fbpx

ESRB Blog

Parents and children are isolating at home to stem the spread of corona virus.
Mar 24, 2020

What Parents Need to Know About Managing Their Kids’ Video Games During the Pandemic

By Patricia E. Vance, President, ESRB
ESRB retail council logo
Dec 12, 2019

UPDATE Fall 2019: ESRB Retail Council Maintains High Store Policy Enforcement

By Max Jay, Senior Manager, Communications
email icon

Keep Up to Date

Sign up for email updates to keep up to date on the latest news from ESRB.


game infographic
Jul 24, 2019

What Parents Need to Know About Loot Boxes (and Other In-Game Purchases)

By Patricia E. Vance, President, ESRB
little boy playing video graphic
Jun 21, 2019

How Parents Can Better Manage In-Game Purchases

By Patricia E. Vance, President, ESRB
father and son playing xbox together
May 28, 2019

Ratings Awareness and Use Among Parents Remain High

By Max Jay, Senior Manager, Communications
little girl playing on tablet
Apr 18, 2019

Ending the Tug-of-War Over Screen Time in the Home

By Patricia E. Vance, President, ESRB
two gamers holding to xbox controllers
Mar 12, 2019

3 Benefits of Video Games that Every Parent Should Know

By Patricia E. Vance, President, ESRB
xbox controller graphic
Jan 10, 2019

ESRB’s 2018 Rating Category Breakdown

By Max Jay, Senior Manager, Communications
1 2 3 4 5 … 15

Did You Know?

59% of the ESRB ratings assigned to physical and console downloadable video games in 2019 were either E (Everyone) or E10+ (Everyone 10+).

Learn More

Did You Know?

87% of parents who purchase physical video games for their children are aware of ESRB ratings and 77% regularly check them before buying a game. (Source: Hart Research Associates, 2019)

Learn More

Did You Know?

Most parents consider each part (Rating Category, Content Descriptors, Interactive Elements) of the ESRB rating system to be either “very” or “extremely” important when deciding if a game or app is appropriate for their kids. (Source: Hart Research Associates, 2019)

Learn More

Did You Know?

Industry guidelines, which are enforced by the ESRB, prohibit the inappropriate target marketing of Mature-rated games.

Learn More

Did You Know?

ESRB has an enforcement system which allows for the imposition of sanctions, fines (including fines up to $1 million), and corrective actions on publishers for non-compliance with its guidelines.

Learn More

Did You Know?

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission 87% of kids under the age of 17 are turned away when trying to buy an M-rated game at retail.

Learn More

Did You Know?

The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “This [ESRB rating] system does much to ensure that minors cannot purchase seriously violent games on their own, and that parents who care about the matter can readily evaluate the games their children bring home.”

Learn More

Did You Know?

The E (Everyone) rating was originally called K-A (Kids to Adults) but was changed in 1998.

Learn More

Did You Know?

The ESRB rating system has three parts – Rating Categories, Content Descriptors and Interactive Elements, the latter of which were introduced in 2013.

Learn More

Did You Know?

Introduced in 2008, Rating Summaries provide greater detail about the content in physical games rated by the ESRB, and are exclusively available on this website or the ESRB mobile app by conducting a title search.

Learn More

Did You Know?

ESRB uses more than 30 different Content Descriptors to help communicate what’s in a game.

Learn More

Did You Know?

The FTC considers the ESRB to have “the strongest self-regulatory code” among media rating systems in the U.S. and has confirmed that retailers maintain a high store policy compliance rate.

Learn More

Did You Know?

Founded in 2013 by many of the world’s leading video game rating authorities, the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) administers the first globally streamlined age classification process for digital games and mobile apps that respects the unique cultural norms of each region.

Learn More

Did You Know?

In 1999 ESRB Privacy Online (now called ESRB Privacy Certified) launched its certification program and was sanctioned by the FTC as a “Safe Harbor” under Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Learn More

Did You Know?

More than 70% of parents would be more comfortable allowing their children to download and play a game certified by ESRB Privacy Certified (Source: Hart Research Associates, 2018).

Learn More

Did You Know?

It’s never too late to have “the conversation” with your kids about what, when, and how they can play!

Learn More

Did You Know?

Activating parental controls on your children’s video game devices helps you enforce house rules, such as limiting play time, blocking games with certain ESRB ratings, and managing in-game spending.

Learn More

Did You Know?

The average gamer is between the ages of 35 and 44.

Learn More

Proud member of

Keep Up to Date

© 2021 Entertainment Software Association. The ESRB rating icons are registered trademarks of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.