ESRB president responds to NIMF report card

ESRB president Patricia Vance has responded to the National Institute on Media and the Family's annual games industry report card.

The NIMF recently gave the industry a "C," noting that while the ESRB has continued to educate the public about its rating system, several "shocking incidents" have revealed dangerous loopholes in the ratings process.

"We appreciate their praise of the effectiveness of ESRB ratings as a tool for parents as well as our ongoing efforts to educate consumers about the ratings," Vance said in a statement.

"However, in many significant ways, this year's NIMF Report Card contradicts recent Federal Trade Commission findings related to parents' awareness, use and satisfaction with ESRB ratings, as well as retailer support of the ratings.

"In addition, NIMF exhibits a significant lack of understanding of and, as a result, grossly misrepresents the facts surrounding last month's hack into pirated versions of Manhunt 2, a game rated for ages 17 and older that carried prominent and explicit warnings to consumers about its violent content.

"At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year's Report Card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings."

The FTC's report to Congress earlier this year showed that nearly nine in ten parents with children that play videogames are satisfied with the ESRB rating system, three in four use it regularly, 94 per cent find the ratings easy to understand, and 59 per cent never let their children play Mature-rated games.

Calling the ESRB rating system an effective and reliable resource for parents, Vance said that they will continue to provide ratings that "...according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, are considered by parents to be the most useful among media rating systems for movies, music, TV and games."