Harman Patil (Editor)

Entertainment Software Rating Association

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Type
  
Self-regulatory

Area served
  
Iran

Headquarters
  
Tehran, Iran

Entertainment Software Rating Association

Industry
  
Organization and rating system

Founded
  
2007 in Islamic Republic of Iran

Key people
  
Reza Ahmadi (President, CEO) Seyed Mohammad Ali Seyed Hosseini (Founder)

The Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings in Iran. The system was established in 2007 by the Iran National Foundation of Computer Games and has the status of a research project. ESRA principle, the result of a one-year investigation and research on different harmful content of computer games from three aspects of sociology, psychology, and Islamic teachings, launched its rating system in 2009 in five categories of 3+, 7+, 12+, 15+ and 18+ years of age. ESRA researching approaches based on Psychology or the cognitive behavior, Sociology, the science of community and human’s interaction and Religion.The contents are designed based on the culture, society and the special values of Iran. Macro, micro and analysis were two important bases in defining contents. After some level of changes in designing the contents, 187 contents in the form of 8 main criteria were extracted.

Contents

Goal

After the establishment of the National Institute of Games, creating the best model for optimal use of video games became the main goal of the ESRA. The ESRA aimed to take advantage of the power and effectiveness of educational games while avoiding potential mental distress and damages caused by their inappropriate use. The main reasons that the ESRA was established:

  • The lack of a suitable model for using video games.
  • Concerns of parents regarding violence, horror, and sexual content in video games.
  • Psychological and social damages caused by inappropriate use of video games.
  • The lack of sufficient knowledge about harmful effects of video games.
  • Lack of accurate information for parents about video games.

    • ESRA, Ratings and Symbols

    The ESRA began rating video games in 2009, giving consideration to different aspects of the games such as psychology, sociology, and religion. The ESRA rating system was designed with the collaboration of over 20 experts and academic codifications to achieve the best accuracy possible in rating video games. The ESRA uses the following symbols to indicate video game suitability:

    One of the most important reasons of the observed necessity for ESRA principle is the lack of a proper pattern of use for computer games and the negative physical and mental effects of computer games caused by misuse and the concern of parents regarding such issues due to their lack of information about the improper and inappropriate content of such games.

    ESRA, Studies and Researches

    In addition to controlling the content of video games, the ESRA has conducted research on the subject. Some of this research includes:

  • A qualitative analysis of the content in horror games: In this study, four popular horror genre video games (Dead Space, F.E.A.R 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Silent Hill 5) were studied to determine the techniques these video games used and the components they incorporated to elicit fear from their audience. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the opinions of psychologists and experts on the horror genre.
  • An analysis of the lifestyle presented in The Sims video game: These were case studies of The Sims 3 and the lifestyle it presents. In this study, theories of cultural imperialism, ideology and hegemony were used. The extracted patterns of life in The Sims 3 indicate that this game is promoting the American lifestyle.
  • Content analysis of 40 popular characters in computer games: In this study, quantitative content analysis techniques were used. Forty famous characters confirmed reputable by gamers in the National Foundation of Computer Games in video games were selected. These characters were compared with each other in three aspects: their appearance, character traits and psychological environment.
  • Classification of video game characters: This study identifies different types of characters that are often used in video games. The characters are classified in two general terms: Race and Class.

    • References

    Entertainment Software Rating Association Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA