ESRB
The ESRB are an American based company that is used to rate and assigns ages to video game content. They’re a self-regulatory organisation which means they do not have outside influences on how they rate games. They’re also a non-profit which means they do not have an aim of making money instead they focused on making sure they’re impartial when it comes to rating games. As games have started to feature loot boxes and micro transactions, the ESRB has started to include that games have these micro transactions in their ratings. Some countries like Belgium have banned loot boxes all together.
PEGI
PEGI are the European version of the ESRB that rate and assign age ratings to video game content. they’re a not for profit company with the sole purpose of regulating the ratings of video game content. PEGI are a big influence as games need a rating from them to feature on either of the consoles, this includes Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo consoles. the ratings from PEGI affect how the game would be perceive by a potential buyer, or a parent buying for there child.
Australian Classification Board
https://www.classification.gov.au/classification-ratings
This organisation is not an independent version for video games, but they classify also Films, publications which include books and some public artworks. they use two tools for classifying games, these are the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and the Netflix tool. IARC is a partnership with other countries in north america and most of Europe to rate games that are bought through online stores such as google play, Microsoft Store, the Nintendo E-shop, the Oculus Store and Origin. The Netflix tool is used exclusively to rate films that are on netflix.
Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation
https://www.cero.gr.jp/en/publics/index/
this governing body known as the Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation, or its acronym CERO, is the rating system that is used in japan to rate the games that are used in that country. CERO uses an rating system which involves the academic style grading for final products, these go through A, B, C, D and Z. A is the lowest grade, meaning that it is suitable for for all audiences, while Z means that the game is for people over 18+ and it is illegal for someone under that age to purchase it.
They also have 3 extra ratings which are for unrated products, trial products and non games that are educational but aimed at a more mature audience but are released on consoles. these do not follow the format that the other classifications do.
Influences in the Gaming Industry 