No More Spoilers Coming from the ESRB Website

Looks like we will no longer be getting any spoiler leaks regarding upcoming titles from the ESRB website. You see, they are no longer going to be posting unannounced games that it has given a rating to on its website. Of course, it is not their fault really, its it because the publishers have gone crying to them about upcoming game titles being released early. Unbisoft or Konami anyone?

Because of the outcry, the ESRB is to include a new field in its submission form so that publishers can enter the date they want their listing to become public domain. But, according to the ESRB, they are only going to allow this if there is a specific concern regarding premature disclosure.

“Unless there are specific concerns regarding premature disclosure of a title, we expect this field to be left blank. While we recognize some publishers have concerns regarding earlier-than-desired ‘announcements’ of product[s] on our website, the ESRB system will not work for consumers if publishers arbitrarily select dates bearing no reasonable relationship to consumer interest in the product.”

Yeah! Take that you little tattletales.

Considering the fact that I am the type of person who tries her hardest to see both sides of every situation, I can completely understand why a publisher would not want their game information leaked before they were ready to “wow” the public with an official announcement. However, once a game has been given a rating, it goes without saying that the game is pretty much already completed sans a few tweaks and a final rating from the ESRB anyway, so really the only harm done is the title of the game being leaked.

The ESRB site does not contain any screenshots or trailers let alone any gameplay information other than what you would garner from the rating. Once in a while, a logo may be present within the listing such as when the new Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was listed, but other than that, I personally think that publishers need to relax.

The most important aspect of a game is not in the title but in the contents of the package you are paying up to $60 for - the title is not really a spoiler. Now, if some screens were to be leaked, that is one thing - but that would not be because of the ESRB site. It would be because you have some hanky panky going on in your midst from someone who does not know what a non-disclosure agreement entails.

Via: Next-Gen

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