Kool Stuff [6]: How Video Game Ratings Have Changed Since Mortal Kombat II
This post is part of Kool Stuff, a companion book to Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 (now on Kickstarter!) that contains interviews I was unable to do before hitting Long Live MK’s deadline. Subscribe to Episodic Content to keep up with news on Long Live MK, and to follow along with Kool Stuff as new chapters are published.
We proved years ago that the Sega Genesis version of Mortal Kombat shellacked Nintendo's Super NES port five to one at retail. The reason for that was the blood code, and the existence of MK's blood and fatalities sent parents and politicians into an uproar. We know all that.
What you might not know is that Nintendo was upset too, but not because of Mortal Kombat's gore. At least, not exactly. Nintendo was upset because Mortal Kombat turned the tide in the 16-bit console war for Sega, and Nintendo wanted to punish Sega for daring to step up and give it competition. That's why Senate hearing on violent video games in December 1993, just a few months after Mortal Monday, turned into a courtroom brawl between Sega and Nintendo.
There's a bigger picture there, however. Mortal Kombat was the game that made the industry and the mainstream consider games not as toys, but, for the first time, as entertainment. Nintendo did not believe video games could be anything but toys. That was the prevailing narrative, and given Nintendo's starring role in bringing video games back from the dead after the North American market's crash in the 1980s, they controlled that narrative. Then came Mortal Kombat, the game that proved that while kids played video games, so did older audiences such as teens and adults.
Now, the subject of Mortal Kombat being the first game rated "M for Mature," and the deleterious effect it had on what "Mature" really meant, is one for another time. The takeaway is that Mortal Kombat changed the perception of video games for the better, and that never would have happened without the Electronic Software Ratings Board, or ESRB. And that's a good thing. Parents and guardians cannot keep up with pop culture's shifting trends (who can?), and ratings act as a guide to help them determine what games might be appropriate for their children, and what games might not.
If you don't like video game ratings, consider the alternative: Censorship. Nintendo forced Midway, Acclaim, and Sculptured Software to censor home versions of Mortal Kombat. Censorship is wrong, and that means Nintendo was wrong. Better to have guides and let parents decide. That's their job anyway, right?
In writing Long Live Mortal Kombat, I reached out to the ESRB to learn more about its history, whether Mortal Kombat still received special attention the way it did in the early '90s, and how the ESRB's ratings have changed to keep pace with the rapidly changing way we played video games. Some comments from this interview can be found in Long Live Mortal Kombat, but I have included the unabridged interview here. (A representative of the ESRB responded but asked to remain anonymous so that their answers could speak for the organization, rather than risk being construed as one person's opinion.)
David L. Craddock: The ESRB was established in 1994 as a self-regulated entity that rates games based on content in order to prevent inappropriate games from falling into hands too young to comprehend them. How has that mission changed, or how has it broadened, to account for so many new games, gaming platforms, and consumer demographics?
ESRB: As you mention, ESRB was founded in 1994 as the video game industry’s self-regulatory body that assigns age and content ratings to video games and apps with a particular focus on helping parents make informed decisions about which are appropriate for their kids. Although a lot has changed in the world of video games since 1994, our mission hasn’t. That said, ESRB has regularly updated its rating system and procedures to keep pace with industry trends and parental concerns. For example, as the market for digital and mobile games expanded, to help ensure our ratings were accessible across new devices and platforms, in 2011 ESRB introduced an automated, streamlined process for assigning ratings to console downloadable games and mobile apps.
In 2013, ESRB spearheaded the creation of the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) – a groundbreaking global rating and age classification system for digitally delivered games and apps that reflects the unique cultural differences among nations and regions. The IARC rating process makes it possible for ESRB (and many other rating authorities around the world) to efficiently rate the millions of digital games and mobile apps on platforms like the Google Play Store, The Microsoft Store for Windows and Xbox, Nintendo eShop, the Oculus Store, the PlayStation Store, and EA Origin – with more to come in the future.
“A good example is another game that is frequently cited as having helped inspire the creation of ESRB: Night Trap. The content of Night Trap’s anniversary release is effectively the same, however cultural norms have evolved.”
ESRB has also expanded aspects of the rating system over the years to ensure that we are addressing parental concerns. With online-enabled games becoming more common, ESRB introduced Interactive Elements for digitally delivered games and apps in 2012, providing parents with more information about interactive features that may be of interest or concern but do not influence the rating assignment of a product. Besides age rating categories and content descriptors, interactive elements inform parents about in-game or in-app features such as users' ability to interact with each other (Users Interact), the sharing of users' location with other users (Shares Location), if purchases of digital goods or services are offered (In-Game Purchases/In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)), and/or if unrestricted internet access is provided (Unrestricted Internet). Interactive Elements were later introduced to physical (boxed) video game ratings in 2018.
Craddock: Does that mission remain the same today, or has it broadened because of factors such as the greater amount of games, gaming platforms, game developers, and game consumers?
ESRB: The mission is and always will be to provide consumers, especially parents, with age and content ratings for video games and apps that help them make informed decisions about which are appropriate for their kids. ESRB conducts annual research to ensure that we continue to address parental concerns as they evolve. In fact, ESRB’s 2020 Awareness and Use survey, conducted by Hart Research Associates, revealed that 86 percent of parents are aware of ESRB’s age ratings, and 76 percent of parents regularly use the ratings before purchasing or downloading a game. This high level of parental awareness and use has been consistent over the past 15 years.
