Age Ratings for Games

A place to discuss things that aren't specific to any one creator or game.
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redeyesblackpanda
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Age Ratings for Games

#1 Post by redeyesblackpanda »

How do you guys determine what ages your game is appropriate for? What do you consider and how much does it matter?

I think that it could be beneficial to compile everyone's opinions on what matters and to what degree. If there were clear guidelines for our age ratings, I think we could all understand what type of a game we're playing.


Here are some of the things I wonder about:

If a story is very sad, but not graphic, will the age rating go up and by how much?
Is "damn" all ages or 13+ (or even higher?) Does the frequency matter, or is it just the inclusion?
What about other words? (Might want to spoiler tag them, :lol: )
How much gore makes something rated high? Does even the slightest presence of blood make something at least 13+?
If something can be interpreted as perverse, but only to perverse people (as in little children would read it and see nothing strange at all ) does the story a higher age rating?
Violence. How much and what kind leads to what age rating?
If something is incredibly frightening, but not graphic an any way, does it get a higher age rating? How scary does it have to be to get what rating?
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#2 Post by LVUER »

You're talking about video games, right? Since different media have different rating system. Even video games have different system according to countries that use it. Like US uses ESRB, Japan uses CERO, Europe uses PEGI. I believe there are other rating systems (like Australia ACB, etc).

Here's the links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainm ... ting_Board
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_E ... ganization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Europe ... nformation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian ... tion_Board

What's determine the rating? The content, obviously. And remember that one same game could have different rating in different countries. One game could be allowed in one country, but banned in other.
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#3 Post by gekiganwing »

If you are trying to sell a game, then ratings will matter. If you're creating freeware, then ratings may be important.

In terms of films and video games, there are various organizations which assign content ratings. There are a lot of controversial topics which result from this... And as LVUER said, there are times when the organizations disagree. For instance, check Wikipedia's page on SMT3: Nocturne. Notice that CERO gave this game an "A" for all ages, PEGI assigned it a 12+, and the ESRB thought it deserved an "M" for mature content.
redeyesblackpanda wrote: If a story is very sad, but not graphic, will the age rating go up and by how much?
Is "damn" all ages or 13+ (or even higher?) Does the frequency matter, or is it just the inclusion?
What about other words? (Might want to spoiler tag them, :lol: )
How much gore makes something rated high? Does even the slightest presence of blood make something at least 13+?
If something can be interpreted as perverse, but only to perverse people (as in little children would read it and see nothing strange at all ) does the story a higher age rating?
Violence. How much and what kind leads to what age rating?
If something is incredibly frightening, but not graphic an any way, does it get a higher age rating? How scary does it have to be to get what rating?
1. I wouldn't consider depression to be a mature topic. But if the story involves issues such as suicide and psychological torment, then I can understand needing to add a content warning.

2. Cursing is difficult to measure. It can make dialogue seem authentic... but it can be a really lazy way to make writing seem more "mature." I'm not sure what to suggest.

3. Gore: unless a character gets injured by accident, or unless it's being played for comedy, I'd say this is a reason to add a content warning.

4. Implied sex / sexuality: well, there is this thing called parent service. There are examples of genuine kids' media which also include stuff to keep parents interested, such as implied relationships or attractive characters.

5. Violence: depends what you show, and how it's portrayed. Can honestly range all the way from cartoonish fighting all the way to realistic warfare and gorn.

6. Horror: again, I'd say it depends. There are forms of mild horror that exist in kids' media. There are forms of strong, disturbing horror in media for adults. There is probably something in between as well.

Three other things worth mentioning...

Casual, non-sexual nudity is a real thing. If you choose to include it, then you may want to add a mild disclaimer, just so your audience understands your intention.

If romance is an aspect of your game, consider how you'll portray it. Does it lead to implied sex scenes? If so, make sure to warn your audience.

If you decide to include explicit sex, then that does merit a clear content warning. But at the same time, it can range from two people having romantic, consensual sex all the way into very NSFW topics and themes.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#4 Post by DaFool »

I was 12 going on 13 when I read Roots, Grapes of Wrath, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

So having depressing/sad topic doesn't have to affect rating, unless it deals with extreme violence or sexual abuse, then usually it's 15+

18+ is just for genitals.

That's it from me.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#5 Post by OtomeWeekend »

^ seconds DaFool. I read BL since I was 13 for example. :'D And most of people around my age reads ousama game and other mature-themed novels at school even if they are not in the age for it. You just put the ratings as a warning but it depends on the person itself in the end anyway.
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#6 Post by tuna_sushi »

I played an all-ages game that said "F***"
but it's translated from another language, so it's mostly the translator's fault -_-

damn is 7+ for me :p

OPINION:
For me, I don't exactly measure the age ratings because of words, but violence and the sexual content. :oops:

