The ESRB, the ratings system for video games in the United States operated by video game industry trade group the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) said that it would not change its ratings as suggested by the American Psychological Association.
Last week the APA task force released a meta research study, which examined past studies about violent video games causing aggression. In addition to the report, the APA released a declaration – a "Resolution on Violent Video Games" – that "strongly encourages the Entertainment Software Rating Board to refine the ESRB rating system specifically to reflect the levels and characteristics of violence in games in addition to the current global ratings."
While the ESRB said that it has had an open dialogue with the APA – and will continue to do so, it also said that it doesn't need to make changes to the ratings system. It cited an 8-year-old FTC report on the reliability of the ratings system (compared to other entertainment industry ratings systems) and a Hart Research poll that found parents were "familiar with the ESRB."
The ESRB isn't the only one critical of the APA's new (or as some, say repackaged) findings; Chris Ferguson, associate professor and department Chair of Psychology at Stetson University in Florida, has been making the rounds to point out the many flaws he sees in the research. Other researchers have expressed concerns about how the APA has conducted its research in the past as well. For more on that, check out this report.
Source: Deadline