Craddock: Are there metrics for certain ratings? For instance, if a game contains X or Y content, it must receive a T for Teen rating at a minimum.
ESRB: The ESRB assigns ratings based on the content of a game and the context in which it is presented to the player. Although each age Rating Category has its own definition, there are no formulas, per se. Every Rating Category has a spectrum of content and there will inevitably be borderline cases, which is why in such cases we will also conduct parity reviews to compare ratings assigned to previously released games containing similar content to avoid inconsistencies which can undermine trust in the system. That’s why Content Descriptors and Rating Summaries are such important resources to better understand the reasoning behind a particular Rating Category assignment.
Craddock: The original Mortal Kombat is infamous for, among other reasons, being an impetus for the creation of a video game ratings system. The MK franchise's game mechanics have evolved to grow more sophisticated, but shock and awe through violence is still at its heart. Has the ESRB had to change its standards or processes because of a Mortal Kombat game (other than the original)?
“According to a recent Hart Research survey, 83 percent of parents said that ESRB ratings accurately describe game content. Furthermore, 77 percent of parents said that ESRB ratings accurately reflect their views about the appropriateness of game content.”
ESRB: As you say, there were many factors that led to the founding of ESRB. That said, the rating process was designed to account for changes in graphic fidelity and intensity of the experience playing a game. In fact, if you conduct a rating search at esrb.org of Mortal Kombat, you will find that some games in the franchise warranted a Teen rating and some Mature. Content Descriptor assignments vary for each title to accommodate for the different types and intensity of that content, as well. As you can see, every game in the series is rated as a unique experience.
Craddock: Has there ever been a fatality, special move, or other gory spectacle the ESRB considered too graphic for an M rating and required Midway or NetherRealm Studios to change it?
ESRB: The ESRB will never require any developer or publisher to change something. If a developer or publisher receives a rating assignment that they are not happy with, they can elect to change the content of the game and resubmit it for a less restrictive rating assignment. ESRB has been assigning age and content ratings consistently and reliably for more than 25 years, and most developers and publishers are very familiar with the rating submission process and rating criteria. That said, if they are ever unsure, we are always available to developers and publishers during the development of a game to provide guidance where appropriate.
Craddock: What is the process of receiving a game from a developer and evaluating its content to determine an M for Mature rating? (I'd be grateful if a semi-recent Mortal Kombat game, such as MK11, could be used for reference, but any M-rated game will do.)
ESRB: The process is the same for all games, regardless of the Rating Category. Rating Summaries are written by our raters, so they give you a good sense of what pertinent content they reviewed while rating the game. You can also find in-depth explanations of our rating processes here and in part 6 of Content Rated By: The Oral History of ESRB.
Craddock: MK's fatalities have done virtually everything: decapitations, disembowelment, etc. Does the ESRB have hard lines for graphic violence it refuses to allow developers to cross in its games?
ESRB: Developers are free to create whatever they want, and we will assess it as objectively as possible. ESRB does not (and never will) establish and/or enforce lines for what can and cannot be created.
Craddock: Games with sexual content often receive harsher ratings than ultraviolent games like Mortal Kombat. Is it fair to say that sexual content is weighed more heavily than graphic violence within the ESRB?
ESRB: Weight is not the best term for this, but since our target audience is parents, ESRB wants to make sure our ratings accurately reflect parental views. Based on prior research, undoubtedly in the U.S., parents are generally more sensitive to sexual content and language while being more accepting of violent content; ESRB ratings take these preferences into account.
According to a recent Hart Research survey, 83 percent of parents said that ESRB ratings accurately describe game content. Furthermore, 77 percent of parents said that ESRB ratings accurately reflect their views about the appropriateness of game content. Of course, there are some parents who may have greater concern about violent content than sexual content or language, which is why we encourage parents to use all three parts of our rating system (plus our rating summaries). Our research indicates that all three parts of the system are equally important to parents.
Cradock: As a fan of movies, I've noticed that the standards for ratings, such as the line between PG and PG-13, has changed since I was a kid growing up in the '90s. How has the ESRB's standards for ratings such as T and M changed since the organization's founding?
ESRB: Having been introduced in 1968, movie ratings have been around a lot longer than video game ratings, so have had to take into account the significant changes in American cultural norms over the span of 50+ years. Cultural norms haven’t changed as much since 1994 when the ESRB rating system was introduced. That said, you can see some subtle differences in our rating assignments.
A good example is another game that is frequently cited as having helped inspire the creation of ESRB: Night Trap. Initially, Night Trap was released with an M (Mature 17+) rating with a Content Descriptor for Realistic Violence. More recently, Night Trap – 25th Anniversary Edition was released with a T (Teen 13+) rating with Content Descriptors that include Blood, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. The content of the game is effectively the same, however cultural norms have evolved, and the ESRB rating process accounts for that.
Craddock: Given how much gaming has changed since 1994, how do you anticipate the ESRB evolving to meet the industry's constantly changing standards in the future?
ESRB: The ESRB rating process is designed to adapt as industry practices and parents’ concerns about the games their children play evolve. Our mission to provide parents with trusted and familiar age and content ratings is a constant, no matter where their kids play or download video games and apps.
This post is part of Kool Stuff, a companion book to Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 that contains interviews I was unable to do before hitting Long Live MK’s deadline. Subscribe to Episodic Content to keep up with news on Long Live MK’s Kickstarter (set for March 22) and to follow along with Kool Stuff as new chapters are published.