New to Shacknews? Signup for a Free Account

Already have an account?

Video Game Release Dates 2024Elden Ring strategy guideShacknews Direct: Introducing Bubbletron!Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide
Video Game Release Dates 2024
Elden Ring strategy guide
Shacknews Direct: Introducing Bubbletron!
Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide

TIGRS Revises Indie Rating Program
Chris Faylor
5
A few years ago, Daniel Kinney saw the opportunity to help further the sales of independent games by developing a rating system for them, an effort eventually known as The Independent Game Rating System. Another few years and a couple different designs later, Kinney has revealed the latest step for the program, which involves three easily discernable images and accompanying captions. Family Friendly games are marked with a smiley face, Teen Content with a winking smiley, and Adult Content with an angry-looking vampire.

It's a wonderful idea in concept, but as some have pointed out, voluntary participation and the lack of any sort of regulation highlight potential problems. All it takes is one wrong label to turn the whole thing into the sort of witch hunt that made Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto a household name -- a tempting proposition for any struggling studio.

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

Filed Under
From The Chatty
Refresh Go To Thread
  • PenicillinX57 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    March 14, 2007 8:50 AM

    Family Friendly games are marked with a smiley face, Teen Content with a winking smiley, and Adult Content with an angry-looking vampire.

    That's a HORRIBLE system. I can see it now. A parent picks up a game on the shelf with a "winking smiley" on the cover and says, "Oh, that smiley is winking, I'm sure my child will love this!" Plus, I can just see all the retarded permutations that come out of this:

    Winking smiley with tongue sticking out = sexual content
    Winking smiley with big eye = drug content
    Smiley with eye patch = violence

    Seriously, is a fucking WORD too difficult for people to understand in a rating system? Just put the word "TEEN" or "MATURE" on the cover instead of messing with this moronic smiley face system.

    Idiots.

Hello, Meet Lola