The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns the official age and content ratings for computer and video games, announced a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign starring San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and pitcher Ryan Vogelsong at AT&T Park. The PSAs, which feature the players explaining the ESRB rating system and encouraging parents to use it when buying games for their families, will soon begin running on television and radio stations throughout northern California as well as at Giants home games this season.
“I grew up with video games and I still play today,” said Vogelsong. “They’re a lot of fun, especially when we’re on the road. But these days it’s clear that not every game is right for every kid. The ESRB rating on the game box helps a parent decide which games are appropriate for their children. Being a father I’m proud to help reach other parents with this important message.”
“As a professional athlete and a parent, I know you have to have the right tools and resources to succeed at both,” added Posey. “From detailed ratings information to the easy-to-use mobile app, the ESRB helps parents manage their kids’ video game play. I may be a relatively new parent, but thanks to the ESRB I’m definitely going to be better prepared when it comes to choosing video games for my kids.”
The new PSAs have been distributed to TV and radio stations and cable systems throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and northern California, and are expected to run throughout the 2012 baseball season. They will also appear on the video display boards in AT&T Park during Giants home games. In addition, Gamestop and other Bay Area retailers are distributing ratings education brochures featuring the players. A “Behind-the-Scenes” video of the PSA filming is also available for an inside look at the making of the campaign.
John Gaudiosi has been covering videogames for the past 20 years for outlets like The Washington Post, CNET, Wired Magazine and CBS.com. He has focused on the convergence of entertainment and videogames for outlets like Video Business, Home Media Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Gamerlive.TV and is also a freelance game columnist for Reuters and writes for outlets like Forbes.com, NVISION, Official PlayStation Magazine, EGM Now, Geek Monthly, PrimaGames.com, and Yahoo! Games. John also serves as the video game expert for NBC in Washington D.C. and has produced videogame documentaries for The History Channel and Starz Entertainment. John was named one of the Top 50 Game Journalists in the world by Next-Gen.biz in 2007. He is the co-author of Scholastic Books' How to Get into Videogames, Prima Publishing's Madden: Twenty Years of Videogame Football and Electronic Arts: The Official History.
