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Recently, the ESRB has issued a directive to withdraw online trailers from two upcoming games, The Darkness and Dark Sector. ESRB president Patricia Vance issued a statement to clarify the ESRB’s stance.
“The ESRB’s Advertising Review Council (ARC) regularly monitors game ads and trailers to make sure that they adhere to industry-adopted Principles and Guidelines for Responsible Advertising Practices , which were established in 2000. Since 2005, ARC guidelines have required that trailers for M-rated games on publisher websites be displayed behind an age gate to help restrict viewing to those visitors who are 17 and older…However, the mere presence of an age gate does not permit a publisher to simply put whatever content it wishes into the trailer. All trailers must still conform to ARC’s Principles and Guidelines, which prohibit the display of excessively violent content or any content likely to cause serious offense to the average consumer.”
More on this issue as it develops.