Game Stooge

The “Official” Response to This ESRB Madness

• Scribbled on March 15th, 2008 by JBonner71
• Filed in ESRB/Ratings, Editorial Content, Industry News

(Note: The original article has been posted online by 1Up.com.)

For all of you who do not know, I worked for the ESRB for a time (6 months) as the Senior Game Content Rater. I was the first full-time rater hired and the first to leave. I wrote an article, “How To Fix the Game Ratings System” about my time at the ESRB and proposed six ways I thought the current system could/should be improved. The article itself appears in the April edition of EGM, which is out now.

The story went “viral” the other day when GamePolitics.com picked up on it and ran with it. Now, it is on just about every major gaming site (Gamespot, Kotaku, G4, Joystiq, Gamasutra, etc.). in some iteration or another. I’ve posted my response on most of those sites, but I wanted to “officially” rebut the ESRB’s response and some of the incorrect notions that are being bandied about on the internets here on Gamestooge.

So, without further ado:

“I have several things to say here, but please understand that I am extremely hampered by a non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreement that I had to sign to work at the ESRB in the first place. That is a big reason why there aren’t any real specifics or examples in the article and some points aren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be. Before submitting the article to EGM, both the agreements I signed and the article itself were reviewed by a corporate, contract law attorney with 30+ years experience, so I wasn’t flying blind here.

Ultimately, you can liken this to being in a bare knuckle, steel cage match with both hands tied behind your back and then, and only then, will you begin to understand the difficulties in writing this piece in the first place.

Now, onto my points:

1. I completely stand by every, single syllable that is written in the article.

2. I was not fired by the ESRB. I left of my own accord and on good terms. The ESRB will verify this. My leaving was more in relation to the 4 hour daily commute (2 hours up and 2 hours back) that I had to deal with to work there in the first place.

3. Do I have more to say about the ESRB? Yes. A lot. And they know that.

4. Can I or will I say/write anything else about the ESRB? No. Recent events in my life have shown me that all of this matters little in the grand scheme of things. Don’t get me wrong, I love video games and the “gaming lifestyle” with a sincere passion and hope to write about other video game related topics everywhere and anywhere I’m asked to (if I’m ever asked to…) again.

5. If the response to my article was written by Pat Vance then I am the King of Siam. The ESRB employs PR/Marketing people and lawyers and the like, whose sole purpose on this planet is to “spin” things. Remember, I’m just one guy with an informed opinion. I do not consider myself “disgruntled” or “angry” in any way. Things just didn’t work out at the ESRB. So it goes. I would suggest that you read the entire article (not just the synopses that are posted on the ‘net ), which is exceptionally fair and balanced, before throwing words like that around.

6. I have one, other thing to say in regard to the ESRB’s response (in which, they basically call me a liar) to what I wrote: if my comments are so “misleading,” “inaccurate” and “misrepresentative” then why aren’t they suing me (for libel or breach of contract or whatever…) into oblivion right now?? Food for thought, eh?

I truly appreciate all of the thoughtful comments and the intelligent debate this article has sparked. I was never a big fan of the “X-Files” but I’m going to borrow that show’s mantra here: the truth is out there. This article is just the first step on a much larger journey to obtaining that truth. For various reasons, I can only take this first step…but I do wish a hearty “Godspeed” to those who decide to take up where I leave off…”