Parents and Gamers may wonder how the ESRB comes up with the “E”, “T”, “M” or a publisher’s worst nightmare, the “AO” rating for videogames.

Gamasutra.com recently interviewed Patricia E. Vance, President of the non-profit ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). “This Game Is Not Yet Rated: Inside The ESRB Ratings System”, is a great article for those seeking answers to questions like: How does the ESRB rate games? Who are the people behind the ESRB rating? Do ESRB raters actually play the game? How many ESRB raters are there? What kind of training does the ESRB rater have or go through?

Click HERE for the full Article.

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The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has announced that it will reject Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2. It will not issue an age rating. This will make it illegal for the game to be sold anywhere in the UK.

The BBFC made the following statement:
Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent (high-end) video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.” “Against this background, the Board’s carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2, on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public.”

The (much less strict) ESRB has not rated the game yet, but it is safe to assume that Manhunt will be rated “AO” for “Adults Only”. The ESRB rating makes the game legal to be sold in US Retail stores …from where on up it will ultimately find its way into the hands of minors.

Manhunt 2 will be available for PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii and is scheduled for July 2007.

We highly recommend for Parents to talk to each other on what games they feel are appropriate to play for their children. You will be surprised what type of games your child plays when he/she is “over at the neighbor kids”. We find this especially important during the summer month when minors often spend hours (more or less unsupervised) in front of the screen.

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GameDailyBiz reports that awareness and use of the ESRB ratings on video games is increasing. Some interesting statistics that came out of the study performed by Peter D. Hart Research Associates:

• 87% of parents find it “very important” to be able to monitor and regulate what their children watch, read and play.
• Other than ESRB ratings, parents turn to packaging, other parents, or their children as the top three sources of information about games.

We think ESRB ratings are important here at Kid Confidence. We also think that a community of parents sharing experiences and learning from each other can provide an even better view of what games our children should be playing.

What do YOU think?

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Set Limits and Maximize Their Experience, Their Fun, and Their Education

It has been proven that the right video games can give children practice in following instructions, in problem solving and logic development, as well as help them to develop their fine motor skills and spatial skills.[1] This provides parents with a powerful tool they can use to help their children develop essential skills and learn important educational lessons, all the while ensuring their children associate learning with fun.

It’s a win-win situation, with many video games providing learning experiences that are as enjoyable as they are beneficial, and one that has prompted video games to soar in popularity and become commonplace in many US households, with a recent report showing that 45% of heavy video game players and nearly a third of avid gamers are in the 6- to 17-year-old age group[2].

Given that so many young children are playing video games, parents will want to get involved and work to ensure their children have access to games that are right for their age group and appropriate for their learning level.

Where do Parents Start?

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