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Activision promotes ratings, educational properties of games

by JC Fletcher { Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:50PM }

While the overwhelming majority of Activision's marketing force is being put to use selling Modern Warfare 2, one component of the company is hard at work not selling it -- to kids. Activision is working with Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director for the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital (and co-author of Grand Theft Childhood), on a campaign to help parents understand ESRB ratings, called "Ratings are not a Game." The first video deals with the obvious topic of "How Can I Tell If A Game Is Appropriate For My Child And How Do I Set Play Limits."

In the second video, Olson discusses the skills and information learned from games, even those of the non-educational variety. Even if the video is sponsored content produced by Activision (and therefore isn't exactly unbiased), it's still novel to hear a reasonably positive message about games' effects on kids.

Stoked: Big Air Edition arriving Nov. 24 for $39.99

by David Hinkle { Oct 22nd 2009 at 1:02PM }

The ESRB has recently published a listing for Stoked: Big Air Edition, a supposed new and more wicked version of February's rippin' flake game for Xbox 360. To get some more info, we got in touch with Bongfish game director Michael Putz.

As Bongfish looked to the feedback from fans and as its plans for enhancing the game became more and more ambitious, the developer chose to re-release the game in a kind of "director's cut," as opposed to just patching the original game. Putz also said that since the original released in February, the retail climate wasn't as kind as it is, say, during the holidays -- hence Big Air Edition's outing on November 24.

In the new version, Putz says gamers will have access to "all new race challenges, big air/slopestyle events, speedier gameplay, new lighting and a more accommodating learning curve that removes the previous edition's 66 famepoint barriers, which locked most users out of the exciting part of the game."

Stoked: Big Air Edition will shred retail powder on November 24 with a MSRP of $39.99. Feel free to warble on over to the official Stoked blog if you wanna sun bake for a few.

ESRB rates Shin Megami Tensei MMO for US

by David Hinkle { Oct 16th 2009 at 4:00AM }

The ESRB website has posted a listing for Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online, an MMO where "players fight against or alongside demons in the post-apocalyptic (fictional) outskirts of Tokyo, Japan." The remainder of the description pretty much fits the MMO bill, as it mentions dungeon crawling, a multitude of weapons and spells, and real-time combat.

The game sounds like it's a bit on the mature side, too -- the listing mentions arterial spray, pools of blood and female demons "scantily clad, hovering in bondage-style outfits, half-open blouses, or the tightest of short-shorts." Hey, underworld, get with the times! Short-shorts haven't been cool since the Nixon administration.

Head past the break for a trailer from the Japanese release, courtesy of Aeria Games.

Continued →

ESRB rates Metal Slug XX for US release

by Randy Nelson { Oct 15th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Hey, look, it's Metal Slug ... er ... oh, right, Double X. (Sorry, had to study the sprites.) Anyway, earlier this month we brought you first word of the game -- now it's been rated by the ESRB (T for "Teen," specifically) which, as we all know, is a prelude to games being announced for domestic release.

The game's publisher is listed as SNK Corporation of America itself, seemingly indicating a digital download-only future for the title. That's fine by us -- as long as it doesn't go the way of the M.I.A. PSP minis. Seriously, where are they? Metal Slug XX hits Japan in December, so we'd expect it to roll ashore here in early 2010.

Gallery: Metal Slug XX (PSP)

PSP minis developer surprised by cost of ESRB ratings [Update]

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 9th 2009 at 5:09PM }

Here's one reason why PSP minis are more expensive than their iPhone counterparts: the ESRB. Sony doesn't enforce any control over the pricing of minis, but they do mandate getting approval from the ESRB ratings board. That, apparently, has been a significant hidden cost some developers didn't expect. "You have to invest some money into dev kits and into getting ratings for your game. The costs of ratings such us ESRB is significantly more then we had realized," Fieldrunners developer Sergei Gourski told Gamasutra. According to a posting at GameDev.net, the cost of getting an approval is $2,500. [Update: The ESRB responded to our story, correcting the price. "ESRB has a reduced fee of $800 for games that have development costs under $250,000, which would likely apply to virtually all PSP Minis."]

