How the ESRB handles downloadable content

I think you misread the article. The ESRB does indeed evaluate the DLC. There is no potential for a Hot Coffee remake in DLC.

I did not misread the article. From what I can tell, the ESRB does not directly rate each piece of DLC. The game developer is required to keep their DLC in-line with the original content of the game, and the DLC is then said to have the same rating. So in your example below, a DLC Rock Band song with mild lyrics will be rated T not because the ESRB rated it but because the rest of the game that was rated T had similar traits.

With GTAIV already pushing the limits of the M rating, additional DLC content could break the barrier. In this sense, I think there is a potential for Hot Coffee type content; I never suggested that such content wouldn't rerate the game Adults Only. I think it's possible that the developers would save something from the game and its ESRB rating for DLC. Upon the release, the ESRB will have the incentive to rate the DLC and apply sanctions to the full game's warning as needed.

If the ESRB does indeed rate each piece of DLC, I cannot find evidence of it anywhere on this series of tubes.

Again you read wrong. The ESRB DOES rate each peice of dlc. If they find its changed, they will change the rating on the actual game.

Link please? Neither the linked article nor the one at 1UP definitively states that the ESRB rates each piece of DLC. The way the articles read, the developer is 'required'/expected to keep DLC within the bounds of the game's original rating.

So does anybody agree with me? I know that full arcade/classic games get rated no matter what system they are for, but as far as I can tell the ESRB does not rate additional content for games distributed via DLC. It's up to the content provider to keep in line with the tone of the original game and rating; if they don't, the whole package can be rerated.

That's what the articles say and I cannot find any evidence that each UNO deck or Rock Band song is reviewed by the ESRB as copa and mike are saying.

Or they just pull the DLC... I would think that would be easier. The game doesn't need to change just that extra content.

You made an account just to say that?

*shrug*

I thought it was a pretty hilarious comment.

Yeah, caustic made a good funny. Why the hate?

You don't need to make an account to post here. If you did there'd be more fanboys and less normal people. Or funny.

I think it was their attempt at an unfunny joke.

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I can't find anything about it on the internets...

"ESRB ratings only address content created by the publisher, and cannot consider content that is created or introduced by individual players when playing the game online. ESRB-rated games that can be played online with other players and which enable exposure to user-generated content are required to display an Online Rating Notice on the game's packaging (if it exists), as well as in the opening screen."

esrb.com

Uh, am I the only one who googled it just to make sure he wasn't joking?

This thread is worthless without pics.