PSP: rated M for Mature

by Andrew Yoon { Jan 23rd 2007 at 2:00PM }

This should come as no surprise to PSP owners, but it's interesting to see the numbers nonetheless. When looking through the ESRB database, one sees that the PSP offers a greater variety of games than Nintendo's handheld. The PSP features 30 titles with an M rating. The DS, on the other hand, only has 2.

Teen-rated games also find their home on the PSP. The DS only has 31 Teen-rated games, while the PSP has three times the number of titles, with 96 T-rated games.

While it's undeniable that the DS is selling better than the PSP, one has to wonder how many of those consoles are for adults. I'd assume not too many. Grand Theft Auto sold over a million copies on Sony's handheld, while LocoRoco went by mostly unnoticed. I think it should be pretty clear that the two portables are targeting two very different markets: and older gamers, like myself, enjoy the slightly more adult-themed games of the PSP.

Tags: esrb, mature

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ed Stash @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:10PM

Ahh, the old Nintenduh iz 4 duh k!dd!eezzz argument, all prettied up.

Maybe a better measure would be the quantity of those T and M-rated games sold on the PSP vs. DS. The number of titles tells us nothing about who the consoles were bought for.

And an FYI, I own all the systems. I'm not a Nintendo fanboy...I'm a logical-arguments fanboy, and this ain't one of them.

Ninjaaaaa @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:21PM

Sorry Stash, but this IS a logical argument.

Sales are irrelevant if developers aren't putting any of those types of games on the system.

In addition if he wanted to encompass the world in this debate, he'd just have to point to the porn titles in Japan that are on the PSP.

This isn't necessarily Nintendo's doing, but the fact that the developers aren't putting the mature rated games means that Nintendo is not the mature-oriented system.

alienclay @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:19PM

also, how many of these systems are for females?

Kade Storm @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:34PM

No, it's very true. However, from a complicated, psychological standpoint, kindly tell me how/what gets authority over determining what which group wants?

Technically, one whole hour of mindless, classless porn will most likely be classified as something for very mature audiences. Does this logic imply that an intelligence hungry mind (mature, even), looking for a challenging plot will start playing Porn Pipe, instead of FF6?

Not trying to argue against the notion that PSP does entertain the demographic of hardcore gamers, and even those with a nastier blood-lust. However, to imply that ESRB ratings are categorising demographic, rather than marking the 'limits' for the demographic of players is going a tad bit far. It's a little more complex than the whole 'shoe size' analogy.

-=TR�KSTER=- @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:30PM

I agree this is a valid point, but as usual you have someone saying they are not a DSFANY boy but they seem to take every point made for the PSP and try to twist it back to the DS. Hasn't sont themselves stated they are not targeting the same audience? I think this is really great for the PSP as the system really can work for all ages, whereas the DS will continue to target children. I do think that there are many developers who see this system as a great system for the younger crowd and keep making games for all ages.

daniel-kun @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:31PM

But the japanese porn-games still didn't make it to europe or the us. Too bad :-)

Joe @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:59PM

I like my PSP so much more then my DS and that is because there is more games to pick from. That I want to buy. I almost wonder if the PSP had less games if more people would want the PSP. What I am saying is the DS sells well on only Mario games and Nintendogs. So say because those games are the big sellers people go out and buy them. But on the PSP you have lots and lots of great games so not every one is getting the same one.

Every one is buying one game great game over the other great game. Because they do not have the money to buy every single great game. As with the DS the big games are NSMB,Nintendogs,Mario Cart,Poenix Wright and so every one buys those games and not many more.

But when you look at what the PSP offers every one will buy a couple of these and not them all. Like GTA,MGS:Po,
Monster Hunter,Daxter,Killzone,Tekken,Syphon Filter and Lumines. Plus there is many more to pick from too so in some ways there are lots of great PSP games yet they do not sell really well because not every one is buying that game.

So with that being said I think the PSP is doing well for what it has more choice and I for one like that. Plus with having M games are great news for older people. So I can't wait to play 300 that games looks like it is a PSP version of God of War. So having more then just E games are great news if you are aloud to play them.

ztier @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:09PM

It's clear developers make video games based upon the demographics of any given system. With that said the type of games made for the PSP obviously includes a significant number of mature and teen titles because of the target demographics for the system. Conversely, games made for the DS reflect its target demographics.
So it is quite evident the PSP is intended and marketed for older gamers versus the younger gamers the DS focuses on.
And if someone still doubts this logic, remember Nintendo has been the king of handhelds for nearly 2 decades almost entirely because of children.

