Different Types of Video Game Ratings

The reason I'm doing a post on video game ratings is because I've noticed that there are some politicians out there who are going to try and lay the blame of violence on video games. Come on, be realistic here. Video game violence does not make people killers, maybe it does, I don't know. The way I look at it is this: You just gotta be careful when getting video games, especially if it's going to be played by younger children.

And those games you can play where you use online headsets, those are not so good. When kids get online and start playing with those things, they can start saying some pretty nasty stuff, and that could be considered bullying if it's insulting. But usually, it's just kids swearing because they think it's cool.

Video Games

Ratings go from:
1.)EC (Early Childhood) Young kids are able to play

    

2.)E (Everyone), meaning anyone can play them at any age

    












3.)E10+ (Kids 10 and older can play them legally)
4.)T (Teen) may deal with adult matters that teens may get, not recommended for young audiences. Possible swearing, sexuality, blood/gore, crude humor, suggestive stuff

    

5.)M (Mature) Must be 17+ to play. Definite sexuality, blood/gore, swearing, nudity, language, criminal violence, drug use, alcohol use etc

    





6.)A (Adults Only) Suitable for ages 18 and up. May include but is not limited to graphic violence, graphic sexual content, gambling

    

 

7.) RP (Rating Pending). Usually only seen on promotional stuff for new games

-Descriptors are the items in the rating box on the game that tells what's in it. Here are some common ones:

• Alcohol reference: Obviously this is references to alcohol or images of alcoholic beverages
• Animated Blood: discolored images of what could possibly be blood
• Blood: Obviously going to have real life colored blood, red as cherries
• i.e. Scarface: The World is Yours. You can use an arsenal of guns to rip people apart into bloody shreds
• Cartoon Violence: Usually seen in Early Childhood and Everyone rated games, this can go from characters getting injured cartoon style, such as having anvils dropped on them, blowing up, getting run over by trucks, etc
• Comic Mischief: Suggestive humor or comedic relief
• Crude Humor: "Bathroom" humor, things that might be considered slightly sexual or vulgar
• Drug Reference: References to drugs like Ecstasy, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, etc
• Fantasy Violence: involving human or non-human creatures doing things that are easily not able to be done in real life
• Intense Violence: This is too obvious. In games, intense violence can go from using real life weapons to blow someone's head apart into little bloody bits, to using a chainsaw to remove major limbs, any kind of human decapitation or injury or death with blood accompanying it
• Language: Using bad words, including the "F" word alot
• Lyrics: In video games, sometimes they use real life music as soundtracks. This applies to songs being used that have overall bad lyrics pertaining to something offensive, crimes, drinking, messing around with women, etc
• i.e. Grand Theft Auto series
• Mature humor: Only adults would get stuff like this. This applies to but is not limited to adult humor and sexual references
• Nudity: showing frontal male nudity, female's breasts, female's frontal nude areas, etc
• Partial nudity: showing partial images of nudity
• Real gambling: Using real money to gamble at blackjack, poker, Texas Hold 'Em, slots, etc
• Sexual content: players can get sexual favors from strippers, such as lap dances, or in games with prostitutes, players can get hand jobs and blow jobs
• I.e. The Sopranos: Road to Respect. Player can get lap dances from strippers, and watch topless strippers
• Sexual Themes: referring to sexual acts
• Sexual Violence: Showing someone getting raped or other violent sexual acts
• Simulated Gambling: players can place bets and gamble without using real world money
• Strong Language: Explicit or frequent use of swearing
• i.e. The Sopranos: Road to Respect. In the game, the F word is used A LOT in addition to swearing in Italian
• Strong Lyrics: Music that uses swearing, refers to sex, violence, drug/alcohol use, crimes, etc
• Strong Sexual Content: Frequent showings of people engaged in sexual acts, nudity, etc
• Suggestive Themes: Somewhat provocative stuff
• Tobacco Themes: showing images of tobacco-related items, ads for tobacco companies such as Kool, Marlboro, Doral, etc
• Use of Alcohol: Shows people drinking
• Use of Drugs: Shows someone shooting up heroin or drugs
• Use of Tobacco: Showing someone smoking
• Violence: Showing someone fighting, or getting dismembered by a weapon into a million little bloody pieces
• Violent References: Referring to violence