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FTC commends ESRB and gaming industry for self-regulation practices

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 4th 2009 at 10:30PM }

The Federal Trade Commission recently published a report which should simultaneously flatter the video game industry and stymie adversaries of the medium's terribly corruptive properties. In the report, the FTC says the gaming industry "outpaces" all other channels of entertainment in regards to its self-regulatory policies on marketing and advertising products which feature mature content.

The report praises the ESRB's ratings system, stating that 80 percent of M-rated games sales to minors are prevented by retailers. In addition, the report found that no ads for mature games were being run before 10 p.m., adding that the Commission found little evidence of M-rated game advertisements being targeted towards minors. The only exception? That episode of Hannah Montana where Hannah traveled back in time to 15th century Italy to become a professional assassin. Admittedly, that was kind of ethically dubious.

Zorro returns on DS: 'Z' drawing minigame a lock

by JC Fletcher { Dec 4th 2009 at 2:45PM }

It looks like Zorro, that totally modern and vital character who is absolutely still relevant in 2009, will be appearing in a new DS game published by 505 Games. Zorro: Quest for Justice, released in Europe this September, was just rated by the ESRB for release in North America. This follows the May release of Destiny of Zorro on Wii -- a game first announced in early 2007, and delayed about two years.

According to the content description, "Players can roam across rooftops, use a whip to swing across open gaps, and engage in sword combat with the henchmen of Luis Ramon." The rooftop business sounds Assassin's Creed-esque, possibly the same kind of 2.5D used for the DS games. In case you were wondering what the enemies in this game sound like when they die, the ESRB addressed your concerns: "their cries of pain during battle represent the most pertinent content (e.g., 'Ahhhh!' and 'Uggggh!').

Shin Megami Tensei password system lets your demons make Strange Journeys

by JC Fletcher { Dec 2nd 2009 at 6:15PM }

Atlus revealed a password system for its upcoming Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, through which players will be able to trade copies of their customized, leveled-up, fused demons. In addition to being able to generate your own passwords to share your awesome demons with others, Atlus will release passwords for some rare creatures.

In addition, the updated box art image shows an M rating. Clearly, demon hunting is serious business, to be left to the big kids! As Siliconera notes, there are only ten DS games with M ratings, out of 1,366 total releases.

ESRB launches TV campaign to promote mobile ratings guide

by Andrew Yoon { Dec 2nd 2009 at 3:00AM }

In its continuing battle against apathetic parents, the ESRB is launching a brand new ad campaign promoting its mobile ratings guide (viewable after the break). Both the iPhone app and mobile website will allow searchers to get disturbing and/or hilarious descriptions of all rated games. In addition to promoting the search program, the campaign should also raise awareness of the ESRB's existence.

"I'm always choosing between what my kids want and what I think is best for them," the commercial's faux parent states. While the mobile tools should help parents make better decisions, we still think there's an even more valuable asset for parents to use: common sense. For example, you may want to ignore Timmy's suggestion to get Assassin's Creed or Modern Warfare. The titles alone should make it pretty clear these are games about killing people.

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ESRB rates Monopoly for PSP

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 30th 2009 at 7:15PM }

Good news for PSP-toting board game fans: GamerBytes recently spotted an ESRB listing for a PSP version of Monopoly. With the addition of a new version of Monopoly for the PSP -- now rated by the ESRB -- EA is close to bringing a version of the classic board game to every available gaming platform (only the DS is left out at this point). There isn't much known about the PSP version, though it does have support for up to four players. It's not clear if it will be a full retail game or a PSP Mini, though the recently released iPhone version would probably make a prime target for the Mini market.

Eye of Judgment: Legends for PSP rated by ESRB

by JC Fletcher { Nov 30th 2009 at 3:30PM }

[Game Watch]

Eager to play Eye of Judgment, the unique PS3 card game that uses the PlayStation Eye to read real cards, without the camera and the cards? Then Eye of Judgment's new PSP iteration is for you, and it appears that Sony has plans to release it in North America.

The ESRB has rated the game for North American release under the title, Eye of Judgment: Legends. In addition to implying an eventual retail release, the rating also reveals that the localization is due for a second pass with lines like, "the tremors of earth soaked in the Children of Earth in blood." Oh my.

