CERO Ratings
Authority: Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO)
Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization rates games from A (All ages) to Z (18 and up only). B suits ages 12+, C suits ages 15+, and D suits ages 17+; Z is a legally restricted category, and retailers in Japan can be penalized for selling a Z-rated game to a minor.
| Rating | Age Suitability | Content Description |
|---|---|---|
| A - All Ages | All ages | Content is suitable for all ages, with no age-restricted expressions or material |
| B - Ages 12 and up | 12+ | Contains some content parents may consider inappropriate for children under 12 |
| C - Ages 15 and up | 15+ | Contains content that may be inappropriate for those under 15 |
| D - Ages 17 and up | 17+ | Contains adult material that may be inappropriate for anyone under 17 |
| Z - Ages 18 and up only | 18+ | Contains strong adult material; it is illegal to sell a Z-rated game to anyone under 18 |
History & Origin
CERO was established in June 2002 as a branch of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, Japan's video game industry trade body, and became an officially recognized nonprofit organization under Japanese law in December 2003. Like the ESRB in the US, it was formed as an industry self-regulatory body to rate console game content rather than leave that role to outside government censors.
The current letter-based A/B/C/D/Z system took effect on March 1, 2006, replacing an earlier, simpler set of category labels (All, 12, 15, 18). Each rating is paired with a color-coded bar on the game box spine -- black for A, green for B, blue for C, orange for D, and red for Z -- so a rating is identifiable at a glance without reading the box. The Z rating stands apart from the others in that it isn't merely advisory: selling a Z-rated game to a person under 18 is illegal in Japan, giving that specific category legal force that the other CERO categories don't carry.
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ACB Ratings
Australia's Classification Board rates games G, PG, M, MA 15+, R 18+, or Refused Classification (RC). G and PG are advisory for general and younger audiences; M is recommended for mature audiences; MA 15+ and R 18+ are legally restricted by age; RC content cannot legally be sold, hired, or exhibited in Australia at all.
Comparison TableUSK Ratings
Germany's Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle rates games under five legally binding age categories: USK 0, 6, 12, 16, and 18. Each threshold is set in German youth protection law, and retailers must enforce the printed age at the point of sale; USK 18 titles are not approved for anyone under 18.