SOFTWARE RATINGS 341
20.10 CHAPTER SUMMARY
Software age ratings ensure that the game content is appropriate for the target
audience. Extremely violent or controversial games should be available only to
adults, and the content in children’s games should not contain inappropriate top-
ics or realistic violence. This chapter discussed the process for submitting a game
for a rating and presented information on what type of content is appropriate for
each rating.
Software Ratings Resources
Here are some resources for the software ratings boards and other associations
involved in game classification.
Software Ratings Boards
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Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)—www.esrb.org
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Pan European Game Information (PEGI)—www.pegi.info
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PEGI Online –www.pegionline.eu
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Unterhaltungssoftware SelbstKontrolle (USK)—www.usk.de
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Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC)—www.oflc.gov.au
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Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO)—www.cero.
gr.jp
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Korean Media Rating Board (KMRB)—www.kmrb.or.kr
Classification Boards
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Video Standards Council (VSC)—www.videostandards.org.uk
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British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)—www.bbfc.co.uk
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Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media
(NICAM)—www.nicam.cc
Software Publishing Associations
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Entertainment Software Association (ESA)—www.theesa.com
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Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE)—www.isfe-eu.org
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The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association
(ELSPA)—www.elspa.com
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Syndicate des Editeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs (SELL)—www.sell.fr
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Asociación Española de Distribuidores y Editores de Software de
Entretenimiento (ADESE)—www.adese.es