Is the ESRB going far enough to protect game developers from the people who modify their games? Should the ratings board be more clear about the "modability" of an ESRB-rated game? Cathode Tan and Curmudgeon Gamer recently touched on the subject of a Forza Motorsport 2 user's offensive paintjobs wondering why normally inaccessible content in games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas warranted re-ratings from the board, but offensive hate speech in a user created car don't see similar scrutiny.

While the flap over the Forza Motorsport 2 content may still be too young, it raises some interesting questions. Does the ESRB need to extend its warning to consumers beyond the "game experience may change during online play" splash screen? It would be much easier for a gamer to come across content that causes offense in a game like Forza 2 than to witness the unfinished "adults only" Hot Coffee mod material.

I would tend to agree that games that have the ability to see user created content added to the game and its online experience need to be more clearly labeled by the ESRB, at the very least in attempts to better inform consumers and to protect the industry's developers. What do you think about new ratings for games that are more open to user created content?

Call the ESRB! [Curmudgeon Gamer]
Why wouldn't the ESRB act on Forza? [Cathode Tan]

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