Happy Birthday ESRB! Fifteen years ago to the day, SEGA and Nintendo proposed the Entertainment Software Rating Board in the wake of the Mortal Kombat gore game controversy.
As Wired points out, the original ratings were:
• Early Childhood (eC): Suitable for ages 3 and over, usually educational in nature.
• Kids to Adults (K-A): May be unsuitable for players under 6.
• Teen (T): May be unsuitable for players under 13.
• Mature (M): May be unsuitable for players under 17.
• Adults Only (AO): Content considered unsuitable for minors.
The proposal satisfied US politicians, and the ESRB began rating games later that year.
Advertisement
July 29, 1994: Videogame Makers Propose Ratings Board to Congress [This Day In Tech]