Take heed, purchasers of online gaming software.  Video games are not all asteroids and ping pong anymore.  Many online games have plot lines more intricate than a full-length feature film, and with such details often come foul language, violence, and nudity.  Yes, nudity exists in games.  Keep in mind that target audiences for online video games aren’t kids; they’re adult males who have the disposable income and free time on their hands to indulge in this sort of pastime.  Games of this nature are targeted towards this group, but the availability of these games invariably results in younger video game players getting their hands on them.  Thus, a rating system was developed for video games, much like the rating system for movies but actually much more specific.

The need for a rating system arose when games started getting more adult in nature.  Parents were buying games for their kids, not realizing that these games depicted violent scenes, sometimes of a sexual nature.  The rating system now in place lets parents know in a very specific nature what sort of material is in the game.  A general rating is prominently displayed on the front of the game’s box, and on the back there is a more specific listing of the contents. 

The general rating falls into one of five categories.  Categories range from games suitable for preschoolers, to games for teenagers, all the way up to games that portray violent acts and sexual brutality.  There is also an additional category for games that are not yet released, similar to the “Not Yet Rated” status many movie previews have.

The first rating is EC, which stands for “Early Childhood”.  These are games that are designed for preschoolers and other small children, and are usually educational in nature.  There should be no mature content whatsoever in these sorts of games, naturally.

The second rating is E, which stands for “Everyone”.  This means the game is probably no worse than the Saturday morning cartoons with regards to violence and monkey business.  Players aged six and older should be fine to play this sort of game.

The third rating is T, which stands for “Teen”.  This is where snippets of mature content begin to filter in, with violence and suggestive themes becoming a possibility.  War games and other violent games often receive this rating as long as the violence is not exceedingly gory.

The fourth rating is M, which stands for “Mature”.  These games are restricted to players aged seventeen and older.  The violence in this category of games is more graphic in nature, and there may be sexual themes not suitable for younger ages.  Partial nudity can be featured in a game and receive this rating, as can some instances of drug and alcohol use.

The fifth and last rating is AO, which stands for “Adults Only”.  Games given this rating may contain gory or sadistic violence, some of which may be sexual in nature.  Some games in this category also feature the explicit use of alcohol and illegal drugs.  Some gambling games receive this rating.   In no way, shape, or form is a game in this category suitable for children.  These games are available to adults over the age of eighteen.

The listings on the back of the box, which accompany the game’s ratings, give more specifics with relation to the contents of the games.  If a game receives an M rating the potential buyer can scan the back of the box to find out why the rating was given.  For example, some games rated M are rated this way simply based on the instances of violence, and there is no sexual themes or drug use.  Some M games, however, have the distinction of featuring all the defining factors of the rating, such as intense violence, blood, strong language, sexual themes, nudity, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.  It’s best to know these sorts of things before logging on to play the game, as some of these features may come as an unpleasant surprise for uninformed consumers.  

 Who decides what ratings the games receive? The Entertainment Software Rating Board is the entity that reviews games and assigns ratings.  This non-profit organization makes it possible for people to make informed decisions when selecting an online game for purchase.