For games that launch as digital-only in countries that use the ESRB ratings board, a free rating is given to them via their Short Forms process. However, once June rolls around, the ESRB plans to cease offering this. This will mostly affect independent developers that have games that are made on a low budget, as registering for an ESRB rating can cost $1000-3000 for them. There is a way to circumvent this, though, as digital games can still get a free International Age Ratings Coalition (IARC) rating, which is accepted on the Nintendo eShop, Microsoft Store, and Google Play Store. IARC ratings notably leave out the PlayStation Store, which still require games have an ESRB rating to be allowed to be sold on PlayStation systems.

Source
ESRB ToS

 

[Lucifer666]

God damn, it would be unnerving if the PSN store started getting barren & excluded from releases because of the weird way this economy works. I understand why they'd want to charge (since pretty much anyone can be a dev nowadays), but dislike the heightened barriers for indie devs to get in the market.

Also why has Sony always had issues with exclusivity? Like lack of support for cross platform play, they really do shoot themselves in the foot sometimes.

 

[x65943]

God damn, it would be unnerving if the PSN store started getting barren & excluded from releases because of the weird way this economy works. I understand why they'd want to charge (since pretty much anyone can be a dev nowadays), but dislike the heightened barriers for indie devs to get in the market.

Also why has Sony always had issues with exclusivity? Like lack of support for cross platform play, they really do shoot themselves in the foot sometimes.

This gen they are against cross platform because they have the dominant console.

To allow cross platform would be to throw away their biggest selling point - "don't you want to buy a PS4 and play with your pals?"

If M$ was winning this generation, they'd be against it, and Sony would be for it.

 

[Leobgood]

Wow! I didn't know there was a cost associated to this. There's no free lunch. Thanks for the info.

 

[Minox]

I honestly think this is just going to lead to almost no indie developers using ESRB so I feel that it is their loss really.

 

[brunocar]

typical ESA, they are and always will be dicks

 

[WiiUBricker]

I honestly think this is just going to lead to almost no indie developers using ESRB so I feel that it is their loss really.

Do they have any other choice? Is there an age rating board for games in america other than ESRB?

 

[Minox]

Do they have any other choice? Is there an age rating board for games in america other than ESRB?

Chary mentioned IARC for all platforms except Sony's, no?

 

[Chary]

Chary mentioned IARC for all platforms except Sony's, no?

Though they go through IARC to get a rating, it still results in it being an ESRB rated game at the end of the day. IARC will give a developer all the needed ratings to launch their game worldwide, so they get all the standard ratings, like a PEGI, ESRB, etc rating. BUT, this method has to have the storefront accept IARC-received ratings, which PSN doesn't.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

It should be noted that Sony has plans to integrated IARC support as well, it just hasn't been launched now.

I would imagine by the time ESRB phases out the Short form, PSN will support IARC.

So tl;dr, literally nothing would change beyond the way ratings are generated.

 

[KingVamp]

This is pointless.

 

[smileyhead]

"...YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BULLSHIT?"

 

[Mnecraft368]

Dam, that must be annoying for some low budget devs.
Luckily, my country use PEGI (the people who like to leak games).

 

[Xzi]

Wow, all this will do is limit the number of indie releases. Lame af.

 

[Kioku]

This gen they are against cross platform because they have the dominant console.

To allow cross platform would be to throw away their biggest selling point - "don't you want to buy a PS4 and play with your pals?"

If M$ was winning this generation, they'd be against it, and Sony would be for it.

I'm going to say no, here... Sony has always had some disdain with cross platform. Not counting games like FFXIV, they've usually said no.. I mean they're allowing Fortnite now, but not to Xbox.. Which is asinine.

... And if MS were "winning" I doubt that'd have stopped their acquisition of Mojang.. Their Play Anywhere program... And how open they've been about this.

 

[VartioArtel]

There's some misunderstanding here: Sony's quite open with Cross platforming. FFXIV is proof of this. Last it was heard, Micro$oft was saying "We'll gladly join in your game, presuming we have Datacenters exclusively for use for XBox users", hence trying to SCREW Cross platform.

 

[Kioku]

There's some misunderstanding here: Sony's quite open with Cross platforming. FFXIV is proof of this. Last it was heard, Micro$oft was saying "We'll gladly join in your game, presuming we have Datacenters exclusively for use for XBox users", hence trying to SCREW Cross platform.

FFXIV most definitely is not proof of this. They've rejected Minecraft and put tight restrictions on Fortnite. Dunno about Rocket League though.

 

[DKB]

Wow, all this will do is limit the number of indie releases. Lame af.

Indeed. However, this will also limit the releases of really shitty titles. On, PlayStation only of course. We don't need more Life of a Black Tiger games.

 

[SomeKindOfUsername]

Wait, if you can get it for free with the other method what's the purpose of paying the fee in the first place? Apart from currently releasing on Sony platforms.

Edit: Ah, it's for physical releases. Should've read more carefully.

 

[DarthDub]

The ESRB is the reason VC games on Nintendo consoles were so "expensive."