ESRB: DLC can have different rating than original game, but…

What would happen if a game has an ESRB rating of T, but has downloadable content that would otherwise have an M rating? Would the board have to re-brand the entire game? The ESRB gives some clarification on this matter, which you can read in the full article.

As video games explore themes more suited for a mature set of players with titles like Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4, the industry is starting to really explore the legal lines drawn by ESRB’s ratings. Because of this, rules are also starting to become more clearly drawn out.

Downloadable content for video games is a fairly new concept, and only first appeared in the previous generation of consoles. What would happen if a game has an ESRB rating of T, but has downloadable content that would otherwise have an M rating?

The ESRB states that the core game would have to get re-branded – but there’s a loophole. Well, kinda. The ESRB clarifies on this matter, saying that this is only necessary if the downloadable content is not optional:

Companies are free to offer downloadable content to their games as long as the pertinent content is the same as the core product. If it isnÂ’t, they have to submit it to the ESRB.

If the downloadable content earns a more restrictive (higher) age rating, and it is of an optional nature, it must display the new rating prior to the user downloading it. The core productÂ’s rating wonÂ’t change, unless the new downloadable content is part of a required patch.

So what does this mean exactly? It means you can’t download a release like “Hot Coffee” unless it’s an optional download. If it’s not, then the core game – which would be Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – would need to get re-branded with a higher rating before you can download Hot Coffee.

Via MTV