Game Ratings Rundown

Most video games released in North America carry a rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), a nonprofit, self-regulatory, third-party entity formed in 1994 by what is now the Entertainment Software Association. ESRB ratings consist of two parts: a rating symbol on the front of the game box addressing age-appropriateness, and one of over 30 different content descriptors (e.g., alcohol reference, blood and gore) on the back of the box elaborating on elements that may be of interest or concern to users and/or their guardians.

Additionally, beginning November 12, 2008, and applying to games rated since July 1 of that year, the ESRB began offering "summaries" explaining the reasoning that factored into each rating assignment. Though they do not appear on the game boxes, these summaries are available on the agency's web site, www.esrb.org; on a mobile site, m.esrb.org; and through an embeddable "rating search widget" accessible via www.esrb.org/about/widget/widget-consumer.jsp.

Of the 1,563 ratings the ESRB assigned in 2007, 59 percent received an E rating, 20 percent received a T rating, 15 percent received an E10+ rating, and six percent received an M rating. A search of ESRB's game database yields only 23 games with the AO rating; the agency has been criticized for its reluctance to assign an AO rating based solely on violent content.

Avoid any unnecessary confusion or embarrassment over content by educating customers of all ages about the nuances, accuracy, and potential pitfalls of the ESRB system. Consider embedding the ratings search widget onto your web site or prominently displaying ratings information throughout the month of June, Entertainment Ratings and Labeling Awareness Month.

Finally, look to how other libraries are handling issues related to acquisitions, cataloging, and ratings enforcement. The Greater Victoria PL, BC, for example, aligns its game-loan policy with its DVD policy, where children cannot borrow movies rated 14A or higher, or games rated T or higher. Alternately, Baltimore County PL catalogs E and E10+ games in the children's collection and T games in adult, while the Park Ridge PL, IL, relegates its M titles to the AV section.