The Entertainment Software Rating Board ESRB, is teaming up with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association trade group to create a standardized rating system for mobile apps and games.
The groups teased the existence of the new new
ratings system, which will be based on age-appropriateness of their content and context, ahead of an official announcement.
There is currently no unified standard for content-based ratings across mobile platforms.
Since its creation
in 1994, the industry-backed ESRB has rated over 21,000 console and PC games released in the United States. In April, the group introduced an automated system to aid in rating the high number of digitally distributed console games.
Update: ESRB Ratings to be used for Apps
30th November 2011. See article from
business.avn.com
CTIA, the international nonprofit association representing wireless carriers, in collaboration with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), has
announced the development of a mobile application ratings system to be implemented next year.
In a press release, CTIA stated:
The CTIA Mobile Application Rating System with ESRB will utilize the well-known and
trusted age rating icons that ESRB assigns to computer and video games to provide parents and consumers reliable information about the age-appropriateness of applications. Today's announcement is an extension of CTIA's 2010 Guidelines for Application
Content Classification and Rating.
When developers submit their applications to a participating storefront they will be able to complete a detailed yet quick multiple choice questionnaire that is designed to assess an
application's content and context with respect to its age-appropriateness. This includes violence or sexual content, language, substances, etc., as well as other elements such as a minimum age requirement, the exchange of user-generated content, the
sharing of a user's location with other users of the application and the sharing of user-provided personal information with third parties.
Once developers complete all answers to these questions, their applications are rated
within seconds. Each rated app is issued a certificate and a unique identifying code that may be subsequently submitted to other storefronts during their respective onboarding processes, avoiding the need for developers to repeat the rating process. This
means consistent ratings across participating storefronts and a convenient, cost-free process for app developers.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the age-based ratings categories will be the same as those used by ESRB for video
games, adding, The carriers, which sell apps via their own storefronts---much as Apple Inc.'s iTunes sells music---are expected to roll out the ratings sometime next year. Each carrier will decide for its own store whether the ratings will be
mandatory for some or all apps, or entirely voluntary.
iPhone apps will not be covered, since Apple already has set up a far more censorial ratings system.
Also Google said publicly that it didn't make a lot of sense to sign on to the
new ratings system because it already had its own system.
ECRB ratings for video games are:
- EARLY CHILDHOOD (EC) Content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.
- EVERYONE (E) Content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may
contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.
- EVERYONE 10+ (E10+) Content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild
violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.
- TEEN (T) Content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling,
and/or infrequent use of strong language.
- MATURE (M) Content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. This
category is particularly designed to ensure that the most adult possible can be sold at many supposedly 'family friendly' retailers who refuse to stock adults only titles.
- ADULTS ONLY (AO) Content that should only be played by persons
18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity. Many US retailers refuse to carry AO titles.
- RATING PENDING (RP) Titles have been submitted
to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)