U.S. Congressmen Want ESRB Rating Clips Posted Online

Two U.S. Congressmen have sent a letter to the ESRB asking the Board to make its rating process more transparent by putting videos submitted by publishers to the rating agency online for public viewing.

Written by Democrat Joe Baca and Republican Frank Wolf, the letter says that only clips for games rated T (Teen) or higher need to be made available, and since many of the videos are quite long, only segments that are "most relevant" to the game's final rating need to be posted. The videos in question are gameplay clips submitted to the ESRB as part of the game rating process, and often include material or information not available prior to a game's release.

"Parents must have access to consistent, accurate, and objective information about video game content so they are able to choose games that are right for their children," the letter says. "By posting clips of T-rated games and above, parents and consumers will be better informed on the content of the games."

The Congressmen issued a joint statement following the release of the letter, saying, "We believe that posting comprehensive clips of T-rated games and higher online is advantageous for both consumers and the ESRB. The public will be more accurately informed of the substance of games before making purchasing decisions, and the rating process of the ESRB will be brought to light and given more credibility."

(Source: GameSpot)