What Does "E" Stand for in Video Game Ratings?
The ESRB‘s (Entertainment Software Rating Board) "E" game rating stands for "Everyone". This signifies the video game‘s content is generally suitable for players of any age, including young children.
ESRB Ratings – What Do They Mean?
The ESRB is a non-profit organization that independently assigns ratings and enforces advertising guidelines for computer and video games in the U.S. and Canada. This rating system was launched in 1994 to help parents make informed decisions about game content suitability for their children.
ESRB ratings have two equal parts – the age rating letter (E, E10+, T, M etc.) and specific content descriptors like "Mild Violence", "Crude Humor" etc. Age ratings indicate the minimum recommended age groups based on assessment of the game‘s themes, content, gameplay realism, rewards/incentives and overall intensity. Content descriptors detail specific elements like profanity, sexual content, gambling references etc. present in the game.
Who Does the E Rating Target?
The ESRB E rating targets games with content suitable for early childhood (typically ages 3 to 7). It accounts for 28% of games rated by the ESRB according to 2022 reports. However, E merely indicates broad age-appropriateness. It does not consider developmental factors like attention span or fine motor skills. So some preschoolers below age 6 may struggle with E rated games despite harmless content.
Popular E rated franchises spanning cartoon adventures, colorful puzzles and more child-friendly sports/racing include:
- Super Mario series
- Animal Crossing
- Lego video games
- LittleBigPlanet
- Various Nickelodeon games
- Carnival Games
Mild Cartoon Violence in E Rated Games
Despite targeting young players, E games may contain scenes of mild cartoon/fantasy violence involving non-realistic, non-bloody damage to non-human characters. For instance, a Mario character briefly disappearing after touching an enemy turtle shell. Or Lego minifigs breaking into plastic bricks when a model collapses.
ESRB guidelines require this violence to be infrequent, non-intense, justified (for self-defense etc.) and lacking details/aftermath. The cartoon nature and lack of sensory feedback limits effect on young players per child development research.
Why Preschoolers May Still Struggle with E Games
Since cognitive abilities are rapidly evolving between ages 3 to 6, some E games may prove too complex for kids under 6 despite harmless content. Limited reading skills can hamper quest comprehension or controller/PC use.
So parents should check gameplay aspects like:
- Fine motor coordination expected
- Level of reading/comprehension involved
- Pace of decision-making
- Controller size and button dexterity required
4 to 7 year olds can usually handle content with an E rating but for younger kids, parental discretion is still advised.
How Does E Compare to Other Age Ratings like E10+ or T?
The E10+ (Everyone 10+) rating indicates games with more cartoon/fantasy violence, non-gambling references to casinos/lotteries and mild language beyond what E allows.
T for Teen means crude humor, mild provocative references, simulated gambling and stronger violence are present although still suitable for age 13 and up. Games rated M (Mature) have prolonged graphic violence, blood/gore, sexual themes and gambling with real currency that make them unsuitable below age 18.
In essence, E is the broadest age rating with 100% child-appropriate themes whereas higher ratings permit gradually more mature content.
