ESRB Battens Hatches For Storm Of User Created Content

With user-created content, such as maps, models and mods, coming to the PS3 and 360 with Unreal Tournament III, the ESRB’s Online Rating Notice; “Game Experience May Change During Online Play” is going to have its work cut out. Knowing how the press and ill-informed politicians over-react at the slightest hint of breasts, foul language and 3D representations of public buildings, I have to wonder if the warning will be enough.

The ESRB, at least is being practical about the whole affair, with the board’s presdient Patricia Vance saying that the notice “is intended to advise the buyer that, because the game enables users to play with others over an internet connection, they might encounter user-generated content that isn’t a part of the ESRB rating.” She goes on to say “Obviously, the ratings we assign can only apply to what the publisher creates,” and reminds parents of their responsibility to police their children’s internet and video game use. Some sense from the ESRB at least but you just know that someone is going to cause a fuss about something.
The thing about the Unreal games, and many others like them such as Quake and Half Life, is that user generated content has been around for years to a distinct lack of public outcry. I think what will make the difference in th coming months is the fact that previously, user generated content has only been available on the PC which, as everyone knows, are only for geeks and grown-ups. I have come to the conclusion that the reason people get worked up about adult content on games consoles is because the people campaigning against such content are operating under the misapprehension that a games console is a children’s toy. Until this misunderstanding is resolved people will continue to shout “What about the children!” whenever something they take exception to appears in a game.