An ESRB Rating System Guide for Parents

If your child loves to play video games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, or Xbox 360, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the ESRB rating system. The ESRB, also known as the Entertainment Software Rating Board, is a non-profit organization charged with providing content ratings for video and computer games. The ratings are indicated as small black and white symbols on the front and back of the game's box. Although submitting a title for an ESRB rating is not required, most game publishers in the United States do use this system.

ESRB ratings are somewhat similar to the ratings assigned to movies. They are used to indicate a rough indication of age-appropriate content, although you may wish to set different house rules depending upon factors such as your personal religious beliefs and your child's maturity level.

The ESRB ratings:

• EC means that the material is appropriate for early childhood, or children over three years of age.
• E means that the material is appropriate for everyone, although the ESRB defines this as children over six years of age.
• E 10+ is a rating that indicates the content is acceptable for children ages 10 and up.
• T indicates that a title should be suitable for anyone over 13.
• M means that the ESRB considers a game appropriate for people ages 17 and up. The title may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.
• AO indicates that a title is for adults only. This is the top level of the rating system, used only for games with prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.
• RP means that the ESRB has not had a chance to evaluate this title yet -- the rating is still pending. However, this notation is only used on promotional materials for games. By the time a game is available for sale, you'll be able to access its official rating.

You can learn more about the criteria used to assign ESRB game ratings by visiting the organization's website.

Technically, stores are not supposed to sell games with M or AO ratings to children. However, one recent survey found that 50 percent of young teens were able to successfully purchase games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Therefore, it's best to make sure your child understands your rules for game purchases instead of relying on stores to monitor his/her media consumption.