In response tothe storyof the ESRB’s call for the removal of theDark Sectortrailer due to its “excessive or offensive content”, we got in touch with them for an explanation. While we got an e-mail back from them fairly quickly, a thorough explanation it unfortunately was not.
Hit the jump for exactly what it said, and exactly why more information is needed for us to be satisfied over this one.
The ESRB’s Advertising Review Council (ARC) regularly monitors game ads and trailers to make sure that they adhere to industry-adopted Principles and Guidelines for Responsible Advertising Practices ( http://www.esrb.org/ratings/principles_guidlines.jsp), which were established in 2000. Since 2005, ARC guidelines have required that trailers for M-rated games on publisher websites be displayed behind an age gate to help restrict viewing to those visitors who are 17 and older. Game publishers are also required to use best efforts with respect to ensuring the presence of age gates on third party websites that display their M-rated game trailers. If a third party site insists on carrying a trailer for an M-rated game without placing it behind an age gate, our guidelines require the publisher to request that such trailer be removed and/or provide an edited version of the trailer to be used in its place.
However, the mere presence of an age gate does not permit a publisher to simply put whatever content it wishes into the trailer. All trailers must still conform to ARC’s Principles and Guidelines, which prohibit the display of excessively violent content or any content likely to cause serious offense to the average consumer. When ESRB notifies a publisher that the content in a trailer is in violation of these ARC requirements, or that there is an age gate issue on a third party site, that publisher then must notify third party sites to rectify the problem. The notices issued recently by game publishers to third party websites are simply that – steps in a chain of publisher compliance with ARC guidelines and the ESRB enforcement system that have been occurring since their establishment seven years ago.
– ESRB president Patricia Vance
Okay, so there’s not much in the way of specific details relating to this individual case, but whathavewe got?
Well we start with an explanation that M-rated game trailers have to be hidden behind an age gate (Those “How old are you?” forms you’ll often find before online trailers) to be acceptable for viewing online. That’s only right, and it’s obvious how a lack of such a measure would be a definite problem for a trailer likeDark Sector’s. The thing is though, according toGaming Today, therewasan age gate on the trailer.
And of course, while the gory weapon-use in the trailer is fairly obvious, we have to ask ourselves whether it’s really any worse than the content of the dozens of other action game trailers out there, and if so, does the level of violence the trailer depictsreallyjustify a recall? After all, the ESRB’s guidelines even allow age-gated trailers to be be run forAO-rated games. With this in mind, it is perplexing indeed that the level of violence inDark Sector‘s trailer was deemed extreme enough to need this sort of action. And what’s even more confusing is that essentially the exact same trailer is still available onDark Sector‘sofficial site, with a status ofRating Pendingat that.
This whole situation is still very strange, and the response from the ESRB is too vague to really clear things up. That’s perhaps unsurprising, given that Destructoid and Gaming Today both recieved what appears to be the same standard reply in relation to the issue, and it’s worth pointing out that that reply didn’t come directly from Patricia Vance herself, but is in fact a statement from her chosen by a press relations guy at the ESRB. In light of this, we’d really like to find out more, and fully intend to.
If cases like this are allowed to go by without the specifics being questioned, eventually no-one will know where they stand and messy precedents will be set for the future. Ratings and related processes have to be carried out openly and with public understanding, or the whole thing can getdangerously secretive. To this end, we’re working on contacting the ESRB for a more thorough explanation.
With the trailer disappearing so soon after the start of theManhunt 2debate, after being cleared for use since last year, it’s understandable thata lot of peopleare assuming some sort of muscle-flexing on the part of the ESRB right now. If that’s the case, then we’ve got a major problem on our hands and a definite reason to be wearing snowshoes, given the slippery nature of the slope we now stand on. If not, then it’ll be better for everyone involved that the real reasons behind this come to light as soon as possible. Here’s hoping there’s a good explanation.
