If you're wondering what's going on with classification boards around the world now that CERO in Japan has been temporarily closed, it's business as usual.
An update from IGN reveals the ESRB in America has been working from home in recent weeks. So far, it's had no issues assigning ratings remotely. Here's an official statement:
Thanks to a good deal of advance planning, since March 16 ESRB has been operating remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We have seen no delay in assigning ratings. We will continue to assign ratings remotely for as long as required.
Over in Europe, the European games rating agency PEGI is also working remotely. The impact of the resulting measures has been minimal:
In short: yes, we are currently working remotely with minimal impact on our operations. When this situation started to unfold across Europe a couple of weeks ago, we quickly found a way to continue our daily operations by working remotely. Given that PEGI (in Brussels) works with two independent administrators that are located in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and they deal with publishers all over the world that we do not have to meet in person, cooperating remotely has always been part of our daily routine. But now it happens from homes instead of different offices.
We informed the companies using the PEGI system that, until local authorities announce a change to the current measures, we will be working like this. But until now, the impact of the pandemic and the resulting measures has been minimal.
Unless something major happens or there is a problem on the publisher or development end, games in these regions will continue to be rated.
[source ign.com]
Comments 20
Well that's good, expecting no game delays then.
Glad to know that they are still able to properly in these times.
This is good. Not because new video games remain available (although I don't mind), but because with the virus and the response combining to decimate the economy any work that can continue, and any industry that can be active, is not just beneficial but essential.
So I suppose games would still be released in those regions and then as soon as the Japanese one is open again, get those Japan ratings in and release ASAP in Japan.
I mean something like Arcade Archives could carry on in Europe and the US, then when the Japanese ratings are available again, have bulk releases in that region right?
Good on 'em. Maybe they could share their tips with CERO to help Japan's schedule get back on track.
Thank goodness. We need ratings to make sure everything is set for the good boys and girls, according to Sakurai.
@Kalmaro I mean, it's entirely possible every game will be delayed if they wanna keep worldwide releases intact, CERO is still gone for a month minimum
@Kalmaro Except the games that are still in development some what
@link3710 Yeah, I suppose a lot depends on how much American and European publishers care about releasing their games simultaneously in Japan. For a lot of these companies the Japanese market is a distant third to the US and Europe, so it might not be all that important to them to wait, but I guess we'll see.
@Angelic_Lapras_King
If publishers and developers would like to keep their business moving, they should release their products in all territories when & wherever possible. To wait for CERO to reopen would not make any business sense.
@mrmememan They just won't be released in Japan at the same time then
Who ever though that one up? Is there no end to ingenuity.😲
“Haha, stupid CERO.”
Ratings boards are kinda unnecessary because consumers can probably figure out how appropriate a game is just from looking at the cover: guns and zombies on the box? Probably not okay for little Jimmy!
Can't CERO do the same? Seems an easy job to do remotely.
@Dissident Yeah, I don't get that either. Seems like a lot of this would have been remotely done anyway.
@Donald_M True, but I'm more worried about Nintendo, Capcom, Square Enix, Bandai-Namco, etc. A whole lot of major companies are based out of Japan, especially the ones who majorly support the Switch.
good to know that ESRB and PEGI is still working despite the Coronavirus pandemic, i was worried that the Coronavirus pandemic will afect hugely the games ranting of all consoles.
In other Words they need to make money still. I figure this would still happen or they make it happen one way or another.
You mean they weren't already working remotely anyway? They get thousands of dollars from most games to watch footage and not even play the games to confirm. It's a private company without any power.
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