Rating System
Age Rating System
The system is to indicate target ages of potential game players based on content and expressions of computer and video games. It endeavors to indicate age classification marks covering all the computer and video games for household use sold domestically. The system that started on October 1, 2002 is maintained and implemented by Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (abbreviated as CERO) established in June 2002.
An indicated "age classification mark" represents that the game has been reviewed according to the CERO Code of Ethics and that the game includes content suitable for the game players of the indicated age and above. The marks are to be used for informed purchasing decisions.
1. Scope of Rating
The rating by CERO covers the computer and video games for household use (including cellular phone-type games) sold in Japan. It covers not only main stories but also all the recorded expressions such as hidden commands and tricks. Computer and video games for household use are the ones that are developed and sold for the following hardware devices.
SEGA | Dreamcast |
Sony Interactive Entertainment | Play Station
PlayStation2 Portable Play Station (including go) Play Station 3 Play Station Vita Play Station 4 Play Station 5 |
Nintendo | Nintendo 64 Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS Nintendo 3DS New Nintendo 3DS Wii WiiU Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 |
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment | Wonder swan |
Microsoft | Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X| S |
Meta Platforms, Inc. | Meta Holizon Platform (Meta Quest 3、Meta Quest 3S、Meta Quest 2、 Meta Quest Pro) |
Personal computer manufacturers | Personal computer (the correspondence OS: a lot of Windows, a lot of MAC) |
Cell-phone manufacturers | Cell-phone, smartphone (the correspondence OS: Android, iOS, WindowsPhone) |
Cloud game service providers | Cloud game service |
(as of May, 2025 as for the maker name the order of the kana syllabary)
2. Categories of representation to be covered by rating
-- Sex-related expression type --
● kiss ● embrace ● underwear exposure ● sexual intercourse ● nudity ● sex-evoking expression ● adultery ● defecation ● sex entertainment industry ● swimwear/costume | -- Violence expression type --
● description of animated blood ● description of mutilation/body-cutting ● description of corpse ● killing/wounding ● horror ● description of versus beat 'em-up game/fighting |
-- Antisocial act expression type --
● description of crime ● controlled substance such as narcotics ● abuse ● illegal drinking/smoking ● illegal gambling ● incest, sexual crime, etc. ● providing/soliciting prostitution ● suicide/self-injury ● human trafficking, etc. | -- Language- and ideology-related expression type--
● Improper expressions related to language and ideology |
※Each expression has the upper limit, and those that exceed the limit are rated as “banned expression”, which means no rating will be assigned to the game.
3. CERO Rating Marks
The CERO rating mark is classified into "age division mark" and "other marks".
a.Age division mark (March 1, 2006 revision)
The age classification mark includes the following five marks. One of the marks is displayed on the left bottom of the game box front, and a corresponding color bar is also shown on the box spine. Each bar color indicates black for “A”, green for “B”, blue for “C”, orange for “D” and red for “Z”.
Note: Products indicated with the classification marks are being sold, the products having been rated according to the pre-revision criteria.
"※Pre-Revision Age Classification Mark"B. Other Marks
Other marks include three marks of "Educational/Database," "CERO Regulations-Compatible" used for trial versions, and "Rating Scheduled" used for promotion items that game publishers use for advertisements of their games being created (having yet to be reviewed at this point).
Reminder:
Irrelevant to CERO rating, cases have recently occurred in which a "rating mark" or a similar mark is indicated on product boxes in the market. Since such conduct confuses people and allows them misunderstand that the game in question has been assigned rating by CERO and infringes the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, please be reminded that such conduct should not be performed.
Irrelevant to CERO rating, cases have recently occurred in which a "rating mark" or a similar mark is indicated on product boxes in the market. Since such conduct confuses people and allows them misunderstand that the game in question has been assigned rating by CERO and infringes the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, please be reminded that such conduct should not be performed.
4. Content Icons
Content icons can be found on the back side of the game box. These icons represent that the age classification decision has been made based on the expressions belonging to one (or more) of the content icons. They are grouped into nine categories.
5. Rating Process
1. A publisher provides a video showing typical game play as well as relevant cutscenes including the most extreme content.
2. Plural trained raters review the video and related stuff.
3. Raters’ evaluation is summarized and confirmed by CERO secretariat.
4. Finally, a rating is issued to the publisher who then decides either to accept it as the final rating or revise the content and resubmit a video.
・Raters consist of men and women of a wide age range who have been trained beforehand.
・Raters are registered and are bound by confidentiality regarding the review materials.
・Raters are not permitted to have any connections with the game industry.
・Raters have different demographic characteristics.