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2. What is ESRB? 2 The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a voluntary organization concerned with rating video games. The ESRB was founded in 1994 as a self-regulatory body, and it has gained remarkable results on their rating system. The ESRB rates nearly 1,000 video games every year, associating with child development specialists, child center experts and universities’ academics. « »

3. What does ESRB Rating for? 3 ESRB ratings provide guidance about a game's content, not its quality. Ratings are designed to give parents concise and impartial information about a game's content and age suitability so that they can make informed purchase decisions. « »

4. How to use ESRB Symbols? 4 The ESRB uses symbols and content descriptors as main items in specifying the rating system. The symbols helps parents to distinguish the age suitability, however, the content descriptors give a short phrase about some elements that caused a specific rating or indicate an interest or concern. The ESRB described more that 30 levels of rating system helping parents to identify the rating of cartoon violence, fantasy violence, intense violence and sexual violence. « »

5. Early Childhood Category 5 Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate. « » Back to Rating Symbols

6. Everyone Category 6 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. « » Back to Rating Symbols

7. Everyone 10+ Category 7 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. « » Back to Rating Symbols

8. Teen Category 8 Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. « » Back to Rating Symbols

9. Mature Category (1) 9 Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. « » Back to Rating Symbols

10. Mature Category (2) 10 Intense Violence - Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons and depictions of human injury and death. Partial Nudity - Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity. « » Back to Rating Symbols

11. Adult Only Category (1) 11 Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity. « » Back to Rating Symbols

12. Adult Only Category (2) 12 Strong Language - Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity. Strong Lyrics – Explicit frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol or drug use in music. Strong Sexual Content - Explicit and/or frequent depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts. Use of Drugs - The consumption or use of illegal drugs. Use of Alcohol - The consumption of alcoholic beverages. « » Back to Rating Symbols

13. Rating Pending 13 The "Rating Pending" symbol is only for use in advertising and marketing materials released prior to the assignment of an ESRB rating. Publishers will sometimes place advertisements for a game prior to it having been rated, and in these circumstances they may use the "Rating Pending" symbol in advertisements for that game until a rating has been assigned. Once a rating has been assigned, however, all ads placed thereafter must carry the ESRB rating. « » Back to Rating Symbols

14. What is after ESRB Rating? 14 Vivendi’s O’Neil said in a statement “In the end nothing is more paramount than having parents involved… No third- party rules or regulations can ever replace that” Overall, it can be inferred that parents’ responsibility still in a first place and work in parallel to provide a well-control rating system. « »

15. Be close to them … 15 « All information retrieved from http://www.ESRB.org