This is a long list of things that games may include in them which get them specific ratings. But if the ESRB wants to call attention to specific details they will slap on one or more of these descriptors to make you, the buyer, aware of what the game holds. The major delineation in these is reference versus usage.

 Alcohol may be shown or talked about but not used and that is different than people sitting down and drinking it. The same goes for violence, drugs and tobacco.

Blood can be broken down into animated (not red or realistic), normal blood, blood and gore (they mean gore as in mutilated body parts).

Along with blood comes violence that can be cartoon-like, getting flattened by a piano but springing back to life, fantasy, being roasted by a fireball from a centaur, intense, someone stabbing another person to death with a knife, sexual, rape or other violent sexual acts, and standard violence which I suppose would be someone punching another person but not causing blood to spurt from their mouth or nose. Oddly, with all those classifications of violence the standard violence may contain bloodless dismemberment. I guess that couldn't be classified as anything else.

Sex is also broken down into a variety of descriptors. For example you have sexual content, which could be partial nudity because being nude means having sex of course! This included non-explicit depictions of sexual behavior, like bumping and grinding on a dance floor? Sexual themes means that sex is referenced, I wonder why they didn't call it sexual reference. Sexual Violence, see above. Strong sexual content which means explicit, so you see the people doing the sex acts, then it says "possibly including nudity," so this could be a hummer (not the vehicle) in a parking lot I suppose. It could also be frequent depictions of something considered sexual.

Here is the full list:

• Alcohol Reference - Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages
• Animated Blood - Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood
• Blood - Depictions of blood
• Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts
• Cartoon Violence - Violent actions involving cartoon-like situations and characters. May include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted
• Comic Mischief - Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor
• Crude Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including “bathroom” humor
• Drug Reference - Reference to and/or images of illegal drugs
• Fantasy Violence - Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life
• Intense Violence - Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons and depictions of human injury and death
• Language - Mild to moderate use of profanity
• Lyrics - Mild references to profanity, sexuality, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
• Mature Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving "adult" humor, including sexual references
• Nudity - Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity
• Partial Nudity - Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity
• Real Gambling - Player can gamble, including betting or wagering real cash or currency
• Sexual Content - Non-explicit depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including partial nudity
• Sexual Themes - References to sex or sexuality
• Sexual Violence - Depictions of rape or other violent sexual acts
• Simulated Gambling - Player can gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency
• Strong Language - Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity
• Strong Lyrics - Explicit and/or frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol or drug use in music
• Strong Sexual Content - Explicit and/or frequent depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity
• Suggestive Themes - Mild provocative references or materials
• Tobacco Reference - Reference to and/or images of tobacco products
• Use of Drugs - The consumption or use of illegal drugs
• Use of Alcohol - The consumption of alcoholic beverages
• Use of Tobacco - The consumption of tobacco products
• Violence - Scenes involving aggressive conflict. May contain bloodless dismemberment
• Violent References - References to violent acts

It was such a long and dry list I thought I would just give it to you straight. No fooling around with the very precise and hardly concise list of content descriptors for the ESRB. I rather like CERO's way with the cool icons. That's far more interesting even if it's not as intuitive.

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