Nintendo Discusses Content Control For Revolution

Officials from Nintendo of America have revealed that the company is planning to introduce a strict content control system to back up ESRB age classification for the forthcoming Revolution, with a password-controlled setting dictating what kind of content can be accessed. Games on the console will be given one of four ratings: E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10 and older), T (Teen) and M (Mature), as handed out by the voluntary Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) body. The game software will then contain a code indicating the rating, which will activate the control system to remain locked or unlocked. "Even though many Nintendo games are rated E, E10+ or T, we believe this kind of feature should be included in the hardware. It's the right thing to do," commented Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Game ratings are on the front and back of every game package, so families can easily make a decision about whether a game is right for them." Nintendo has traditionally always been cautious over mature content in its game, with strict control over even third party titles in the 16-bit era. This latest move is no doubt a response in part to recent high profile attacks on violent games from politicians, although none of these have involved Nintendo, whose first-party M rated games, such as Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 and Eternal Darkness for the GameCube, have been scarce. However, Nintendo's announcement also mirrors many of the other hardware manufacturers' efforts - Sony's PlayStation 2 has a relatively elementary parental control option, and Microsoft's Xbox 360 is slated to have more complex ratings-based parental controls, also mapped to ESRB ratings, and will also allow parents to block the ability for minors to play on the Xbox Live service if desired. "Nintendo has added an important tool for families in Washington state and around the world," said Governor Chris Gregoire. "This new option gives parents more information and more control over what video games their kids play and at what age."