International Age Rating Coalition

The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) is an initiative aimed at streamlining acquisition of content ratings for video games, from authorities of different countries. Introduced in 2013, the IARC system simplifies the process of obtaining ratings by developers, through the use of questionnaires, which assess the content of the product. This new process reduces the costs of video game developers as they seek to obtain ratings for their products that are distributed digitally online.

The effort was created through a coalition of rating authorities from around the world, including ESRB in North America, PEGI in Europe, USK in Germany, ClassInd in Brazil, and the Australian Classification Board, and first announced by PEGI's MD at the 2013 London Games Conference. In August 2014, the Australian Classification Board introduced amendments to allow for the automated classification process employed by the IARC. On 19 December 2017, South Korea's Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) became a member. In 2023, IARC partnered with the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) to provide age ratings for the Taiwanese market using the government's Taiwan Entertainment Software Rating Information (TESRI) age rating system.

IARC generic rating system

In addition to obtaining official age ratings from the coalition members, developers applying via IARC's process would also get a complimentary generic age rating for their software under IARC's name at any of the participating digital storefronts. These generic ratings can apply to any territory that does not have its own rating system and/or is not formally supported by any existing age rating bodies in the world, including territories whose own local rating body is not officially part of IARC's system yet.

Adoption

It is similar to the previous "Short Form" application of the ESRB. The Firefox Marketplace was the first storefront to adopt the system in 2014. Google Play for Android devices adopted the rating system in March 2015. In October 2015, Nintendo became the first console manufacturer to adopt IARC, specifically for their Nintendo eShop service. In January 2017, the Oculus Store (now known as Meta Horizon Store) has integrated IARC's age rating process for all developers moving forward, including retroactively for previously released games and apps. In 2018, it was reported that the Microsoft Store had adopted it, with PlayStation Store planning to later on. In 2023, Epic Games has partnered with IARC, assisting developers to self-publish onto their Epic Games Store service with required age ratings, and later that same year extended IARC's rating process to user-generated content in ''Fortnite''.

In 2019, Wired reported that content inappropriate for children rated via IARC self questionnaires was available on Google Play. Google said it removes content inappropriately rated.

Comparison table

A comparison of participants, showing age on the horizontal axis. Note however that the specific criteria used in assigning a classification can vary widely from one country to another. Thus a color code or age range cannot be directly compared from one country to another.

Key:

*  White  – ''No restrictions: Suitable for all ages / Aimed at young audiences / Exempt / Not rated / No applicable rating.''
*  Yellow  – ''No restrictions: Parental guidance is suggested for designated age range.''
*  Purple  – ''No restrictions: Not recommended for a younger audience but not restricted.''
*  Red  – ''Restricted: Parental accompaniment required for younger audiences.''
*  Black  – ''Prohibitive: Exclusively for older audience / Purchase age-restricted / Banned.''

References

External links

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{{Video game content rating systems

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Organizations established in 2013
Video game content ratings systems