Content developed for the iPhone doesn't need to go through the ratings board, an oversight which, surprisingly, has yet to attract a media call-to-arms. Should the ESRB succeed in courting Apple as the defacto ratings system for the iPhone, the high cost of approval should curtail one of the largest problems facing the iPhone store today: having too much content, a sentiment shared by Minigore developer Kimmo Vihola. Vihola noted that "[Apple's] process is starting to crack from the seams," and pointed out that Sony's turnaround time on minis is much faster than Apple's store. Sony takes three to five days for approval, while Apple varies "from a couple of days to up to six weeks."

PSP Go launches with interactive ESRB guide

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 18th 2009 at 1:00AM }

The PSP Go may not be able to play UMD games, but it will be able to ... um, tell you more about ESRB ratings? SCEA is doing its part to educate consumers about the video games ratings board by including an ESRB app on each and every PSP Go system. Considering most of us are already familiar with the ratings system, this move is simply to target ignorant parents. "If you don't need it, you can delete it," SCEA's Jeff Rubenstein reminded readers of the PlayStation.blog.

While this small gesture won't sell any systems, it is a good step in the right direction. If all future consoles come with more information about the ESRB, it further cements the organization's credibility, and avoids potentially messy government regulation (as evidenced by Australia's latest debacle). However, we're sure that many of you will join us in deleting the app from the system on day one.

ESRB: Dragon Quest Wars draws near

by JC Fletcher { Sep 14th 2009 at 4:00PM }

Right above Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (!!!) on the ESRB ratings page, a listing for Dragon Quest Wars reveals that Square Enix is considering a North American release for the DSiWare game.

Dragon Quest Wars is a simplistic strategy game in which players control teams of four monsters, each trying to destroy the other teams or invade their bases (represented by a goal line). It's developed by Intelligent Systems, which makes it sort of a Nintendo/Square Enix collaboration. And it's got online multiplayer! It seems like a nice diversion while we wait to hear anything at all about Dragon Quest IX.

ESRB: Sing about urine and unprotected sex in SingStar Latino

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 5th 2009 at 2:00AM }

Looks like Sony is expanding its SingStar library once again with SingStar Latino, an upcoming Spanish-language karaoke collection for PS2 and PS3. The ESRB description reads like a Harlequin novel at times, referencing "tight pants, bikini tops, bra-like tops, shirts/dresses that expose deep cleavage" and even more scandalous -- "touching breasts and crotch, grinding and gyrating hips." Is it getting warm in here?

The ESRB also highlights some lyrics that are simply bizarre when taken out of context. One song seemingly encourages unprotected sex, according to the ESRB's translations: "Y no me hables de sexo seguro" [And don't talk to me about safe sex.] The full song -- Chenoa's "Cuando tu vas" -- is about love over sex.

As for this lyric? "Mi agüita amarilla...Mo ja las ca lles...Y la empie zo a mear." [My little yellow water...It wets the streets...And I start to pee.] We can't even fathom how to explain that one. Watch both music videos after the break.

Continued →

ESRB reveals Data East arcade collection on Wii and more

by JC Fletcher { Sep 3rd 2009 at 1:16PM }

A bit of a news roundup from the ESRB today. First off, the ratings board revealed a collection of Data East arcade games for Wii, called Data East Arcade Classics, containing Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja (!), Burger Time, Caveman Ninja, Street Slam, Secret Agent, Magical Drop III, and more, published by Majesco. It would appear that Data East (or G-mode, the company that holds the rights to Data East's games) doesn't feel like charging 8 bucks for each game on the Virtual Console Arcade.

Other surprises include Crash 'N The Boyz: Street Challenge (which was known as Crash 'N The Boys: Street Challenge on the NES), the Kunio (River City Ransom) sports game, and Tomena Sanner, the intriguingly quirky-looking one-button WiiWare running game from Konami!

[Image credit]

ESRB rates Oddworld, Blood Omen and others for PSN

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 1st 2009 at 5:00PM }

The ESRB has proven to be the unacknowledged PR firm for the announcement of Sony's PSOne Classics -- today, the ratings board released its biggest onslaught of upcoming PSN titles to date, including such gems as:

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Cool Boarders 3
International Track & Field
Oddworld: Abe's Exodus
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Pandemonium!
Syphon Filter 2
Um Jammer Lammy

Some of these ratings are new -- however, Um Jammer Lammy has already been released in Japan, and Blood Omen and Pandemonium! were actually given ratings last March before mysteriously disappearing from the ESRB site. Hopefully, their resurfacing is indicative of their swift arrival -- we're jonesing for some old fashioned, Silicon Knights-branded Vampiolence.

