The ESRB Wants to Rate iPhone Games Too

Since everyone is pushing to make the Apple iPhone the next great handheld system (sorry PSP Go), it seems to follow that the games for the platform start to fall in line with the rules of traditional games.

One organization that particularly seems to think so is the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) who is responsible for the fun little disclaimers on games like the one you see on the left, warning parents just how much their kid will be corrupted by digital guts or boobs.

“ESRB ratings empower parents to do their job,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance. “Considering the fact that the vast majority of parents are already aware of and regularly using ESRB ratings, Apple’s adoption of them for iPhone games seems like a no-brainer. Apple just announced that the parental controls for the new version of the iPhone will block movie and TV content based on their respective ratings. Adding ESRB ratings to the controls they already plan to offer would give parents the ability to exert control over the games their children play as well.”

Honestly, whatever. This is kind of a necessary step for the platform, and I don’t think eight year-olds SHOULD be playing iPhone Manhunt Blood Orgy or whatever graphic titles start to trickle out for the system.

With the new ratings in place, parents would be able to lock their kids out of playing M-rated games on their phone with parental control settings. The thirteen year-old inside me really hates that idea, but it’s really not the worst thing in the world. And the really resourceful kids will Google a way to get around the system anyways.

But what M-rated iPhone titles are even out there now? Does anyone know? Hasn’t Apple been banning anything remotely offensive from the app store for months now?

[via Kotaku]