Rating and Censorship/Research and Resources

International Game Developers Association

The process of research into the use of ratings, why they are used and on censorship is constantly ongoing. News, articles and resources here provide information on censorship and ratings, and their effect and aims.

As well as providing the general history of game ratings, there is also resources related to the pros and cons, and research into ratings, censorship, and the relationship between games and why they are rated (such as violence, crime, bad language, sex and nudity).

Table of contents 1 General history of ratings 2 Research 2.1 On ratings 2.2 On censorship 3 Resources

[edit] General history of ratings

The general timeline and history of game ratings full of information that collates the specific histories on each region and organisations, and from other forms of media before game ratings existed.

[edit] Research

[edit] On ratings

• BBFC Video Games Report BBFC, April 2007
  • Gamasutra news on the report
  • MCV news on the report
• Rated and Willing: Where Game Rating Boards Differ By Paul Hyman Gamasutra December 15th, 2005 (Originally in Developer magazine December 2005)
  • A look at 4 territories and how the ratings systems differ in each (U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Australia).
• SPA software developers join forces to create video game rating system. (Software Publishers Association, ratings for sex and violence content): An article from: Software Industry Report. SPA (Now SIIA) 1994
  • Found on Amazon, not totally sure of content.
• Video game software companies face new rating challenge; question is, who will be in charge, Sega, Nintendo, Congress, parents or SPA? (Software Publishers ... An article from: Software Industry Report Software Industry Report December 20, 1993
  • Article on the pressure and implementation of a rating board before the government intervenes.

[edit] On censorship

Links to rating censorship and news.

[edit] Resources

• Censorship in Games - Producers Roundtable Gameproducer.net, September 13th 2007
• Question Of The Week: Is Lowenstein Right? Gamasutra February 21st, 2007
  • A look at the question Doug Lowenstein posed as he left the ESA, on standing up behind controversial games in the USA (Gamasutra article as opinions on the other things Doug Lowenstein said too).
• GDC: IGDA: Murder, Sex, and Censorship: Debating the Morals of Creative Freedom Gamasutra March 24th, 2006
• GDC Radio: 'Murder, Sex and Censorship: Debating the Morals of Creative Freedom' Gamasutra August 10, 2006 (Audio of the actual panel at GDC)
  • Panel at the 2006 GDC about ratings and Censorship in the USA.
• Question of the Week Responses: Game Ratings and Government Regulation? Gamasutra July 25th, 2005
  • Game developers reply to a question about the ESRB and government regulation in the USA.
• Conversations From GDC Europe: Mark Cerny, Jonty Barnes, Jason Kingsley Gamasutra September 6th, 2002
  • Interview with Jason Kingsley about UK rating and censorship at the 2002 Europe GDC.