Computer Entertainment Rating Organization

The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (特定非営利活動法人コンピュータエンターテインメントレーティング機構, Tokutei Hieiri Katsudō Hōjin Konpyūta Entāteinmento Rētingu Kikō) (CERO) is one of two organizations that rates video game content in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable. It was established on July 2002 as a branch of Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, and became an officially recognized non-profit organization on 2003. It only rates console games, as personal computer games (including dating sims, dōjin soft, eroge, and visual novels) are rated by a different organization, the Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS).

Rating

On March 1, 2006, CERO implemented the latest revision of its ratings system. The symbols that CERO uses are stylized depictions of letters, meant to convey at a glance, a game's suitability for minors:

• A (all ages) equivalent to ESRB's E E10+ (low end) and T (lower end) ratings, PEGI's 3 and 7 (low end), USK's 0 and 6 ratings, and ACB's G and PG ratings. Games rated A include the Mario series, Pokemon series, most The Legend of Zelda games, Super Smash Bros. series, Sonic series, Kingdom Hearts series, Dragon Quest series, Gran Turismo series, LittleBigPlanet series, Winning Eleven series, Dance Dance Revolution series, Professor Layton series, Ape Escape series, Harvest Moon series, Mega Man series, Disgaea series, Armored Core series, most Ace Combat games, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X series, Detective Conan series, Dragon Ball series, Tales of the Abyss, Naruto series, One Piece series, Gundam series, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Ōkami, Ōkamiden, Chrono Trigger, Arc Rise Fantasia, Need for Speed: Shift, Split Second: Velocity, and PlayStation Move Heroes.
• B (ages 12 and up) equivalent to ESRB's E10+ (High end) and T (low end) ratings, PEGI's 12 (high end) rating, USK's 12 rating, and ACB's PG (high end) and M (low end) rating. Games rated B include Dynasty Warriors series, Samurai Warriors series, Sengoku Basara series, The King of Fighters series, Tekken series, Burnout series, Trauma Center series, Valkyria Chronicles series, Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Alan Wake, Metroid: Other M, Hyperdimension Neptunia, Dance Evolution, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Radiant Historia, and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.
• C (ages 15 and up) equivalent to ESRB's T (high end) and M (lower end) ratings, PEGI's 16 (low end) rating, USK's 16 rating, and ACB's M (high end) rating. Games rated C include Devil May Cry series, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, Tenchu series, Monster Hunter series, Lost Planet series, Uncharted series, Soulcalibur IV, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Record of Agarest War, Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Front Mission Evolved, Time Crisis: Razing Storm, Steins;Gate, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Warriors: Legends of Troy, Catherine, and Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
• D (ages 17 and up) equivalent to ESRB's M (low end) rating, PEGI's 16 (high end) and 18 (low end) ratings, USK's 18 rating, and ACB's MA15+ (low end) rating. Games rated D include Yakuza series, Ninja Gaiden, Bully, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Killzone 2 (and 3), Resistance 2 (and 3), Bayonetta, Record of Agarest War Zero, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Dante's Inferno, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Nier, Dead to Rights: Retribution, Halo: Reach, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, Vanquish, Medal of Honor, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, The 3rd Birthday, Brink, and Dark Souls. This is the strongest unrestricted CERO rating.
• Z (ages 18 and up only) equivalent to ESRB's M (high end) and AO ratings, PEGI's 18 (high end) rating, and ACB's MA15+ (high end) and R18+ ratings. Games rated Z include Grand Theft Auto series, Assassin's Creed series, Gears of War series, Dead Rising (and 2), Crackdown (and 2), Fallout 3 (and New Vegas), Left 4 Dead (and 2), Infamous (and 2) although the US rating is Teen (13+), MadWorld, BioShock 2, God of War III, Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty: Black Ops, L.A. Noire, Alice: Madness Returns, Shadows of the Damned, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The content is extreme in the CERO impact levels and therefore off-limits to persons under 18.

Cultural differences between ratings are very common, and games can receive different ratings in different countries. For example, the games God Hand, Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 and Samurai Shodown: Sen were all rated B by the CERO, which would technically give them T (13+) ratings in North America. However, they were all rated M (17+ - CERO D rating) by the ESRB, a difference of two grades. A more prominent example is Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, which was rated A (all ages) by CERO but M (17+) by the ESRB, a difference of three grades.