Joe @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:11PM

I like my PSP so much more then my DS and that is
because there is more games to pick from. That I want to buy. I almost wonder if the PSP had less games if more people would want the PSP.

What I am saying is the DS sells well on only Mario games and Nintendogs. So say because those games are the big sellers people go out and buy them.

But on the PSP you have lots and lots of great games so not every one is getting the same one. Every one is buying one great game over the other great game.

Because they do not have the money to buy every single great game. As with the DS the big games are
NSMB, Nintendogs, Mario Cart, Poenix Wright and so every one buys those games and not many more. But when you look at what the PSP offers every one will buy a couple of these and not them all. Lik GTA, MGS:Po, Monster Hunter, Daxter, Killzone, Tekken, Syphon Filter and Lumines. Plus there is many more to pick from too so in some ways there are lots of great PSP games yet they do not sell really well because not every one is buying that game.

So with that being said I think the PSP is doing well for what it has more choice and I for one like that. Plus with having M games are great news for older people. So I can't wait to play 300 that games looks like it is a PSP version of God of War. So having more then just E games are great news if you are aloud to play them.

Pete @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:32PM

I dunno. I mean i know that they're deffinatly for two different age groups, but i liked both GTA and Locoroco. Im 17, but i found both about the same fun-factor. Does this mean that since Ratchet and Clank is more of a kiddy game it wont do good? Daxter did good(i think) and its a semi-kiddyish game.

Kade Storm @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:51PM

To put what I am saying very directly - ESRB ratings =/= official and/or proper measurement of demographic profile/demographic needs. It's more a warning limit for consumers, taking a very generalised demographic profile into consideration. There.

And yeah, PSP goes have a greater range of games, and I like the fact that I can get more out of it.

Kelvin @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:25PM

In a sense, this illustrates the primary problem with PSP games: a lack of games designed to be played in "portable" situations. Most games that involve "sexual themes" and "strong language" will have a relatively submersive environment that is better played sitting down in a long session, rather than in bits of less than an hour. The blood and violence, I suppose, can be a part of a fast-playing fighting game, but I don't think the high number of M-rated games is overwhelmingly due to fighters.

For example: you can't make Lumines M-rated, unless you add some gratuitous game-unrelated crap.

pixelator @ Jan 24th 2007 1:33PM

"kindly tell me how/what gets authority over determining what which group wants?"

The frigging beancounters at any given publisher. That includes EA, THQ, Nintendo, Sony, etc. It's a main reason why I no longer work in game development.

"Does this logic imply that an intelligence hungry mind..."

I don't anyone equates the 'M' rating with real intellectual maturity. "You must have an IQ of at least 120 to play this game!" -- ?

@7 - Exactly. The companies make games that cater (and sometimes pander) to the target demographic. Why people get up in arms over whether Nintendo has a younger average market than Sony is beyond me. It's just how it is. Doesn't mean the games aren't good, though it can make for more licensed/product/tie-ins like Spongebob or Kim Possible. Not interesting to many of us, but I promise you they're big hits with the younger kids.

-=TR�KSTER=- @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:51PM

The overwhelming majority of M games on the PSP are FPS, even Midway Arcade Treasures is M rated due to the Kewl blood in the MK series.
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp

I think the the perception albiet mainly from the DS crowd is the assumption that you have to have a fast quick game to be enjoyed or to be the proper venu,this is such a load. You can have a game that is huge and take many many hours to complete and be completely immersive, it's a new thing called PAUSE. I mean say you have only 5 mins to kill but the level will take an hour to beat, are you saying that you can't get enjoyment for the 5 mins that you do have to kill and then PAUSE the game and move on? I for one welcome huge games as well as faster paced games on the PSP, I am glad that it can handle both so well.

zjoe @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:40PM

Kade Storm,

I think your missing the point. ESRB ratings in this context are indicative of the type of content available on a give console, regardless of the fact the ratings do not provide a direct correlation to actual customer demographics.
Acknowledging this it is easy to see a system targeted towards families and children will have decidedly less mature content available versus a system that targets hardcore gamers.
That is not to say DS games do not have universal appeal -- sales of the system clearly indicate otherwise. I would say Nintendo's family marketing style tends to target children more so than older, hardcore gamers.

