ESRB Survey Claims High Awareness For Ratings

According to a new survey conducted on behalf of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), 83% of American parents of children who play video games are aware of the ESRB ratings, and 74% use them regularly when buying games for their families. The ESRB's non-legislative ratings continue to come under fire in multiple U.S. States as part of violent game bills, and the recently introduced, not yet approved Family Entertainment Protection Act calls for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to determine whether games are being properly rated. However, the ESRB notes that 2006's figures are higher than those measured in the same study in 2005, when awareness and use were at 78% and 70% respectively. The study was conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in early March, and surveyed over 500 parents of children age 3 to 17 that play video games. The study also revealed that an increasing number of parents are using the ratings to restrict their children from playing games rated M (Mature). A majority of those surveyed (53%) said they “never” allow their children to play M-rated computer and video games, while 41% said they “sometimes” do. The M (Mature) rating is assigned by the ESRB to indicate that a game may be suitable for ages 17 and older. Other findings include: - 94% said the ratings are very helpful (72%) or somewhat helpful (22%) - 91% are confident that ratings accurately describe a game’s content - 72% said that the rating is the most important (31%) or a very important consideration (41%) when deciding whether or not to purchase a game - 91% say their trust in the ESRB ratings has either stayed the same (76%) or increased (15%) in the past year - More than half said they check content descriptors “every time” (35%) or “most of the time” (16%) “It’s been shown that nine times out of ten, a parent is involved in the purchase of a video game, so we’re very pleased to find that more and more parents are using the ratings to help them make informed choices about the games they bring home for their children,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance. “Like movies and TV shows, video games are created for a diverse audience of all ages, and it’s ultimately up to parents to check the ratings to make sure their children are playing games they consider appropriate.”