Following a verbal lashing this week from California assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) today said it was launching an investigation into Rockstar Games’ best-seller Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas to determine whether the game contained sexually explicit minigames hidden in its code....

80% of parents reported to pay attention to ESRB ratings. esrb ratings. According to a new survey by video game publisher Activision, nearly 80% of parents with children who play video games pay "close attention" to the ESRB rating system, conquering the conventional thought that the ratings do not have an impact on most parents.. Chicago (IL) - According to a new survey by video game publisher Activision, nearly 80% of parents with children who play video games pay "close attention" to the ESRB rating system, conquering the conventional thought that the ratings do not have an impact on most parents. ESRB ratings, which include "E for everyone", "T for teen", and "M for mature", are similar to the movie ratings from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The ESRB has been at the forefront of the ongoing legal battle against the video game industry....

ESRB reportedly ramps up game trailor monitoring. esrb ramps up game trailor monitoring. After a whirlwind with Rockstar's violent Manhunt 2 game, the ESRB now appears to be taking bigger steps to restrict game trailers. Washington (DC) - After a whirlwind with Rockstar’s violent Manhunt 2 game, the ESRB now appears to be taking bigger steps to restrict game trailers. The ESRB says it is only following industry standards set in place under the Principles and Guidelines for Responsible Advertising Practices, which also apply to movie trailers. The crackdown on these previews also comes just days after the ESRB refused to give an "M" rating to the controversial Manhunt 2 game, instead deeming it violent enough for a restrictive "AO" rating....

Now, all games will install into a single folder and will display the corresponding ESRB ratings to the right of the game logo. Parents can choose to deny all games to their kids or block games at or above a certain ESRB rating. ESRB ratings have often been criticized as being too broad and - let’s face it - Mature and Teen really don’t give that much information. Vista will include granular ESRB controls to block games that match the ESRB content descriptors like "Violence", "Nudity", or "Blood". The OS will also let parents block an ESRB rating, but then give an exception to the rule....

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) initally gave Manhunt 2 a rating of "AO" (Adults Only), which essentially bans it from retail stores. That allowed it to receive a Mature rating from the ESRB, the equivalent on an R-rated movie, but activist groups are outraged, saying the game is still too violent. The less violent version of the title has already been banned in the UK. Last week the game came under even more scrutiny when users of the PSP version were able to access the original, uncensored content that the ESRB deemed too graphic for underage players. ESRB president Patricia Vance stood behind the M rating, though, saying it was "still valid". ABC reports it received a statement from Target that says, "While ’Manhunt 2’ was given a ’Mature’ rating by the ESRB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code....

In its report, the NIMF gave the ESRB a "C", noting dangerous loopholes that have caused "shocking incidents" in video games that concealed graphic moments from the ESRB rating process. Much focus was given to Manhunt 2, which originally received an "AO" (Adults Only) rating, the ESRB’s most restrictive. However, the NIMF still chided the ESRB for not being stricter on the graphically violent PS2 and Wii title, especially because of hacks that unlock more violent content....

Meanwhile, in the US, it seems the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) wanted to give the game an "AO" rating, which means virtually all retailers would not sell it. Rockstar is also the name behind the most well-known ESRB scandal, when gamers unlocked hidden scenes in Grand Theft Auto : Vice City that were never meant to be seen. This caused stores to remove all copies of the game, the ESRB changed its Mature rating to AO, and Rockstar faced a huge legal controversy. Now the company says it "has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii and PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the BBFC and ESRB."...