crazed nudity" also refers to Dante's Inferno, where the second circle of hell contains the hurricane of the lustful. All you see is a hurricane made of some tiny stick figures in the distance. It is possible that I may include a character from classical art (Venus? Madonna and child?) so there is a real chance of an exposed breast, but my art style is very minimal so you would have to have an exceptional and unusual imagination for it to be called erotic.

So the fact is that my game has very adult themes, sex, violence, and is probably blasphemous as well (some characters will promote different religious views, including - shock - atheism). Some kids (the thoughtful kind) will enjoy it, but others (the kind with attention deficit disorder and twitchy fingers) risk being bored out of their skulls.

So should I classify it as adult?

[electronicStar]

It is possible that I may include a character from classical art (Venus? Madonna and child?) so there is a real chance of an exposed breast, but my art style is very minimal so you would have to have an exceptional and unusual imagination for it to be called erotic.

Man, this is never going to pass in the US:(
I remember a recent retail diablo-like game about greek mythology where they had removed the genitals on the male statues *sigh*

[JoKa]

I remember a recent retail diablo-like game about greek mythology where they had removed the genitals on the male statues *sigh*

And I thought this old Simpsons episode, where the people are upset because of Michelangelo's David, was a dramatization :(