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Evaluation Essay

The document discusses the effectiveness of the video game rating system. It argues that the current system does not work for three reasons: 1) Younger children are playing mature games that are intended for older audiences because parents ignore ratings. 2) Many violent games are rated too lightly and receive lower ratings than they deserve, confusing parents. 3) Highly realistic games can blur the line between reality and fiction for some players. The essay concludes that a new rating system or more defined ratings are needed to better protect players, especially children, from inappropriate content.

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353 views3 pages

Evaluation Essay

The document discusses the effectiveness of the video game rating system. It argues that the current system does not work for three reasons: 1) Younger children are playing mature games that are intended for older audiences because parents ignore ratings. 2) Many violent games are rated too lightly and receive lower ratings than they deserve, confusing parents. 3) Highly realistic games can blur the line between reality and fiction for some players. The essay concludes that a new rating system or more defined ratings are needed to better protect players, especially children, from inappropriate content.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Ryan Rice

Mrs. Frere

English 1010

3 April 2017

Rated E for Everyone. This simple, yet important phrase tells customers a lot about the

type of game they are looking at. The Entertainment Software Rating Board, also known as the

ESRB, rates video games on the content that they have and uses these ratings to suggest the

audience for consumers (Entertainment Software). These ratings are to protect the younger

generation from being exposed to inappropriate material, however many consumers ignore these

ratings. The video games rating system is not effective because the younger generation is playing

games designed for older audiences, games are receiving ratings that are deceiving, and video

gamers are failing to realize the difference between the virtual and real world.

Today, children are playing video games that are intended to reach an older audience.

These children, and their parents, ignore the rating system that exists to protect the younger

generation from inappropriate scenes and language. By ignoring the ESRB, parents are taking a

chance with mature video games that could affect their children. There are a few parents, like

Linda Coffman, who follow the ratings the ESRB sets. Coffman also admits, however, that her

sons probably have been exposed to stronger content outside of the house" (Woodman).

Children that follow the ratings that the ESRB sets protect themselves from explicit content.

Many video games today are inappropriately rated. This can cause confusion among

parents. The ESRB rates video games into six categories: Early Childhood, Everyone, Everyone

10 and Up, Teen, Mature, and Adults Only (AO) (Harbour). Many violent video games, as

Jonathan Harbour has noted, are judged lightly, and are given ratings lower or higher than what

they should be (Harbour). This causes confusion for parents that are trying to monitor what their

kids play, as a game that is rated Teen could hold content found on Mature games. The same
Ryan Rice

Mrs. Frere

English 1010

3 April 2017

could be said for games rated Mature. The popular gaming franchise Grand Theft Auto

contains many themes that should label it as something that belongs in the AO category

(Harbour). These types of video games need to be redefined to protect the younger generation

and to prevent companies from targeting younger audiences.

Video games can affect the way a child sees reality. Many video games today have

graphics that make the game look real and the realism of these games has caused some video

gamers to become confused between reality and fiction. In the past few years, there have been

instances of young teens driving stolen cars, like a certain video games series (Molly). These

children are unable to tell the difference between reality and fantasy and begin to commit crimes

that impact their entire life. The realism of a game needs to be considered in the rating of a game

because the more realistic a game is, the more likely the audience will believe it correlates to real

life.

The current rating system for video games does not work. Parents do not follow the

guidelines set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which can lead to some children

playing games with mature content. The video games rating system also has an issue because

many violent video games are simply labeled, Rated M for Mature when they do not deserve

that rating. Finally, people can lose themselves in the realism that some games possess causing

harm to themselves and to those around them. Video games need a new rating system or more

defined ratings to help consumers protect themselves from violent and inappropriate video

games.
Ryan Rice

Mrs. Frere

English 1010

3 April 2017

Works Cited

Entertainment Software Rating Board. "ESRB Ratings." ESRB Ratings, www.esrb.org/. Accessed

2 Apr. 2017.

Espejo, Roman, editor. Violent Video Games. Farmington Hills, MI, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At

Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

Harbour, Jonathan. "The Video Game Ratings System Is an Ineffective Regulation." Media

Violence, edited by David M. Haugen and Susan Musser, Detroit, Greenhaven Press,

2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010153269/OVIC?u=owin94235&xid=b346892d.

Accessed 20 Mar. 2017. Originally published as "The ESRB Rating System: A Gamer's

Perspective" in The Journal of Advancing Technology, vol. 4, Summer 2006.

Molloy, Mark. Boy, 11, leads police on 'Dangerous' car chase after Grand Theft Auto

session. The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 30 Nov. 2016,

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/28/boy-11-leads-police-dangerous-car-chase-grand-

theft-auto-session/. Accessed 3 Apr. 2017.

Woodman, Tenley. "VIDEO GAME RATINGS SYSTEM MAKES GRADE with PARENTS . . .

OR DOES IT?" The Boston Herald, 15 Nov. 2005, p. 003. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A138722444/OVIC?

u=owin94235&xid=481c1449. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

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