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#7 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

redeyesblackpanda wrote: 1.If a story is very sad, but not graphic, will the age rating go up and by how much?
2. Is "damn" all ages or 13+ (or even higher?) Does the frequency matter, or is it just the inclusion?
What about other words? (Might want to spoiler tag them, :lol: )
3. How much gore makes something rated high? Does even the slightest presence of blood make something at least 13+?
4. If something can be interpreted as perverse, but only to perverse people (as in little children would read it and see nothing strange at all ) does the story a higher age rating?
5. Violence. How much and what kind leads to what age rating?
6. If something is incredibly frightening, but not graphic an any way, does it get a higher age rating? How scary does it have to be to get what rating?
1. Ever heard of the Newbery Medals for children's books? They award "excellence" in writing novels for children. The winners of these awards seem to share a lot in common . . . .
"The dog always dies. Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down."
These books routinely kill cherished relatives, innocent childhood friends, pets, and several include sexual molestation. They are also all on the reading list for elementary students. I'd say as long as you don't off the main character, you can go as sad as you want and still be be in a young age category.

2. You can include cursing (some Disney films have fleetingly), but you need to consider why you would want to. Children normally don't curse, and most adults censor themselves around children. Some people will get very upset about any cursing in something meant for children, because there is a certain age bracket of child that loves to repeat any new words they hear like this.

Harry Potter had mild cursing, but VERY sparingly. Some "bloody hells", a few "bastards", and one "bitch" screamed in a moment of rage by one of the characters.

I'd say if you can do without cursing, do so. It loses any punch if a common fixture in the work, and doesn't add much realism. If you write well, most people won't even notice you've not included swears - after all, there are a lot of ways to indicate anger that don't involve profanity.

3. This is were you'll start running into cultural disparities. Some European countries are very against any blood or gore in a work meant for children, while in America most people aren't going to think much of it as long as it isn't excessive. Most people aren't going to mind a little blood where appropriate, but there shouldn't be any dismemberment or focus on the gore if the work is meant for children.

4. Used sparingly, this is a good way to sneak in entertainment for adults you know will be watching or participating in something with their children. You've got to be REALLY subtle with this, because children are clever little people that get smarter when you aren't looking. (Every parent has an embarrassing moment when they realize spelling words out to each other isn't keeping them from the children anymore!) Pixar is good to look to for this sort of thing - the implication that some of the toys thought Ken was gay in Toy Story 3 for example. Whatever you do, it shouldn't be too perverse, because a lot of parents will be offended by something actually raunchy in something meant for children, even if it is very subtle.

5. Depends. Cartoon violence? Real violence? Seen or read? As long as this isn't the focus of the work and you don't go into the gore category discussed above, most parents probably won't mind much, especially in America. Anything that glorifies real guns or something like that isn't going to fly for children though - there is a reason everyone in the cartoons seems to have laser guns.

6. Kids love being scared. As long as it isn't gory, go for it. Book series like Goosebumps, Fear Street, etc. were all massively popular with young children and focused on scary events and stories. Kids tell ghost stories at camp and at school on Halloween. When I was in elementary school a teacher even read a story (from a children's book of scary stories from the school library) to us about a murderer that ground people into sausage. Then she served us sausage biscuits after! No one complained, and we loved it. Even as kids we'd laugh and say stupid stuff like "Yum! People taste awesome!" (Age 9-10 years.)


J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are a great example of writing for different age levels. Rather brilliantly, the age appropriateness of each book is the same as Harry's age in each book, with the first death in the series corresponding close to the age of puberty (coming of age). By the last book (when Harry is 17-18) the reading level is nearly purely adult, with philosophies, deaths galore, sacrifice, and themes of hatred, lust, love, jealousy, etc. explored and analyzed.

Rowling is also a great example to look to because she never wrote down to children and made a work that simultaneously appeals to all ages.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#8 Post by redeyesblackpanda »

Hm... children can take a lot more than I thought they could! These are some pretty useful opinions. Thanks everyone!
I'm glad. I think one of my games can still be considered all ages.
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#9 Post by Old Hero »

As far as VNs go, most people who play/make them are mature/old enough to handle them in the first place., considering that most VNs feature sexual content, and most everyone who wants to make a VN has decided to after reading one. Some kids are more mature than some adults, even. There are some exceptions, obviously so just to answer the questions anyway:
If a story is very sad, but not graphic, will the age rating go up and by how much?
Is "damn" all ages or 13+ (or even higher?) Does the frequency matter, or is it just the inclusion?
What about other words? (Might want to spoiler tag them, )
How much gore makes something rated high? Does even the slightest presence of blood make something at least 13+?
If something can be interpreted as perverse, but only to perverse people (as in little children would read it and see nothing strange at all ) does the story a higher age rating?
Violence. How much and what kind leads to what age rating?
If something is incredibly frightening, but not graphic an any way, does it get a higher age rating? How scary does it have to be to get what rating?
1) Depression levels shouldn't have to do anything with age rating. If they cry because they're sad, isn't that the point?

2) No.

3) Depends. If it really isn't perverted, but can be seen as such, then nah, but if it actually IS inappropriate, then yeah.

4) Violence I don't think really matters too much, either.

