ESRB Releases Videogame Rating Search Widget

[Andy Chalk]

ESRB Releases Videogame Rating Search Widget

The Clearspring Technologies [http://www.esrb.org]to launch a new ratings search widget that can be freely downloaded and used for ESRB ratings searches on web pages and blogs.

The widget is customizable by color and size, and supports English, French and Spanish languages. It is designed to be easily embedded into websites, blogs and social networking services like Yahoo! Widgets [http://www.facebook.com].

"Our single most important message to consumers, particularly to parents, is that they should always check a game's ESRB rating when considering a purchase or rental for their children," said Patricia Vance, ESRB president. "Parents are hungry for this information, and research shows that three-quarters of parents regularly check ESRB ratings when making purchases or rental decisions about which games to bring home. Our ratings search widget makes checking the rating that much more convenient. We're very excited to be offering this widget with the help of Clearspring."

"Last year, the ratings search feature of our website was incredibly popular, with more than four million ratings searches having been conducted," she continued. "There's clearly a huge appetite among consumers for ratings information, and providing this widget will make it that much easier for them to make informed purchase or rental decisions."

The ESRB's new videogame rating widget provides instant desktop access to ratings for more than 14,000 videogames. For more information or to get a widget of your own, head over to ESRB.org [http://www.esrb.org/about/widget/widget-consumer.jsp#step1].


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[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I really want this to do some good, but it won't.

 

[AspenSubie]

nope...no good at all.

 

[m_jim]

I think that their heart is in the right place, but if a parent wouldn't look on the box to check a rating, I have to wonder if that parent would download an application on his or her computer to do the same thing.

Also, cool points for consecutive posts from Trigun avatars

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I agree m_jim. And Wolfwood>Vash, IMO.

 

[AspenSubie]

yeah yeah wolfwood is cooler

 

[Andy Chalk]

But the ESRB's position is that the majority of parents do look at their ratings, so simplifying the system even further - not only do you not have to get off your fat, lazy ass to look up a rating, but now you don't even have to surf to another website - will be convenient for the bulk of parents, and encourage its use among those who thus far haven't bothered. Remember that the parent doesn't necessarily have to install the widget himself; it can be installed on blogs, news sites, anywhere that has anything to do with games. The onus is ultimately still on the parent, but isn't that how it should be anyway?

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I understand their position, but parents are too easily persuaded, despite the M rating, that video games are exclusively for children, and I don't see how this will change thet.

 

[m_jim]

But the ESRB's position is that the majority of parents do look at their ratings, so simplifying the system even further - not only do you not have to get off your fat, lazy ass to look up a rating, but now you don't even have to surf to another website - will be convenient for the bulk of parents, and encourage its use among those who thus far haven't bothered. Remember that the parent doesn't necessarily have to install the widget himself; it can be installed on blogs, news sites, anywhere that has anything to do with games. The onus is ultimately still on the parent, but isn't that how it should be anyway?

When you said "widget," I was thinking of those little Mac downloads of the same name. So it would be something akin to a pop-up on game ads online? If parents are really getting more involved in what their kids play, or even playing themselves with the market expansion of the Wii, this might bring about a bit more awareness. Anything that puts the ball in the parents' court is fine by me.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I understand their position, but parents are too easily persuaded, despite the M rating, that video games are exclusively for children, and I don't see how this will change thet.

Thats' a pretty sweeping statement, and I think it misses the fact that the newest generation of parents is largely made up of people who grew up with videogames themselves. The stereotypical parent who doesn't understand the technology, has never played videogames and wouldn't know the difference between a 360 and a Wii if they both held signs and kicked them in the ass will eventually - and fairly soon - be a thing of the past. This widget isn't going to revolutionize the industry or the ESRB's role in it, but I think it's a pretty decent step in the ESRB's long and ongoing journey to bring widespread awareness of our hobby to non-gamers.