12-06-2015, 11:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-07-2015, 12:02 AM by Jermungandr.)
Arguably. They don't actually censor anything, all they do is put a rating on the game and tell the game company the reason for that rating. If the game designers want a lower rating, then they can choose to cut or alter that content themselves. Nothing is really "censored" in the traditional sense, meaning they are forced to do it. It's their own choice.
The thing is most companies are going to try and make those changes, optional or not, because having lower ratings increases their ability to sell the game. Many stores will outright refuse to carry games rated AO and will heavily scrutinize games rated M, making them harder to sell. And games that don't acquire an ESRB rating at all are pretty much f**ked, as NOBODY will sell them.
The thing is most companies are going to try and make those changes, optional or not, because having lower ratings increases their ability to sell the game. Many stores will outright refuse to carry games rated AO and will heavily scrutinize games rated M, making them harder to sell. And games that don't acquire an ESRB rating at all are pretty much f**ked, as NOBODY will sell them.