ESRB Ratings - a resource for writers

In the UK, the ratings board maintains a list of words you should be aware of in your script. However, in the US, the process is more general. There are no specific words that will automatically tip a game into a certain rating.

ESRB bases their decisions on the "overall effect" the game has. The ratings board is basically asked to evaluate whether a game is appropriate for various age groups. They don't see themselves as censors as much as categorizers and say it's pretty easy to tell when a developer is trying to sugar-coat a game. They don't base their decision on a checklist of features, they take into account the overall effect and mood of the entire game.

For instance, Lego Star Wars received an E rating, but in their submission form included all the details of how body parts go flying when a character dies. In a game with photo-realistic art, this would have a completely different effect, and the ratings board says they want to be able to be flexible enough to take these kinds of variables into account.

The submission form is 25 pages long and asks for a lot of details, including the frequency of each factor. The submission also requires a VHS video of the game being played, and should include the most extreme examples - as well as give the board a sense of the overall feel of the game. The video is often only around 45 minutes long.

Your script may also be sent to the ESRB as part of the submission materials - along with song lyrics, manuals and hint books. The entire script will usually be sent, with the pertinent bits highlighted. So when you're writing your script, keep in mind that it won't only be read by internal developers.

Since the submission form is so detailed and long, here is a quick summary of the parts directly impacting the writing - mostly quoted verbatim from the form.

• The submission form asks for the frequency (frequently/occaisionally/never) in which the following events occur:

  - Crude or vulgar acts
  - Acts of discrimination or racism
  - Sexual violence, rape, or attempted rape
  - Suicide
  - Torture

  And asks for a description of the degree of control the user has over these events.

• The form asks for the frequency (frequently/occaisionally/never) of the depiction of sexually suggestive material, including:

  - attire
  - dialogue
  - sounds
  - behavior
  - references
  - exaggerated body parts

  And going into more detail, it asks for the frequency of the depiction or _reference_ to any sexual act, whether explicit or implicit.

  Again, it asks what degree of control the user has over the sexual activity.

• References to controlled substances must also be included on the form. This includes references to:

  - smoking and chewing tobacco
  - alcoholic products or other liquid substances with similar properties
  - any real-world or fictional substance with perception-altering qualities whether prescribed, over-the-counter, fake or illegal.

• The form asks the developers to describe how frequently (again, frequently/occasionally/never) "pertinent language" occurs in dialogue and in the soundtrack. This includes, "all language or other form of communication that is potentially offensive, rough, impolite, profane, or otherwise objectionable" - even if those words are "bleeped out." This includes (but is not limited to):

  - swearing
  - sexuality
  - controled substances
  - discriminatory remarks
  - blasphemy
  - racial slurs

  This includes relatively mild terms such as "damn" and "hell" and all language that can be heard, read or seen in the background and have double or veracular meanings.

• Even the jokes you make are going to be picked apart and rated. From the submission form: "Pertinent humor includes gross, scatological, sexual or racial references and slapstick used for comedic effect." And again with the frequncy of:

  - slapstick
  - bodily functions depicted, overheard, described, or mentioned
  - sexual humor
  - racial humor
  - other pertinent humor

• Also be aware that your writing will be evaluated if it includes "gambling advice or instruction" - real or simulated.