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Forums - Gaming - Should iPhone/Touch Games be evaluated by the ESRB?

 

Should iPhone/Touch Games be evaluated by the ESRB?

Yes 11 47.83%
 
No 9 39.13%
 
Indifferent 3 13.04%
 
Total:23
mike_intellivision on 05 May 2010

I think it should be optional.
After all, not all computer games go through the ESRB.
And what is the difference between Flash games and many iPhone app games (esp. freeware)?
(Other than the fact that Steve Jobs thinks Flash is evil-incarnate?)

ADDED IN EDIT -- That being said, a "big realease game" probably would be wise to go through the rating process. Such a move would ensure that it were suitable to potential buyers, particularly if it were trying to sell for a substantial price to large number of people.

Mike from Morgantown



      


I am Mario.


I like to jump around, and would lead a fairly serene and aimless existence if it weren't for my friends always getting into trouble. I love to help out, even when it puts me at risk. I seem to make friends with people who just can't stay out of trouble.

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NiKKoM on 05 May 2010

Why? Apple has a rating display 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+ below the buy app button next to summary... ESRB is voluntary.. if the developers don't want to pay up 800 dollars (or 4000) to rate them then let them.. and the games are throroughly evaluatued.. a game like Daisy Mae's Alien Buffet was pulled because of this:

too naked...



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

mike_intellivision on 05 May 2010
NiKKoM said:

Why? Apple has a rating display 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+ below the buy app button next to summary... ESRB is voluntary.. if the developers don't want to pay up 800 dollars (or 4000) to rate them then let them.. and the games are throroughly evaluatued.. a game like Daisy Mae's Alien Buffet was pulled because of this:
(Picture above -- deleted to save band width)
too naked...

Of course, this would make a good reason to use ESRB -- (semi) objective standards instead of one person's/firm's opinions.

 

Mike from Morgantown



      


I am Mario.


I like to jump around, and would lead a fairly serene and aimless existence if it weren't for my friends always getting into trouble. I love to help out, even when it puts me at risk. I seem to make friends with people who just can't stay out of trouble.

Wii Friend Code: 1624 6601 1126 1492

NNID: Mike_INTV
jarrod on 05 May 2010
mike_intellivision said:

I think it should be optional.
After all, not all computer games go through the ESRB.
And what is the difference between Flash games and many iPhone app games (esp. freeware)?
(Other than the fact that Steve Jobs thinks Flash is evil-incarnate?)

If they're PC games that are carried at retail, they do.

The difference between an iPhone OS game and freeware/flash games is that one's on a closed platform, the other isn't.  Honestly, I'm a little surprised Apple's been able to skirt the ESRB this long...



nitekrawler1285 on 05 May 2010
Vanbierk said:
nitekrawler1285 said:
Why do we even need the ESRB? I wish more people would take the time to themselves research and play games before letting their kids.

The whole point of the ESRB is to be an unbiased look at the game at hand and present what's in it in the form of a rating system...It's a difficult job, but someone has to do it because if it was up to the parents to look at every single thing a child of theirs wanted...they'd never have time for anything else but evaluation...yeah you can see a cover and guess at it, or you can play the first 30 minutes, but parents don't really have the time to dig too deep into what the kid's getting into...that's where the ESRB is a great thing...Look up the game, it gives a synopsis of what concerning things one will find in it, and done.

I think unless they are willing to invest that time and energy then they don't need to be having children. it's not that difficult to read a few reviews or play the game with the child so that even as inappropriate content may happen you can explain the proper context for such content and actions.  We just need non-lazy parents who are willing to spend time with their children.



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famousringo on 05 May 2010

As I understand it, participation in the ESRB is voluntary.

Since I'm pro-indie game development, I say ESRB ratings should in no way be mandatory for games in Apple's App Store.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

jarrod on 05 May 2010
famousringo said:
As I understand it, participation in the ESRB is voluntary.

Since I'm pro-indie game development, I say ESRB ratings should in no way be mandatory for games in Apple's App Store.

App Store is a closed platform though, Apple themselves aren't really "pro-indie game development" when you get down to it.



Ryudo on 05 May 2010

Yes they should and before some one tries to mention what apple does....Sega tried the same excuse in the early 90's but they still ended up having to abide by the ESRB. So Should Apple if they are serious about becoming a gaming contender.



famousringo on 05 May 2010
jarrod said:
famousringo said:
As I understand it, participation in the ESRB is voluntary.

Since I'm pro-indie game development, I say ESRB ratings should in no way be mandatory for games in Apple's App Store.

App Store is a closed platform though, Apple themselves aren't really "pro-indie game development" when you get down to it.

I don't see what being 'closed' has to do with it.

Apple gives away dev kits to anybody who owns a Mac and provides fast, easy access to a large and highly monetized distribution network for a $99 fee and 30% of revenues. An indie developer on an 'open' PC platform has to figure out his own methods for distributing his product and taking payment, and those are huge barriers for people who are better at programming than they are at business. In this respect, the 'restrictive and closed' platform is much more accessible than the 'open' PC platform where a developer is free to solve all these problems himself.

The whole reason why people piss and moan about the thousands of crappy games on the App Store is because the barriers to entry are insanely low for indie developers. Adding a requirement for ESRB rating would multiply up-front fees by an order of magnitude while requiring more planning on the part of the developer.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

twesterm on 05 May 2010
Vanbierk said:
twesterm said:
Vanbierk said:
twesterm said:
Vanbierk said:
Sure there's a cost associated with the evaluation, but it helps to regulate what gets to people who shouldn't have certain games in their hands...i.e. children...Think of the children, Twesterm

I'm just curious, do you know anything about Apple and how it governs the App Store?

I understand that they have a thorough process over at Apple...I just don't think a company should be responsible for their own rating system...It just shouldn't work that way...that's why there is an ESRB to begin with.  I would much rather things go through a 3rd party committee myself.

I would really up on Apple's decision process before making a thread like this.

Note that I'm not praising their decision process, I'm just saying if you actually knew how they went about doing things instead of randomly making threads, well, you probably wouldn't make this thread in the first place.

Twesterm, I didn't just wake up today and go "I think i'll make an random thread to knock Apple's game evaluation process "

 

I have actually looked into it and it really does make sense that, if they're going to keep calling the thing a portable gaming competitor...that's just one of the steps to go through...If you don't agree me on that you're by all means entitled to your opinion on the matter, but all it is on mine and your side is...opinions.

 

 

 

Reasons why I know you haven't actually thought about your idea or done any looking into it at all:

1) Getting rated by the ESRB costs money, a lot of money.

2) Apple is already *incredibly* strict about what it lets into the App store.

Those are the only two reasons anyone needs to know to know that the app store just isn't going to get ESRB rating anytime soon.  Apple likes its own rating system and already goes through its own process of allowing and not allowing apps (even removing apps after they release in some cases).

The other reason games on the app store are not going to get rated by the ESRB is costs.  An expensive app on the App Store is anything over $2.  If your app costs more than that it better be just damn awesome, otherwise, people aren't going to buy it.  The ones people use the most are the free ones and the ones that cost $0.99.  If a developer had to get rated by the ESRB App Store apps would sky rocket and people would just stop making apps.

So yeah, simply think about it for two minutes next time.