For games that launch as digital-only in countries that use the ESRB ratings board, a free rating is given to them via their Short Forms process. However, once June rolls around, the ESRB plans to cease offering this. This will mostly affect independent developers that have games that are made on a low budget, as registering for an ESRB rating can cost $1000-3000 for them. There is a way to circumvent this, though, as digital games can still get a free International Age Ratings Coalition (IARC) rating, which is accepted on the Nintendo eShop, Microsoft Store, and Google Play Store. IARC ratings notably leave out the PlayStation Store, which still require games have an ESRB rating to be allowed to be sold on PlayStation systems.

Source
ESRB ToS

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Ah I see, yeah I think I did have to fill that out at some point as I got an email telling me I had to do it.
Even though my app isn't even a game... Is putting age ratings on non-game software normal?

It's not normal on other digital stores AFAIK, but the Play Store now requires all apps to having a rating for some reason, even things like a standard file manager. So things like Google Calendar will have an E for Everyone rating, or Play Music has a T for Teen rating because of potential "explicit content" and such.

It's rather silly IMO, but eh whatever lol.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

It's not normal on other digital stores AFAIK, but the Play Store now requires all apps to having a rating for some reason, even things like a standard file manager. So things like Google Calendar will have an E for Everyone rating, or Play Music has a T for Teen rating because of potential "explicit content" and such.

It's rather silly IMO, but eh whatever lol.

I mean, I don't think it's a bad idea, since all software is perfectly capable of having explicit content. Even in apps like a file manager, you could be getting porn ads, it's not common to see them anymore but I'm sure it's happened. And for stuff like a PornHub app it's pretty obvious... So obvious that it shouldn't even need an age rating, but it does make it easy to use parental protection so kids won't be able to download stuff they're not supposed to.
And then there are less obvious things like image board/gallery browsing apps, where you could come across explicit content by accident, it helps to have a rating to tell you about that in advance.
I thought it was a bit odd when I published my app and had to set an age rating but it kinda makes sense. Didn't make much sense for my specific case since it was an IRC client and any content in the app comes from the servers you're connected to, but I felt the lowest rating (3+) would be the most appropriate since the app itself doesn't contain anything explicit nor does it facilitate viewing/reading explicit things, and you'd have to be intentionally going to those kind of channels to find stuff like that. But I wasn't exactly sure what I should rate it, it's a bit unclear with apps like that. If I was Nintendo then I'd probably rate it 12+/15+ or something because Nintendo is scared of anything that lets kids communicate with strangers.

 

[J-Machine]

i bet microsoft paid the esrb in some way to make this happen (playstation not having the free option after all)

 

[tbb043]

Do they have any other choice? Is there an age rating board for games in america other than ESRB?

There used to be the RSAC with the little thermometers and self applied ratings, but console makers pretty much ignored it for some reason despite being much more common sense. They were on a bunch of PC games, but apparently went under around 99.

Sega also had their own rating system in the 90s before cucking switching to ESRB.

 

[Arras]

I'm going to say no, here... Sony has always had some disdain with cross platform. Not counting games like FFXIV, they've usually said no.. I mean they're allowing Fortnite now, but not to Xbox.. Which is asinine.

... And if MS were "winning" I doubt that'd have stopped their acquisition of Mojang.. Their Play Anywhere program... And how open they've been about this.

I don't think they always did. Look at portal 2 on PS3 - it even came with a free steam copy. Microsoft blocked cross play for it though. Nowadays they do seem to prefer blocking it, yeah.

 

[Deleted member 420418]

After this esrb won't have any money coming in or people using their service anymore.

 

[ando2011]

The usual scenario runs

*politicos*
Oh look the most traditionalist voter base is doing the *rabble rabble rabble* thing about some new thing the kids are into.

*politicos*
Hey [new thing the kids are into] industry. Don't make us come over there.

*[new thing the kids are into] industry*
Whoa it's OK we will set up our own self governing body.
Commonly also seen is a massive overreaction at this point

*politicos to traditionalist voters*
Look, we made the nasty [new thing the kids are into] industry shape up and be policed by themselves so it does not even cost you tax money, also no worries about free speech either. Go back to stroking your religious books lovingly and don't forget to vote.


We saw it with film. In the US this was the Hays code


With comics in the Comics Code Authority


Music wise it varies a bit as that comes and goes (music in and of itself has been around so long it can no longer be scary, subgenres on the other hand... Jazz, Rock n roll, metal, rap and more all had their time being blasted)
but if I am linking videos then Dee Snider and PMRC has to be done.


TV kind of went the reverse at times -- all those nice toy commercials in the 80s and 90s came more from a relaxing of such codes, though you can still get occasional gems in cartoons of that era (I did have an xmen animated series clip where it makes sure to spell out the sentinels were not a government thing as you can't be seen to go against them).

Thanks for those links, I watched all 3