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Video Game Age Ratings Explained: What They Mean and What They Miss
Video game age ratings are a common first reference point for parents seeking to decide whether a game is suitable for their child. But what do those labels actually mean, and how much do they cover?
What this piece covers
PEGI: The Age Label and the Icons
PEGI, the Pan European Game Information system, is the European companion to the ESRB ratings in North America. PEGI uses five age bands: 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18, to indicate the minimum age for buying the game. The idea is that parents would be able to see at a glance whether a game is suitable for their child's viewing, but not the level of difficulty.
In addition to the age label, PEGI uses content descriptors to explain why a game has got a particular rating. These icons, which should be displayed on the packaging for games bought in boxed form from stores, use visual symbols to flag up themes such as violence, sex, drugs, gambling, bad language, and fear, among others. These are designed not to act as a blanket judgment on suitability, but to enable a parent to make an informed decision, balanced against their knowledge of their own child.
ESRB: The Three-Part Label
Unlike PEGI, which advises that age ratings are not a guide to difficulty, the ESRB is clearer about its structure. The ESRB rating system is divided into three parts: Rating Categories, Content Descriptors, and Interactive Elements. The ESRB says that the Interactive Elements - which include users' ability to interact with each other, sharing users' location, purchases of digital goods or services, and unrestricted internet access - may be of interest or concern, but do not influence the rating assignment.
The ESRB's rating process for physical and digital games uses at least three trained raters, who recommend a Rating Category, Content Descriptors, and Interactive Elements. Developers fill out a questionnaire before release, which quickly assigns the game's Rating Category, Content Descriptors, and Interactive Elements, and the system has been in place since 2013.
What the Rating Tells You Well
Both rating schemes are designed to flag up triggers and themes within a game that might make it unsuitable for certain age groups. PEGI and ESRB use different forms and visual cues, but both break the levels of the game apart from its age suitability. The ESRB's Interactive Elements point to features such as user interaction, purchases, and internet access, but are also separated from the main content descriptors.
PEGI's age rating does not go beyond overall suitability, and states clearly that it is not a guide to the level of difficulty of a game. While PEGI's descriptors likely cover the nudity, violence, or sexual content of a game, they may not extend to things such as voice chat with strangers, spending mechanics, or time pressure, which emphasise the need to add the child's level of maturity into account.
What the Rating Does Not Tell You
On the PEGI system, parents should be aware that the age rating does not directly cover difficulty, time pressure, spending mechanics, or interaction with strangers, unless those thing are already flagged up by existing descriptors. While the PEGI descriptors may still cover some of these areas in its description of 'gambling', 'sex' or 'violence', parents need to take extra care to investigate spending, interaction and other online features for themselves, as well as reading the box's official guidance in full. It is also notable that PEGI appears to be less explicit than ESRB about the separation of rating and Interactive Elements..
How to Use the Box as a Starting Point
Both rating schemes tend to arrange their content and suitability guidance in a predictable order. PEGI places its 'suitable for' statement at the top of the box, with the descriptors below. ESRB places its age label at the front and centre of the box, with the Interactive Elements and Content Descriptors underneath.
When reading the box as a first reference point, Parents who have the packaging in front of them should read the age label first, and check that it is appropriate for their child. They should look for the content descriptor icons relevant to PEGI, or the ESRB rating category, which is the main age suitability guidance.
Next, parents should look for the content descriptors, which explain the context of that overall age label. Checking which theme or content has led to the age label, and whether that applies to their child, helps parents to make an informed decision. They should look for things such as violence, language or sex, and balance that information against their knowledge of their child.
After that, if there is more to read, parents should look for the Interactive Elements descriptors, which highlight things that may be of interest or concern, rather than features that have influenced the rating. These could include chat features, purchases, and internet access, which could be better looked at in more detail by reading third-party reviews or visiting the game's official website. It's particularly worth parents looking out for account sharing, spending, or the need to play with strangers, which PEGI does not rate in the same way as ESRB.
The Final Answer Depends on the Child
Of course, a label or even a detailed guide is only the starting point for parents making a decision. While ESRB and PEGI do most of the hard work, the final answer still depends on knowledge of the individual child, the specific game mode, and the internet and monetization angles involved. However, the ratings are a start, even if a guide, rather than a final, answer.