[Via CVG]

FCC considering universal game ratings, ESA unimpressed

by Richard Mitchell { Aug 28th 2009 at 10:00PM }

According to a Bloomberg report, the FCC will soon begin looking into the development of a universal rating system that would span television, games and mobile phone content. Unsurprisingly, the move comes in response to a Congressional call to see whether inappropriate content is harming children and if the current laws are adequate to protect them.

The Entertainment Software Association, according to the report, has previously stated that the FCC has no jurisdiction over video games. In a statement given to GameSpot, ESA senior vice president for communications and industry affairs Rich Taylor stated that the current ESRB rating system is "considered by parents, family advocates, the Federal Trade Commission, and elected officials as the gold standard in providing caregivers with the information they need to make the right choices for their families." He added further that a new universal system would "confuse consumers, violate the Constitution's first amendment, and are a solution in search of a problem."

We might also add that television, video games and mobile phone content are -- with few exceptions -- different forms of media. After all, it doesn't really make sense to use the same scale to judge both Batman: Arkham Asylum and your "Yakety Sax" ringtone. Or does it?

Source - Bloomberg
Source - GameSpot

ESRB rates 'AO' version of Manhunt 2 for PC

by David Hinkle { Aug 24th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Violent game poster child Manhunt 2 is headed to Windows PC according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board's online database. It appears to contain slightly different content from that found in 2008's M-rated console releases, as the PC entry has been rated "AO - Adults Only." Manhunt 2 initially had an AO rating in the States, but it was later changed to Mature (thus allowing it onto store shelves).

Will the PC game feature all of the stuff that was deemed too mature for consoles? We've put in word to Rockstar for clarification and will update the story when we hear something.

ESRB: 2K Games making point-and-click 'Axel and Pixel' for Xbox 360 [update]

by Justin McElroy { Aug 24th 2009 at 12:31PM }

An OFLC listing spotted by superannuation and a similar ESRB listing (pictured above) point to a new point-and-click adventure called "Axel and Pixel" being developed by ~~2K Czech, the studio behind~~ ~~Mafia II~~ [Update: 2K was kind enough to clarify that the game is being made by another Czech dev called Silver Wish Games.] According to the ESRB (which rates the game "E for Everyone"), players will "guide an artist and his dog through surreal and abstract environments." The game apparently presents environment puzzles that involve "redirecting a ray of light, throwing rocks at birds, and spraying water at a creature."

Unlike the OFLC listing, the ESRB entry indicates only the Xbox 360 as a platform, so it would seem that the game is exclusive to Microsoft's console (and a potential candidate for XBLA), at least for the moment.

Square reboot Thexder NEO revealed by ESRB listing

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 24th 2009 at 10:45AM }

Square Enix has its finger in a whole lot of pies right now -- but if a recent ESRB listing is any indication, the developer might be preparing to sully its digits in yet another pastry. Said listing is for a PS3 and PSP title called Thexder NEO -- a new entry in a classic Square-developed franchise, which first appeared on the prehistoric NEC PC-8801 platform before making its way to PC and NES. Considering Square held the reins of this IP back in 1985, we're assuming the company will develop this new title -- but until we get more details, there's no way to be sure.

According to the ESRB listing, Thexder NEO is "a side-scrolling action game in which players control a transforming robot through a series of maze-like levels." Stop right there, ESRB listing. You had us at "robot."

ESRB rates new DS Assassin's Creed

by JC Fletcher { Aug 20th 2009 at 10:00AM }

The ESRB has revealed that, in addition to the PSP spin-off, another handheld Assassin's Creed game is on the way -- a DS Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles follow-up called Assassin's Creed II: Discovery. Could this be one of the "elements concerning the Assassin's Creed license" to which Yves Guillemot referred?

It sounds less like a direct sequel to the first Assassin's Creed DS game and more like a companion piece to the console Assassin's Creed II, a belief based only on the fact that the ESRB content description notes that it is "set during the Renaissance." The only other useful information in the content description is that it's a "side-scrolling action game," which could mean the same kind of mostly side-scrolling play found in Altair's Chronicles.

We're not surprised that Ubisoft hasn't said or shown anything related to this game. The company was similarly reticent about the first DS Assassin's Creed game -- after announcing it in October 2007, we didn't see a single screenshot until January, a month before its release.

[Via GoNintendo]