The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) says that the percentage of Mature-rated games released halved from 2005 to 2007.

In a winter newsletter, Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB, said that the amount of Mature-rated titles is declining each year despite the fact that more and more games are being released.

"The ESRB also had the biggest year ever in 2007, having assigned 1,563 ratings, a 22% increase over the prior year. And, as you'll see below, 94% of the ratings we assigned were for games appropriate for ages 13 or younger. It's never been easier to find family-friendly games that everyone can play together.

"While a handful of M-rated titles tend to garner a majority of media attention, the E (Everyone 6+) rating category continues to dominate. The E category saw the largest increase over last year, accounting for nearly 60% of ratings assigned overall.

"The M (Mature 17+) category represented 6% of the overall ratings assigned, down from 8% in 2006 and 12% in 2005.

"The E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) and T (Teen 13+) categories accounted for 15% and 20% respectively."

Courtesy of Next Generation.

Feb 7, 2008