Why don't the ESRB raters actually play the games they rate?

First, many games have upwards of 50 hours of gameplay, and requiring a minimum of three raters to play through each of the more than 1,000 games rated by ESRB each year would not only be inefficient given the high degree of repetition in video games, but would fail to ensure that they found and had the opportunity to consider all of the pertinent content in their assignment of a rating. However, when warranted, ESRB staff may play beta or alpha versions of games submitted for rating when the content disclosed in submission materials requires further clarification, or when a company requests that the ESRB make a video transfer of gameplay.

Second, because games are player-controlled, there are many different permutations of gameplay depending on the choices the player makes during the game. Therefore, one player of a particular game may see very different types of content than another depending on the choices he or she makes. As such, engaging in gameplay as a supplement to the current rating process, be it for 2 hours, 10 hours, or even more, would offer no greater assurance that all pertinent content is disclosed and considered in the assignment of a rating. That is why it is essential that publishers be required to disclose on videotape or DVD all pertinent content in the game they submit for rating, including the most extreme elements, so that raters can thoroughly assess the game and assign an appropriate rating.

Additionally, given the manufacturing and print advertising deadlines to which publishers must adhere (which can occur 60-90 days before a game ships), games must oftentimes be submitted to ESRB for rating before they have been finalized or fully tested. As a consequence, these games may be "buggy," making it difficult, if not impossible, for a rater to play the game from start to finish.

Once a game has been released, ESRB staff, including raters (time-permitting), play the final versions of hand-picked and randomly selected games to verify that all the materials provided by the game's publisher during the rating process were accurate and complete and the rating is appropriate.