One of the tougher duties of a good parent is keeping track of all the ratings info on the games your kids want to buy. Now the ESRB, the body which rates all console and PC video games in the US, is making the process a bit easier for iPhone users. The newly released ESRB app allows users to take a picture of a game box and instantly have all the info about said game pulled up onscreen.
The new app will compare images of game boxes to those stored in its database and instantly pull up both the game’s letter rating as well as a “ratings summary” which will spell out exactly why Death Dealers 2: More Death than Ever was rated M for Mature (spoiler alert: there’s a whole lot of killing). This puts all the information right at the consumers fingertips on-demand, so before you pull the trigger to buy a new game for friends or loved ones you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into.
While the app requires a camera in order to search by photo, iPod and iPad users aren’t left out in the cold, as you also have the option to search by game title. You can also filter by platform, so if you only want to know about the Xbox 360 or PS3 version of a game it’s nice and easy to set.
We’re very happy to see this app out in the wild, as the knowledge it provides will be a great help to parents and relatives who want to make responsible decisions before they buy a video game. We’re all about informing and empowering consumers, and now ignorance will no longer be an excuse for buying games inappropriate for younger players. This is good for the industry, good for consumers and just all around a great thing for all parties involved.
Released: 2009-11-18 :: Category: Education
[via Destructoid]
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