Blog Post: ESRB cracks down on game trailers. They can do that?! Subscribe to this RSS feed

Another thing we didn't know about the ESRB was revealed today--the company has the ability to govern game trailers... even ones that have been around for months!

You can still look at this violent Dark Sector image... for now.

You can still look at this violent Dark Sector image... for now.

2K Games issued a statement today stating that two long-available trailers for its upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 title Dark Sector have been deemed unsuitable and "not to be available for download or viewing, regardless of being placed behind an age gate."

While the zealously nature of the ESRB of late is extremely disconcerting, this latest news is even more bizarre. The footage, if this GameTrailers clip is any indication (or one of the reported "unsuitable" clips for that matter), isn't any more violent than most M-Rated trailer fare. The clips have reportedly been available for months anyway, behind "age gates," a useless internet safeguard that asks the user for their date of birth without the ability to confirm it.

The action of removing a months-old trailer encapsulates another major problem I have with the ESRB. It's making a seemingly rash move far too late, and what's more, it's a move they've made little effort to educate the public about. The company has already admitted the vague line distinguishing the unreleasable from the from the releasable, and in doing this, it is showing that it can't be up front about another one of its governances. The MPAA is clear when a movie trailer is shown with a rating beforehand. When has a game trailer had a rating attached that was explicitly defined as the clips' and not the games? The ESRB needs to be more upfront about what it holds reign over and how it does it. Otherwise, we might be removing screenshots in a few months.


Comments [ 1 ] Post your comment subscribe to this rss feed

Blackbolt Blackbolt

Posted at: 06/26/07 at 4:22 PM PST

The ESRB has become power crazy. You know, what I don't like about the ESRB is that they judge video games based on videos clips instead of actually physically playing the damn game. Now they are trying to censor the interweb (internet). They've gone off the deep end if you ask me. They can't police the interweb. For godsakes, there are far worse things on the interweb than a damn video game character on fire!!!

^ back to top of comments ^

Post Your Comment