Games will be produced with a target audience in mind (This is something I will need to think about further on in my research, once I have a clearer idea for my game). All commercial game developers and publishers will need to think about this, for example, if they are aiming their product at 12 year olds, they do not want the game to be rated higher than that, so will have to keep violent and gory themes to a minimum.
Most regions have a ratings board, for example, games released for sale in America will have been rated by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). Games to be released within Europe will be rated by PEGI (Pan European Game Information) and New Zealand and Australia have a similar system with the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) rating their games. Japan has the CERO (Computer Entertainment ratings organization) and most British games will usually be rated by PEGI, however the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) will also occasionally rate video games. These boards are usually government funded in some way and are put in place to help parents make informed decisions on what games they are buying for their children.
The way in which these games are rated differs between rating boards, the two main boards, PEGI and ESRB choosing to use different ratings to distinguish games. Below I have shown examples of their rating systems.
Pegi rates in age categories, for example 12’s or 18’s, much like films are rated, whereas ESRB uses ratings such as ‘teen’ and ‘mature’ for theirs. These are both iconography as they are widely recognisable by gamers.
Both of these rating systems serve well as a way to deter younger gamers from violent and gory themes. This is done because young players are deemed vulnerable and easily imposed upon. The hypodermic needle theory implies that the media we see in society can have a direct and powerful effect on the audience it is viewed by, the use of powerful and positive words are often used in advertising to persuade viewers into buying a product, or thinking they need it. After the clockwork orange murder case, people are becoming more and more concerned about the effect of violent movies, books and video games on the people viewing. The games industry in particular is often criticized for making kids ‘violent’ due to the game play within them. Germany, has made the decision to ban all violent video games rated 18+, this was put in place after a school shooting. Video games are now highly regulated and Germany has its own rating board for this. I will be looking further into the effects of video games at some point, along with escapism and why people choose to play video games in the first place.
During official TV trailers, the rating is usually shown at the beginning or the end, this is done to show viewers what content deemed for a certain age group is contained within the game. Each ratings company has a variety of themes that contribute to their overall rating, for example, sexual themes, violence, substance use and violence, along with others such as gambling. The overall rating for the game is compromised of how mild, if at all, these themes are implemented into the game play.
Legal affairs associated with the advertising of the game, state that all game play or footage captured for the poster or trailer must be suitable for everyone, if shown before the watershed or in a place where under aged people may view it. If I decide to make a violent, mature rated game, this will be something I will need to keep in mind.
Another thing I will need to be keeping in mind is copyright. I will need to produce my own graphics and use my own, or royalty free music in the production of my game and my trailer.
Next I will be deconstructing the packaging of three video games, this will help me find some common conventions within them, which will be useful when designing and planning my final product.
Good work, you are clearly thinking about institutions and legal restraints. Keep up the good work - you time management is also excellent!
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