ESRB rates SOE-published 2D brawler 'Revenge of the Wounded Dragons' [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 19th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Update: An SOE rep has confirmed to Joystiq that more details on the game will be released next Monday. Hold tight!

If it weren't strange enough that Sony Online Entertainment is listed as the publisher for recently ESRB rated PlayStation 3 side-scrolling brawler Revenge of the Wounded Dragons, we find it all the stranger that a trademark filing from last September puts Wet developer A2M in the developer's seat. The game's description, aside from pinning it as a PS3 exclusive, tells us that it's a "2D fighting game" where players will "frequently punch, kick, and throw enemies as they 'side-scroll' forward through the platform city environments."

We put our top men on deciphering this rating-wary, encrypted message, and they have surmised that the title will likely be some form of a Double Dragon clone. Reading further into the description, we see that the game follows "two brothers attempting to avenge their grandfather's death and rescue their sister from the local mafia boss." A 2D, sidescrolling brawler that follows the tale of two brothers out for revenge? You don't say! We contacted both A2M and Sony Online Entertainment for comment, but have yet to hear back.

Source 1 - ESRB
Source 2 - USPTO

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Developers frustrated with ESRB cheaters

by Justin McElroy { Nov 18th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Speaking at the Montreal International Game Summit, developers spoke out against the practice trying to scam the ESRB out of a lower rating. "They say to the ESRB that it's a Teen rating rather than a Mature to try and sell more; you can do this just by sending them a video that doesn't show the most violent stuff and then you'll get the rating that you want rather than the rating you should get," said Rémi Racine, the CEO of Wet developer A2M, according to Edge. "Maybe getting your game out at a certain rating will help that game, but it's really not going to help the industry as a whole."

For its part, the ESRB says that it regularly checks up on games post-release, and those publishers who try to cheat their way into a lower rating could be slapped with a $1 million fine.

So, while cheaters may never prosper, when it comes to those who try and cheat the ESRB, the axiom might more accurately be "Cheaters may prosper, but only for a little while, and not even really at all in the grand scheme of things." Yeah, you're right, it lacks some punch. But you get the idea.

ESRB rates Deadly Premonition for PS3

by JC Fletcher { Nov 12th 2009 at 9:55AM }

In the ancient times, when Access Games' survival horror game, Deadly Premonition, was known as Rainy Woods, it was a multiplatform PS3/Xbox 360 title. But when Ignition picked it up, it was announced as a $19.99 budget title for Xbox 360 only. However, the ESRB rating for Deadly Premonition, which lists Ignition as the publisher, shows PS3 in the list of platforms.

We're just like the game's Agent Francis York Morgan, except instead of a gruesome, unexplained murder, we're investigating an ESRB rating, and instead of looking around a mysterious town in search of clues, we've emailed Ignition. But it's the same basic thing.

Gallery: Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360)

Activision promotes ratings, educational properties of games

by JC Fletcher { Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:50PM }

While the overwhelming majority of Activision's marketing force is being put to use selling Modern Warfare 2, one component of the company is hard at work not selling it -- to kids. Activision is working with Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director for the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital (and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood), on a campaign to help parents understand ESRB ratings, called "Ratings are not a Game." The first video deals with the obvious topic of "How Can I Tell If A Game Is Appropriate For My Child And How Do I Set Play Limits."

In the second video, Olson discusses the skills and information learned from games, even those of the non-educational variety. Even if the video is sponsored content produced by Activision (and therefore isn't exactly unbiased), it's still novel to hear a reasonably positive message about games' effects on kids.

Stoked: Big Air Edition arriving Nov. 24 for $39.99

by David Hinkle { Oct 22nd 2009 at 1:02PM }

The ESRB has recently published a listing for Stoked: Big Air Edition, a supposed new and more wicked version of February's rippin' flake game for Xbox 360. To get some more info, we got in touch with Bongfish game director Michael Putz.

As Bongfish looked to the feedback from fans and as its plans for enhancing the game became more and more ambitious, the developer chose to re-release the game in a kind of "director's cut," as opposed to just patching the original game. Putz also said that since the original released in February, the retail climate wasn't as kind as it is, say, during the holidays -- hence Big Air Edition's outing on November 24.

