The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced that it will now assign an ‘In-Game Purchases’ label to physical (i.e. boxed) games.
The ERSB is an American self-regulatory organisation that assigns age and content ratings to consumers’ video games. They enforce video game advertising guidelines helping to ensure responsible practises for the industry.
Currently, by applying an ‘In-Game Purchases’ label, the body ensures consumers in the US are notified when an interactive or online feature of a digital or mobile game contains offers to buy digital goods.
US consumers can expect to start seeing this new notice on all games that can be purchased in shops and wherever those games can be downloaded. This move is intended to safeguard children and ensure parents are provided with all necessary information in choosing which games are suitable for their children.
The “In-Game Purchases” label will be applied when a game contains the option to buy additional content with real world currency. This includes, but is not limited to, bonus levels, skins, surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, seasons passes and upgrades such as disabling adverts.