Hi everyone, Does anyone have any experience with getting an ESRB rating, like how much it costs, how long the review process takes, what''s necessary - do you need to ship a boxed product to them -, etc.? Or is it necessary at all to get a rating? Thanks for any help, Mark

Their website is www.esrb.org
I dont see the info you are looking for but they do have a few email adresses listed that you might be able to contact for info (I''m sure they would be more than happy to tell you how you can give them your money )

Thanks but that''s why I want to get some info beforehand. They have virtually no information on their website for developers. Surely someone must have dealt with them before? How big a bonus is it to have an ESRB rating? Do people/parents care or really check these things? Why do they not have a fee list that you can check beforehand? I can hardly ask this stuff to ESRB for an unbiased opinion/answer...

anyone?

Mark

I have no experience with this stuff but I don''t know anyone who checks the erbs rating

If you are a responsible parent you should at least look at the rating. For the most part I won''t let my pre-teen children play a game that is rated M. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself what you think your kids should play, but the ratings do help pre-screen. I always play the games myself before letting the kids play so that I know exactly what we are getting into.

In addition, many stores (Wal-Mart for example) won''t sell M rated games (except for top 10 sellers -- yeah, it''s hypocritical).

For you kids out there (anyone without children), you''ll understand later.

I know that in some of the stores in my city they are checking the ratings and not letting underaged kids buy games.

It''s quite entertaining to watch a 12 year old try to buy the new Wolfenstein and getting a harder time than he would if he was buying porn.

(No offense meant to the 12 year olds here....)

borngamer

I''m one of those people that thinks you should let your kid play pretty much whatever they want as long as they aren''t some phycho killer. j/k