ESRB Forms 'Website Council' To Enforce Under-Age Restrictions

The Entertainment Software Rating Board this week announced the formation of the ESRB Website Council, a group of gaming-related media websites that have agreed to enforce age-related website restrictions. Founding members of the council include E3Expo.com, g4tv.com, GameFly.com, GameRevolution.com, GameSpot.com, GameSpy.com, GamesRadar.com, GameTrailers.com, GameZone.com and IGN.com. ESRB said that more sites are expected to join. The members agree to follow ESRB codes of conduct on their websites, such as displaying accurate ESRB information on product pages, putting up age gates for content surrounding games rated M (or upcoming games likely to be rated M), and implementing other standard age-gate practices meant to limit access to mature content. The ESRB said it will monitor members of the EWC on a continuing basis, and will notify these sites of non-compliance. Members, who participate in the council voluntarily, are expected to promptly remedy any instances of non-compliance. ESRB president Pat Vance said, "With the establishment of the ESRB Website Council, video game publishers, retailers and now the leading game enthusiast websites can proudly stand together in their common commitment to ensuring consumers have the information necessary to make informed purchase decisions and to help restrict access to content that isn’t intended for younger viewers." The ESRB said the council is modeled after the ESRB Retail Council, created in 2005 to help retailers enforce store policies to stop sales of M-rated games to customers under 17.