ESRB extends ratings with new E10+ option

The Entertainment Software Rating Board, the US body responsible for providing advisory age ratings on videogames, has announced the introduction of a new E10+ rating to help to differentiate content in children's games.

The rating is designed to separate content which is genuinely appropriate for younger children from that which is more suited to children over the age of ten, and has been introduced after consulting with child development experts.

The E10+ symbol will apply to games which have a certain degree of cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild bad language or minimal suggestive themes, according to the ESRB, and slots in between the existing E (Everyone) and T (Teen) ratings.

"We expect that many of the best selling sports, racing, and adventure games will continue to receive E ratings appropriate for ages six and older," explained ESRB president Patricia Vance.

"Games with content that may not be suitable for younger ages of six to nine, such as racing games with more extreme crashes or fighting games with super heroes, will now receive an E10+ rating," she continued.

As well as support from paediatric experts, the new rating has also been endorsed by US senator Joseph Lieberman - whose censorious attitude towards videogames has been widely reported, and is often credited as one of the catalysts for the establishment of the ESRB back in 1994.

"The ESRB has once again taken timely steps to enhance its rating system for computer and video games," the senator said in an official statement. "When used properly and consistently, ESRB ratings continue to be an effective tool for parents to understand the content of video games. I encourage parents to check the rating so that our children can play the video games that are right for them."