> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.killscreen.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# ESRB announces new self-report digital ratings, trolls cackle with delight
- URL: https://www.killscreen.com/esrb-announces-new-self-report-digital-ratings-trolls-cackle-delight/
- Published: 2012-10-25T13:30:16.000Z
- Updated: 2015-11-17T14:51:02.000Z
- Description: The Electronic Software Ratings Board announced a new, streamlined way to rate the flood of digital-download games washing into the market: The ESRB’s new “Digital Rating Service” gives developers and publishers access to a “brief but detailed online questionnaire” to define a product’s content, age
- Author: Joseph Bernstein
- Tags: News, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-26 09:39

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/84/2584b75d-4bd6-4cce-8259-f1d1c65abbb5/content/images/previously/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sad-toddler-boy-600.jpg)

The Electronic Software Ratings Board [announced a new, streamlined way](http://gamepolitics.com/2012/10/24/esrb-expands-game-ratings-better-support-digitally-distributed-games?ref=killscreen.com#.UIhTXGl270A) to rate the flood of digital-download games washing into the market:

> The ESRB’s new “Digital Rating Service” gives developers and publishers access to a “brief but detailed online questionnaire” to define a product’s content, age-appropriateness, interactive elements, and platforms.

The new ratings take into account age-appropriateness but also whether a game shares user data. It’s also based on a self-report questionnaire. We can envision some epic trolling. What is to prevent, say, Hotline: Miami developer Cactus from rating his game E for Everyone? “No, of course it doesn’t feature any fatal eye gougings!” And what is then preventing little Timmy from playing himself right into a visit to the child psychologist?

Jokes aside for a moment, remember that just last summer, the [Supreme Court struck down a California law](http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-study/90831/violent-video-games-supreme-court?ref=killscreen.com) that would have made illegal the sale of adult-rated games to children. Now imagine a child traumatized because of an ill-considered self-report rating. The possibilities for outrage, potential censorship (and yes, laffs) are endless.