ESRB: Only 6% Of 2007 Titles Received Mature Rating

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Perhaps parents would be happier about their kids playing video games if they realized just how few titles held the dreaded "M" (Mature) rating label.

According to the most recent ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) newsletter, it seems that 2007 saw a significant decrease in Mature-rated titles. Furthermore, the ESRB rated 1,563 titles last year (22% more than in 2006), and they claim that 94% of the ratings "assigned were appropriate for ages 13 or younger." That's 8.5 of every 10 titles rated that would be okay for pre-teens. Of course, they are including "T" (Teen)-rated games in those statistics, and that rating includes those between the ages of 13 and 16. It's clever wording to be sure, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Joystiq heard from an ESRB representative regarding this matter, and the rep said the growth of E-Everyone games are due to a "recent influx of casual games for the PC, handheld devices, online arcades, etc." But the bottom line is pretty straightforward- despite all the moaning and groaning, only about 6% of all titles rated in 2007 received the M-Mature rating. So the next time you hear some ignorant politician droning on about how "all" video games are unnecessarily violent, you've got some numerical ammunition.

2/7/2008 Ben Dutka

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