XBOX-HQ.COM - ESRB on the Defense

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has accused the National Institute on Media and the Family for undermining the credibility of the ratings system.
For two organizations that claim to have the same interests in mind, one would think the ESRB and NIMF would get along just fine. But the two organizations who place parents and children on a pedestal are butting heads once again.

Following the release of this year's annual Video Game Report Card, in which NIMF gave the games industry a lukewarm "C" overall, ESRB president Patricia Vance defended strides made in the ratings system and parental awareness.

She said in a statement she appreciates the praise given to the ESRB in the report (the ESRB received a "B"), but added, "...In many significant ways, this year's NIMF Report Card contradicts recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) findings related to parents' awareness, use and satisfaction with ESRB ratings, as well as retailer support of the ratings."

Vance noted how the FTC found in a recent study that 87 percent of parents were satisfied with the ESRB ratings and found them helpful.

NIMF accused the ESRB of mishandling Manhunt 2, a game that the ESRB initially rated "adults only," essentially barring the title from release in a public controversy. Developer Rockstar censored the intense violence that had been flagged, and achieved a less restrictive "mature" rating for the game months after the game was originally scheduled for release.

However, the PSP version of Manhunt 2 still contained violent content, although it was only made accessible by users who hacked into the handheld. NIMF in effect said the "ratings process has not kept up with technological advances."

Vance added in her response, "NIMF exhibits a significant lack of understanding of and, as a result, grossly misrepresents the facts surrounding last month's hack into pirated versions of Manhunt 2.

"...At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year's Report Card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings."

News-Source: Next-Gen