In the new version, Putz says gamers will have access to "all new race challenges, big air/slopestyle events, speedier gameplay, new lighting and a more accommodating learning curve that removes the previous edition's 66 famepoint barriers, which locked most users out of the exciting part of the game."

Stoked: Big Air Edition will shred retail powder on November 24 with a MSRP of $39.99. Feel free to warble on over to the official Stoked blog if you wanna sun bake for a few.

ESRB rates Shin Megami Tensei MMO for US

by David Hinkle { Oct 16th 2009 at 4:00AM }

The ESRB website has posted a listing for Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online, an MMO where "players fight against or alongside demons in the post-apocalyptic (fictional) outskirts of Tokyo, Japan." The remainder of the description pretty much fits the MMO bill, as it mentions dungeon crawling, a multitude of weapons and spells, and real-time combat.

The game sounds like it's a bit on the mature side, too -- the listing mentions arterial spray, pools of blood and female demons "scantily clad, hovering in bondage-style outfits, half-open blouses, or the tightest of short-shorts." Hey, underworld, get with the times! Short-shorts haven't been cool since the Nixon administration.

Head past the break for a trailer from the Japanese release, courtesy of Aeria Games.

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ESRB rates Metal Slug XX for US release

by Randy Nelson { Oct 15th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Hey, look, it's Metal Slug ... er ... oh, right, Double X. (Sorry, had to study the sprites.) Anyway, earlier this month we brought you first word of the game -- now it's been rated by the ESRB (T for "Teen," specifically) which, as we all know, is a prelude to games being announced for domestic release.

The game's publisher is listed as SNK Corporation of America itself, seemingly indicating a digital download-only future for the title. That's fine by us -- as long as it doesn't go the way of the M.I.A. PSP minis. Seriously, where are they? Metal Slug XX hits Japan in December, so we'd expect it to roll ashore here in early 2010.

Gallery: Metal Slug XX (PSP)

PSP minis developer surprised by cost of ESRB ratings [Update]

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 9th 2009 at 5:09PM }

Here's one reason why PSP minis are more expensive than their iPhone counterparts: the ESRB. Sony doesn't enforce any control over the pricing of minis, but they do mandate getting approval from the ESRB ratings board. That, apparently, has been a significant hidden cost some developers didn't expect. "You have to invest some money into dev kits and into getting ratings for your game. The costs of ratings such us ESRB is significantly more then we had realized," Fieldrunners developer Sergei Gourski told Gamasutra. According to a posting at GameDev.net, the cost of getting an approval is $2,500. [Update: The ESRB responded to our story, correcting the price. "ESRB has a reduced fee of $800 for games that have development costs under $250,000, which would likely apply to virtually all PSP Minis."]

Content developed for the iPhone doesn't need to go through the ratings board, an oversight which, surprisingly, has yet to attract a media call-to-arms. Should the ESRB succeed in courting Apple as the defacto ratings system for the iPhone, the high cost of approval should curtail one of the largest problems facing the iPhone store today: having too much content, a sentiment shared by Minigore developer Kimmo Vihola. Vihola noted that "[Apple's] process is starting to crack from the seams," and pointed out that Sony's turnaround time on minis is much faster than Apple's store. Sony takes three to five days for approval, while Apple varies "from a couple of days to up to six weeks."

PSP Go launches with interactive ESRB guide

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 18th 2009 at 1:00AM }

The PSP Go may not be able to play UMD games, but it will be able to ... um, tell you more about ESRB ratings? SCEA is doing its part to educate consumers about the video games ratings board by including an ESRB app on each and every PSP Go system. Considering most of us are already familiar with the ratings system, this move is simply to target ignorant parents. "If you don't need it, you can delete it," SCEA's Jeff Rubenstein reminded readers of the PlayStation.blog.

While this small gesture won't sell any systems, it is a good step in the right direction. If all future consoles come with more information about the ESRB, it further cements the organization's credibility, and avoids potentially messy government regulation (as evidenced by Australia's latest debacle). However, we're sure that many of you will join us in deleting the app from the system on day one.