E (Everyone)
Everyone (Kids To Adults until 1998) is an ESRB rating that suggests a game is suitable for all ages (formerly suitable for ages 6 or older). According to the ESRB, an E rated video game "may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language." Video games that are for all ages may or may not interest children, as (prior to 2018) the EC rating used to do that.
Video games with this rating are rated A in Mexico.
- French name: Enfants et adultes
- Spanish name: Todos
Factors[]
These factors apply to officially-rated games, as IARC-rated games can contain content that's not mentioned in the rating descriptors. Post-launch material also doesn't count for the factors.
Violence[]
E-rated games may contain mild violence that is of cartoonish or unrealistic nature and not too disturbing for a very young audience. Stronger violence will get a higher rating. Mild violent references are acceptable, including indirect suicide, self-harm, or homicide references and mild (indirect) threats.
Blood/Gore[]
Blood may be allocated within the E rating in any color only in limited or infrequent amounts. Injuries have to be mild in nature (e.g., mild scratches or bruising that lacks detail). Realistic, graphic, or stronger injuries will get a higher rating.
Sexuality[]
E-rated games may contain suggestive content/references only if it's very mild, subtle, indirect, and/or negligible (e.g., mildly suggestive choreography, very mild innuendos or sexual references). Outfits can include moderate cleavage or reveal moderate skin. Emphasis on anatomical features, stronger innuendos/sexual references, and/or highly revealing attire will get a higher rating.
Nudity[]
E-rated games may contain partial nudity only. Partial nudity can be allocated if it's not sexually explicit in nature (e.g. artistic nudity), cartoonish with no detail, or is censored. Any stronger will get a higher rating.
Language[]
E-rated games may contain very mild language like "damn", "hell", "God", or "Jesus". They also may contain truncated profanity like "bih" (b*tch) or "ahh" (ass). Stronger profanity, if included, will get a higher rating unless censored.
Substances[]
E-rated games may contain alcohol and tobacco references. They may also contain mild uses of alcohol and tobacco, provided they are only used by adult characters. Any harder substances will get a higher rating.
Gambling[]
E-rated games may contain simulated gambling (if it's not the main feature or doesn't use real currency). Tolerance of gambling has been a debated topic in videogames as countless E-rated games have features that are similar to gambling and require real currency.
Humor[]
E-rated games may contain comic mischief if not severe and frequent. Crude humor is acceptable if it's mild in nature.
Escalation scale[]
Violence - (E) Mild (Fantasy) Violence/Violent References -> (E10+) Fantasy Violence/Mild Violence/Violent References -> (T) Violence -> (M17+) Intense Violence
Blood - (E/E10+) Mild Blood/Animated Blood -> (T) Blood (and Gore) -> (M17+) Blood and Gore
Sexuality - (E) Mild Suggestive Themes -> (E10+) (Mild) Suggestive Themes -> (T) Suggestive Themes/(Mild) Sexual Themes/Sexual Content -> (M17+) Sexual Themes/(Strong) Sexual Content
Nudity - (T) Partial Nudity -> (M17+) Nudity
Language - (E) Mild Language/Mild Lyrics -> (E10+/T) Language/Lyrics -> (M17+) Strong Language/Strong Lyrics
Substances - (E) Alcohol (and Tobacco) Reference/Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco) -> (E10+) Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco)/Drug Reference -> (T) Use of Drugs (and Alcohol)/Drug Reference -> (M17+) Use of Drugs
Humor - (E) Comic Mischief/Crude Humor -> (E10+/T) Crude Humor -> (M17+) Mature Humor
Examples of notable E rated video games[]
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Comic Mischief)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a 2020 life simulation game set on a paradise island where you can do activities and talk to fellow villagers. The game was banned in China around 2021 due to the fact users were creating servers and spreading protests about Hong Kong's democratic rights using the Custom Design tool in-game. It wasn't officially released in China in the first place, but players managed to buy it from overseas.
- EA Sports FC (FIFA) Series (No Descriptors)
- The FIFA series are soccer sport simulation games released annually. In the game you command and control players in your team to play soccer against other teams. The game has been notorious for its in-game purchases including loot boxes (card packs) and currency in the form of FIFA coins since card packs are compared to gambling and cost real-world money. The games were banned in some parts of Europe thanks to a new loot box law preventing the use of loot boxes in games.
- Pokémon Series (Mild Fantasy Violence, Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes [One instance])
- The Pokémon games are role-playing games in which players follow quests and catch creatures known as Pokémon. The games contain fantasy violence in the form of Pokémon fighting each other using stylized moves. The games have been compared to animal cruelty at times since Pokémon have animal-like attributes and qualities, and some parts of the games contain content slightly mature for an E rated video game (e.g., creepy graveyards, implied or interrupted violence on characters, and violently described Pokédex entries). The games also have their fair share of suggestive content that many have wondered why that hasn't been mentioned by the ratings boards (only two games, which are spinoffs, have ever mentioned suggestive content).
- [Some of the] Just Dance series (Comic Mischief, Mild Lyrics, Mild Cartoon Violence)
- Just Dance is a popular music-rhythm dancing game series that started off in 2009 on the Wii. While Ubisoft tends to keep content PG and kid-friendly for the most part, there is still a plethora of mature content that slips by or gets the greenlight, whether it be in the song lyrics or choreography. This isn't helped with the extremely inconsistent censorship and changing opinions on what should be censored. There are times where suggestive lyrics that reference kinks, fetishes, genitalia, and other direct sexual acts are left intact and audible (e.g., "I got the big D", "If we hanging, we banging", "Being a ***** is my kink", "This a hickey or a bruise?" "Pan mi **** so mi c*m" "Is your muffin buttered?" "Baby, if you strip, you can get a tip") and language that is censored in the majority of songs is left audible (e.g., "b*tch", "ass", "goddamn"). This is rather confusing as milder content, like references to clothing (e.g., "lingerine", "bras"), mild language (e.g., "damn", "hell"), and alcohol, are often omitted from lyrics. The series is also notorious for frequently including suggestive dance moves into the choreos of the songs, which gained it some backlash because of this.
Equivalents[]
- MPAA's G rating
- TV Parental Guidelines' TV-Y, TV-G and TV-Y7 ratings
- MTRCB's G rating
- PEGI's 3 rating
- BBFC's U rating
- ACB's G rating
- CERO's soft A rating
- Netflix's 7+ rating
| Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) |
|---|
Current ratings     
|