5) No. It's scary for a reason. Unless they're like five and can't get to sleep at night.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#10 Post by papillon »

considering that most VNs feature sexual content
When you're looking at the genre as a whole, maybe. When you're looking at officially licensed English translations of Japanese games, yes. When you're looking at free English games? Absolutely not. There are a lot of recent fans who are quite young and have never gone near the H. :)

Official rating systems often have rules about strong language. The exact rules depend on which rating system you're using! There will be players who are shocked and upset by the use of strong language, there are others who don't care. Better to put an 'includes strong language' warning than to worry about the exact age rating of it though.

Under the ESRB the slightest hint of blood does push the age rating up, quite possibly to Teen but I'd have to check the rules. Similarly, they make a distinction between cartoon violence (A rabbit hits a raccoon over the head with a giant carrot. No one looks hurt), fantasy violence (My little knight figure swings its sword at a dragon, which sizzles and disappears), realistic violence (Person punches other person. Other person bleeds/bruises), and graphic violence (nasty gore stuff). This is my vague recollection, if you actually wanted to follow their rules you'd have to read their rules first.

Really, an age rating tells you nothing. If you have specific content in your game that you think might bother people, include a content warning rather than trying to find a magical age listing to cover it.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#11 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

papillon wrote:
considering that most VNs feature sexual content
When you're looking at the genre as a whole, maybe. When you're looking at officially licensed English translations of Japanese games, yes. When you're looking at free English games? Absolutely not. There are a lot of recent fans who are quite young and have never gone near the H. :)

Official rating systems often have rules about strong language. The exact rules depend on which rating system you're using! There will be players who are shocked and upset by the use of strong language, there are others who don't care. Better to put an 'includes strong language' warning than to worry about the exact age rating of it though.

Under the ESRB the slightest hint of blood does push the age rating up, quite possibly to Teen but I'd have to check the rules. Similarly, they make a distinction between cartoon violence (A rabbit hits a raccoon over the head with a giant carrot. No one looks hurt), fantasy violence (My little knight figure swings its sword at a dragon, which sizzles and disappears), realistic violence (Person punches other person. Other person bleeds/bruises), and graphic violence (nasty gore stuff). This is my vague recollection, if you actually wanted to follow their rules you'd have to read their rules first.

Really, an age rating tells you nothing. If you have specific content in your game that you think might bother people, include a content warning rather than trying to find a magical age listing to cover it.
Content descriptors are the best things ever. The ESRB rating system is considered one of the best in the world because of them.
Animated Blood - Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood
Blood - Depictions of blood
Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts
Cartoon Violence - Violent actions involving cartoon-like situations and characters. May include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted
Fantasy Violence - Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life
Intense Violence - Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons and depictions of human injury and death
Violence - Scenes involving aggressive conflict. May contain bloodless dismemberment
Violent References - References to violent acts
I would agree with Papillon that the genre does not need sexual content. A lot of critically acclaimed VNs actually later have the sexual content stripped out - which proves they didn't need it to begin with. Kana Little Sister for example, which now has a non-hentai PSP version. It's one of the few VNs that actually caused me to shed some (manly) tears. The sexual content just detracted from it all. I don't know why they made it that way originally - the game makes you want to hug the little sister, not "hug" her. They may have felt like you do and added the sexual content because it was "expected" but it was a mistake.

If you want to make a game with sexual content, go for it! But don't try and add it in because you think people expect it of the genre.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#12 Post by cracklings »

I use fictionratings.com standards. I don't know how long it's been around I'm not sure how much street cred this thing has, but a lot of livejournal-based fan fiction writers I read use this standard.

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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#13 Post by Celianna »

cracklings wrote:I use fictionratings.com standards. I don't know how long it's been around I'm not sure how much street cred this thing has, but a lot of livejournal-based fan fiction writers I read use this standard.
That's online fiction, and only applies to fanfiction.net and fictionpress.com (they used to use the MPAA ratings until they were forced to come up with their own), it's a different kind of media, with different rules. For example, describing nudity just isn't the same as showing it visually. Hence why there's so much porn to be found in fanfiction ...

The ESRB rating system is good enough for games, and by that I mean the descriptions. I like it much more when they mention what is in the game, instead of saying 'A 17 year old and below can't see this', that doesn't tell me anything.
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#14 Post by Taleweaver »

LateWhiteRabbit wrote:Pixar is good to look to for this sort of thing - the implication that some of the toys thought Ken was gay in Toy Story 3 for example.
Very possible if he was Earring Magic Ken.

That much said, age ratings of any kind are a necessity if you want to publish games, even freeware ones. Your audience needs to know what target group you go for, and you don't want Pokémon-age teens to accidentally stumble into something like Narutaru just because it looks like it could be for them.

How you actually rate your games is your own decision and may vary wildly depending on your own society, beliefs and intentions. (If you actually want 11-year-old girls to read your Narutaru, you're one sick, sick person...)
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Re: Age Ratings for Games

#15 Post by papillon »

Narutaru
*rocks back and forth in traumatised memory*

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