Dreamcast Independant Rating Board

The Dreamcast Independant Rating Board is a new project that aims to act as a surrogate rating board to the ESRB for all independant Dreamcast projects. The goal of this project is two-fold:[br][br]1) provide a rating system for independant projects that acts the same as the commercial game rating system - it allows people to know what they are getting before they get it in regards to violence, sex, and drugs. This way a game isn't accidently downloaded for a small child when it contains innappropriate material.[br][br]2) to provide a rating graphic for creators of cover images for independant Dreamcast games, so they don't use the copyrighted ESRB rating system graphics, and so the ratings actually mean something.[br][br]If you want to submit your game for content grading by the DIRB, please use the form on The DIRB Site.

I think this is an excellent idea!

[quote author=OneThirty8 link=board=news;num=1096768649;start=0#1 date=10/02/04 at 22:40:56]I think this is an excellent idea![/quote]


So do I. I think it's such a great idea that I've already submitted 2 games to be reviewed.

I dont see there being a large enough base of homebrew for this to be very useful though =\. AFAIK there is no pure homebrew that would not get an E or slightly above on the ESRB rating scale.

But it is a good idea.

Hey you can do it for just about anything not commercial related in the dreamcast scene

[quote author=quzar link=board=news;num=1096768649;start=0#3 date=10/02/04 at 23:32:34]I dont see there being a large enough base of homebrew for this to be very useful though =\. AFAIK there is no pure homebrew that would not get an E or slightly above on the ESRB rating scale.

But it is a good idea.[/quote]If some of the more graphic BOR mods ever get submitted, then it the 13+ and over ratings can be used. It is true though, that most of the homebrew out there will be getting an A rating though (equivelent to E on the ESRB scale).

Also, when the DC/GP32 contest is over, there should be more software out there targeted at kids. Hence, the EL (Early Learning) rating. As our community continues to grow, and more software is be produced, more attention will be put on it. I think something like this helps to put it in the right light.

Ok, i was thinking original homebrew, since usually that is the only thing you are referring to when you say homebrew, and not things like bor mods.

[quote author=quzar link=board=news;num=1096768649;start=0#6 date=10/03/04 at 03:57:21]Ok, i was thinking original homebrew, since usually that is the only thing you are referring to when you say homebrew, and not things like bor mods.[/quote]
Yeah, that's why I made sure to word it as "independant projects" rather than homebrew. I'm trying to get away from the homebrew term anyway - independant dreamcast software sounds more professional and makes the community (I'm also trying to get away from the term "scene" and towards community) seem less like a fad, and more like a force that is here to stay.

The DIRB can be used for anything from BOR mods, to DCEvolution projects, to commercial projects such as FOF, Inhabitants, and Maqiupai.

We'd use the rating system on covers over at DCEvo for sure, one thing we could do also is make a small logo (once there's a logo that's standard ;)) to go in the IP bin file, that way if nobody bothers with the covers, they'll still see the rating on screen :).

Of course we'd have to update all the images and covers over there, it's a hard life :'( :-*. Speaking of covers (as debated in another topic), does anyone fancy coming up with a template that DCEvo could use? to get away from using licensed logos and such?

Back on track - shouldn't this topic get a sticky?

[quote author=DCDayDreamer link=board=news;num=1096768649;start=0#8 date=10/03/04 at 05:36:59]We'd use the rating system on covers over at DCEvo for sure, one thing we could do also is make a small logo (once there's a logo that's standard ;)) to go in the IP bin file, that way if nobody bothers with the covers, they'll still see the rating on screen :).[/quote]That's a good idea. :)

And the horizontally aligned graphic would be perfect for such a thing.

Here's a sample of the graphic (the one you'll be seeing the most of), rated A for all, in both horizontally and vertically aligned flavors:

http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/dirb/all.gif
http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/dirb/allwide.gif