Attorney General's News Release

November 19, 2008

Attorney General’s Office urges parents to check ratings before purchasing computer or video games for kids this holiday season

Jefferson City, Mo. - As the holiday season approaches, the Missouri Attorney General's Office is urging parents and other consumers to check the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating before purchasing computer or video games as gifts.

The rating symbol is located on the lower front of the game box and informs consumers of the age group for whom the product is appropriate. There are six different categories:

• Early Childhood (EC), denoting games which may be suitable for ages 3 and older;

• Everyone (E), which may be suitable for ages 6 and older;

• Teen (T), which may be suitable for ages 13 and older;

• Mature (M), which may be suitable for ages 17 and older; and

• Adult (A), which may be suitable for adults only.

In addition, the content description - which is located in the black and white box on the back of the package - gives consumers detailed information in terms of violence, sexual themes and language. If there is no box, the rating board believes the content does not require comment.

The Attorney General's Office says shoppers need to make sure they understand what's in the games their kids will be playing, just as they know what movies they see and books they read. The ESRB age ratings and content descriptions provide consumers with the details they need to decide what games are right for them. Game shoppers are urged to use these ratings this holiday season and throughout the year.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, 40 percent of Americans expect to purchase a computer or video game this year, and a majority of those games are purchased during the holiday shopping season.