Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

January 14, 2010 -

70.0% of parents pay “close” attention to videogame ratings when making a purchase for themselves or their children according to a new study from Activision Publishing and The Harrison Group.

The survey was conducted as part of Activision’s Ratings Are Not a Game initiative, which is designed to educate parents and consumers further on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system.

Additional survey statistics showed that 63.0% of parents with children consider themselves a gamer, with that number increasing to 83.0% for parents 35 years of age and younger. Additionally, 82.0% of gamers indicated awareness of ESRB ratings, as did 75.0% of children.

76.0% of adults surveyed indicated they were comfortable with videogames being a part of their family’s activities.

Gamers also spent an average of 32.0% of their free time on entertainment, with 19.0% of that time spent on videogames.

Mike Griffith, Activision Publishing President and CEO, added:

Parents rely on and value the ESRB ratings in helping them decide which games to allow their children to play. Our 'Ratings Are Not A Game' education initiative underscores our commitment to helping parents better understand and utilize the ratings system as they select age appropriate games and determine the best way for the entire family to enjoy the gaming experience.

Research was culled from 1,201 online surveys of videogamers, and their parents, between the ages of 6 and 44.

Comments

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Skillz817 on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 20:56.

I'm no expert on statistics, but I honeslty can't take their word for an online survey.

 

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the strength to overcome it.

 

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by jedidethfreak on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 15:54.

If the survey can be taken at face value, I think it's a good thing, but I don't think it can be taken at face value.  I used to work the electronics counter at Target, and it was amazing how many parents with children under ten were buying M-rated games, completely oblivious to the rating.  Because the computer would prompt me, I'd inform the parent of the game's rating, and they just looked at me like a deer in the headlights.  I'd honestly say a good 90% of parents buying games for their children were like this.

---

You KILL Vampires. You don't DATE them.

--- With the first link, the chain is forged.

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Bennett Beeny on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 11:26.

More evidence supporting my theory that ESRB ratings are out of touch with what parents consider to be okay for their kids to play. The ESRB is a joke - rating content that has no harmful effect whatsoever is like sticking an age-appropriateness rating on flavours of ice cream.

The only useful purpose the ESRB serves is, I guess, to keep otherwise unemployable prudes, busybodies, nutcases and other types of social misfits busy so that they spend less time planning office murder sprees.

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 12:30.

http://bandaragama.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/internet_-_it_doesnt_make_you_stupid_it_just_makes_your_stupidity_more_accessible_to_others.jpg

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by metroidprimegmr on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 19:57.

Sheer brilliance!

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 12:05.

Hi, Mr. Thompson. Long time don´t see you. How have you been your job at Burger King?

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 12:14.

Beeny here is not John Bruce. Beeny is just a moron.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 12:31.

Well, I was just trying to compare him with our favorite nutcase. First time I watch him. You should just to write "obvious troll is obvious", by the way.

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 11:31.

??? Wha??? How exactly did you come to that conclusion? A Survey showing that the majority of parents are aware of and consider the ratings on games proves that the system does not work?

The ratings system was never meant to be a hard line of who can play what games. It was designed to give parents an easy way to judge the content in a game for age appropriateness and a recommended age of playing.

They are yet another tool to help parents who want to monitor the entertainment consumed by their children.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by nighstalker160 on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:35.

I see some significant problems with this survey.

An "online survey" about videogames is likely to attract a sample bias, the parents who respond to such a survey are likely to be more tech/game/internet savvy than others and are therefore more likely to be the ones who know about the ESRB.

Secondly, I doubt parents are going to respond "No, I don't pay attention to what my kid plays and just give him whatever he wants." Remember its always "Those other parents" who are letting their little devils run wild and get away with murder never "My perfect little angel."

I will say though, hanging out at my local GameStop I do see A LOT of parents asking "So what's this game like, what's in it? Is good for [insert age]." So even if they don't grasp the rating they are asking about the content before purchase.

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by mdo7 on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 19:43.


 

Just took a statistic class last semester, That the many problem with survey.  I have nothing else to add.   

 

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:59.

Yes, online surveys can be very misleading because people are not always 100% honest or even they just want to choose the most positive option in the survey to make it look good.

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by jedidethfreak on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 15:49.

You'll get that in regular surveys, too, not just online ones.

---

You KILL Vampires. You don't DATE them.

--- With the first link, the chain is forged.

Re: Survey Indicates High Awareness of ESRB Ratings

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 20:31.

You still can lie to look good.

"Do you buy M rated games to you 6-years old children?"

"Hell no"

*hides a Grand Theft Auto copy*

My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

 
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