Computer Entertainment Rating Organization
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Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) is the organization that rates videogame and computer software in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable.
Contents
Rating
| The CERO Rating System | |
| |
On March 1st, 2006, CERO made a new, revised version of the ratings system. The symbols the CERO uses are stylized depictions of letters, meant to convey at a glance a game's suitability:
- A (All ages) (Equivalent to the ESRB's EARLY CHILDHOOD, EVERYONE, and EVERYONE 10+ and PEGI's 3+ and 7+)
- B (Ages 12 and up) (Equivalent to the ESRB's TEEN and PEGI's 12+)
- C (Ages 15 and up) (Equivalent to the PEGI's 16+)
- D (Ages 17 and up) (Equivalent to the ESRB's MATURE)
- Z (Ages 18 and up only) (Equivalent to the ESRB's ADULTS ONLY and PEGI's 18+)
Contents descriptor icons
In April 2004, CERO defined the following "contents descriptor icons". These icons are displayed on the back of all packages except those rated as "All ages".- Love (Examples: Sakura Wars, Grandia 3)
- Sexual (Examples: Super Robot Wars, Sakura Wars, The King of Fighters)
- Violence (Examples: Dynasty Warriors, Metal Slug, The King of Fighters)
- Horror (Examples: Tendou Dokuta 2, Ghost Hunter only)
- Gambling
- Crime (Examples: Burnout, Genso Suikoden I&II)
- Use of Alcohol or Tobacco
- Use of drugs
- Language or other
Classic Ratings
The symbols the CERO used were stylized depictions of numbers, meant to convey at a glance a game's suitability:
| The Classic CERO Rating System | |
 All Ages |  Ages 12 and up |
 Ages 15 and up |  Ages 18 and up |
- All ages (Equivalent to the ESRB's EVERYONE and PEGI's 3+ and 7+). This rating was replaced by "A".
- Ages 12 and up (Equivalent to the ESRB's TEEN and PEGI's 12+). This rating was replaced by "B".
- Ages 15 and up (Equivalent to the ESRB's MATURE and PEGI's 16+). This rating was replaced "C".
- Ages 18 and up (Equivalent to the ESRB's MATURE or ADULTS ONLY and PEGI's 18+). This rating was replaced by the two ratings "D" and "Z", setting the age levels where "D" is for ages 17 and over, and "Z" is for ages 18 and over (Adults ONLY).
Trivia
- The first title that rated "Ages 18 and up" is Dead to Rights on Xbox (Released in Nov. 28, 2002).
- As of 2005, the following titles are games on Nintendo hardware that rated "Ages 18 and up":
- * (known as "Resident Evil Code: Veronica X")
- *Biohazard 4 (Resident Evil 4)
- *Killer 7
- Due to societal and cultural differences between the eastern and western worlds (especially the United States and Canada), some titles rated "All ages" by CERO are rated very differently outside Japan (hence the term "rating system deviation"), such as:
| Game Title | ESRB Rating | PEGI Rating |
|---|---|---|
| .hack series | Teen | 12+ |
| Ace Combat 5 | Teen | 12+ |
| Teen | 12+ | |
| Teen | 7+ | |
| Coded Arms | Teen | 12+ |
| ''Donkey Konga 2 | Teen | 3+ |
| series | Teen | 12+ |
| Dragon Quest VIII | Teen | 12+ |
| Dynasty Warriors Advance | E-10+ | 12+ |
| Teen | 12+ | |
| Final Fantasy XII | Teen | 12+ |
| Teen | 7+ | |
| F-Zero GX | Teen | 3+ |
| Gradius V | Teen | 3+ |
| Juiced | Teen | 12+ |
| Kingdom Hearts II | E-10+ | 12+ |
| E-10+ | 12+ | |
| Teen | 12+ | |
| Metal Slug Advance | Teen | 12+ |
| Metroid Prime | Teen | 12+ |
| Metroid Prime Hunters | Teen | 12+ |
| Teen | 12+ | |
| Teen | ||
| One Piece Grand Battle | Teen | 12+ |
| Raiden 3 | 12+ | |
| Shadow The Hedgehog | E-10+ | 12+ |
| Mature | 12+ | |
| Teen | 3+ | |
| Sonic Mega Collection Plus | E | 12+ |
| Spider-Man 2 | Teen | 3+/7+/12+ |
| Star Fox Assault | Teen | 7+ |
| Stella Deus | Teen | 12+ |
| Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX | Teen | 12+ |
| 1 & | Teen | |
| Tales of Eternia | Teen | 12+ |
| Tales of Legendia | Teen | |
| Tales of Symphonia | Teen | 12+ |
| Tengai Makyou II Manjimaru | 12+(Bad language & Violence) | |
| The Rub Rabbits! | Teen | 7+ |
| Time Crisis 3 | Teen | 12+ |
| Trace Memory | Teen | 7+ |
| Ultimate Spider-Man | Teen | 7+/12+ |
| Viewtiful Joe series | Teen | 12+ |
| (PSP) | Teen | 7+ |
Most titles rated 12, 15, 17 or 18 only get similar ratings outside Japan. But sometimes they get different ratings outside Japan.
| Game Title | CERO Rating | ESRB Rating | PEGI Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| ''Altered Beast | 17 and up | 12+ | |
| ''Asphalt Urban GT | 12 and up | E | 3+ |
| ''Blood Will Tell | 15 and up | Mature | 12+ |
| ''Burnout series | 12 and up | E, E10, Teen | 3+ |
| '' | 15 and up | Mature | 12+ |
| '' | 15 and up | Mature | 12+ |
| ''Darkstalkers series | 15 and up | Teen | 12+ |
| ''Enter The Matrix | 15 and up | Teen | 16+ |
| '' | 15 and up | Teen | 12+ |
| ''Gunbird 1 & 2 | 12 and up | 7+ | |
| ''Monster Hunter series | 15 and up | Teen | 12+ |
| ''Nano Breaker | 15 and up | Mature | 12+ |
| ''Need for Speed series | 12 and up | E, E10, Teen | 3+ |
| '' | 12 and up | Teen | 7+ |
| '' | 15 and up | Teen | |
| ''Samurai Shodown V | 15 and up | 12+ | |
| ''Soul Calibur series | 12 and up | Teen | 16+ |
| '' | 12 and up | Teen | 16+ |
| '' | 17 and up | Teen | 16+ |
| ''The Simpsons Hit & Run | 12 and up | Teen | 7+ |
| ''Urban Reign | 12 and up | Teen | 16+ |
| ''(PS2) | 12 and up | Teen | 7+ |
| ''Zone of the Enders series | 12 and up | Mature | 12+ |
See also
- ESRB, the United States and Canadian computer and video game rating system
- ELSPA, the former British computer and video game rating system, replaced by the PEGI system.
- PEGI, the European computer and video game rating system
- USK, the German computer and video game rating system
- EOCS, the Japanese computer and video game rating system for Bishojo games.
- OFLC, the New Zealand media rating system
- OFLC, the Australian media rating system.
References
External links
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