Some ratings, however, are consistent, such as No More Heroes which is rated M by the ESRB, D by the CERO and 16 by the PEGI. Also, some games may be partially censored to eliminate some of the more mature themes in the games' content, such as the aforementioned No More Heroes.

Ratings are often printed on the packaging of video games. The Z classification is the only rating which is regulated by law.

Contents descriptor icons

In April 2004, CERO defined the following "content descriptor icons". These icons are displayed on the back of all packages except on those rated "A".

Contents descriptor	Examples	Corresponding ratings
Love	Tokimeki Memorial series, Memories Off series, Angelique series, Starry Sky series, Uta no Prince-sama series, LovePlus, Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life - CS Edition, Little Busters!: Converted Edition, Amagami, Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi, Shining Hearts, Final Fantasy XIII, Mass Effect 2, The Sims 3	B, C, D
Sexual content	The Idolmaster series, Arcana Heart series, Dead or Alive series, Dream Club, Gal*Gun, Air, Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, To Heart 2, Doki Doki Majo Shinpan!, Duel Love, Soulcalibur IV, Record of Agarest War, Dance Evolution, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel	B, C, D
Violence	The King of Fighters series, Metal Slug series, Dynasty Warriors series, Metal Gear series, Castlevania series, Resident Evil series, Monster Hunter series, Gears of War series, Halo series, Call of Duty series, God of War series, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, Fate/unlimited codes, Steins;Gate, Umineko no Naku Koro ni: Majo to Suiri no Rondo, Bayonetta, The 3rd Birthday	B, C, D, Z
Horror	LifeSigns: Surgical Unit, Fatal Frame, xxxHolic, Theresia, Ju-on: The Grudge, Calling, Alan Wake	B, C
Gambling	Yakuza series, Jake Hunter series, 81diver, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Bully, Way of the Samurai 4	C, D
Crime	Grand Theft Auto series, Assassin's Creed series, Burnout series, Cross Channel, Chaos;Head Noah, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Radiant Historia, No More Heroes, Test Drive Unlimited, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, Alice: Madness Returns	B, C, D, Z
Use of alcohol or tobacco (of minor)	Machi: Unmei no Kousaten, Happiness! De:Luxe, Nanatsuiro Drops Pure!!, Days of Memories 2, Taishō Yakyū Musume: Otome Tachi no Seishun Nikki, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker	C, D
Use of drugs	Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance, Imabikisō, 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de, Clannad, Togainu no Chi: True Blood, Trauma Team, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP version), Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 - Innocent Sin (PSP version)	B, C
Language or other	Kanon, School Days L×H, Ōkami Kakushi, Baroque, Valkyria Chronicles, Tales of Vesperia, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Resonance of Fate, Siren: Blood Curse, Heavy Rain, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days	B, C, D

Previous ratings

The ratings for video games in Japan prior to March 2006 are:

• All ages replaced by A
• 12 and older replaced by B
• 15 and older replaced by C
• 18 and older replaced by D and Z

The primary difference between the two rating systems was the inclusion of the "17 and older" rating, due to the large gap between the "15 and up" and "18 and up" ratings.

Other ratings

• Education & Database (教育・データベース) equivalent to ESRB's eC ratings.
• Rating scheduling (審査予定) equivalent to ESRB's RP ratings.
• CERO regulation conformity (CERO規定適合) is displayed in demo version.

Scandals and Controversy

One month after the initial release of Atelier Meruru: The Alchemist of Arland 3, shipments of it were halted due to it having been mis-rated. It was re-released a few days later with a B rating from CERO. Its A (All Ages) rating was revoked and it was given a B (Ages 12+) rating instead, due to some heavily sexual scenes featured in-game. One of these features several characters in a hot spring with their genitalia barely covered (ie. hidden by towels and heavy steam effects). There are also some cleavage shots and see-through articles of clothing throughout the game. The in-game camera can be manuevered to view female characters' undergarments. The game was originally rating for all ages due to Gust Corporation allegedly not providing them with complete content of the game to review. The scale of the scandal is akin to that of the American ESRB's re-ratings of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

See also

• ACB, the Australian media rating system.
• 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
• OFLC, the New Zealand media rating system
• GRB, the South Korean computer and video game rating system.
• Eirin, the Japanese film rating system.

External links

• Official Japanese CERO Website