Turken @ Jan 23rd 2007 6:04PM

The problem with the argument posed by the blog posting is that it still makes two gross assumptions: First, that "mature" and "adult age" are synonymous, and second, that adults overwhelmingly prefer M rated titles to the exclusivity of E rated titles.

When it comes to ESRB ratings, a game having an M rating in no way defines the audience. In fact, it could be argued that having an M rating only increases the number of kids who play those titles, simply because of the illicit pleasure of playing a game that is "mature" even if they are not mature themselves.

Kids like to blow things up because they think its cool. They like the gratuitous blood and jell-o filled bikinis because those are things that are forbidden to them. They don't like to do puzzles because they are already forced to think too much at school. Most adults have grown up past the fascination with blood (because they know it comes with pain) and boobs (they either have them or have access to them in real life). Many adults want to be entertained, to think, to enjoy a story. These can be done in a game with or without the blood and boobs.

Your personal experience may be that you (as an adult) prefer game genres that are inherently rated M. My personal experience is that myself, my wife, my siblings, and my friends (all adults) prefer game genres that are inherently rated E with the occasional T or M rated game thrown in. Everyone has their personal preferences regardless of age, so trying to extrapolate the age of console owners based on the "maturity" of available games is a flawed argument at best.

As for GTA vs. LocoRoco sales, there are many reasons for the sales differences such as brand recognition, advertising campaigns, and genre preference. Somehow I doubt that adult PSP owners chose not to buy the game simply because it was rated E.

SteveT @ Jan 23rd 2007 6:40PM

By the logic of the first post, I am left to assume that Mr. Yoon only watches R rated movies.

"PG-13?! Lord of the Rings is for KIDS. I'mma watch Gigli!"

Just because something is deemed unsuitable for "immature" audiences, does not mean that it is inherently mature.

In alot of ways, SimCity and Civilization are more "mature" than Grand Theft Auto.

Kade Storm @ Jan 23rd 2007 7:56PM

I am not missing anything, zjoe. ESRB ratings are a relative gauge for assigning limits, and of course, for the laycrowd-us folk. Developers don't sit back with their trouser buttons open behind some door (sorry had to toss that in), pondering their fate through something as rough and general a friggin' ESRB rating. Consider the example above for the Midway Arcade games. "Okay, dudes, we gotta' make something that'll appeal to some horny shmuck - our target demographic are horny men, who haven't been getting a lot of 'it'!" - "Right-o, boss! How about we toss in a mini-MK game! Those things evoke M-ratings, therefore, they'll probably satisfy male sexual energy as well." Is MY point getting through now? I feared you people would just read the first line of my comment and automatically assume at has a n eletrically one-sided polarised condemnation of ESRB as any sort of gauge, much like how most believe that ESRB is the gospel of every single demographic down to the micr-demographics.

An M rating is a generalisation; developers have to look in much deeper into this very confusing clump to find their 'target demographic'. Pick your poison? Vulgar language? Nude scenes? Blood? Gore? Excessive Violence? All of the above, and more - M rating.

pixelator @ Jan 23rd 2007 8:07PM

OK guys, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The ESRB ratings mean AGE, not INTELLECTUAL MATURITY.

The DS (and in a greater sense, Nintendo themselves) cater more to the younger crowd. Simple demographic fact. Doesn't mean that the DS, GBA, Gamecube, N64, SNES, NES, etc. haven't had some great games. But they HAVE had more 'kid stuff' like a port of Kim Possible or Spongebob Squarepants (yes, there's a Spongebob on PSP). The DS has also snared more female gamers - in part from their kid-friendly image. Females tend to be more appreciative of entertainment and media that is kid-friendly and/or with cute & stylish characters.

The PSP caters more to the PS2 crowd. 18-35yo males. Lots of action, explosions, blood, etc. -- Which isn't to say T or M rated games can't be good, or fun, or intellectual.

Whole lotta B&W logic getting bandied about here. Fanboyism is a great polarizer, apparently.

jeff @ Jan 25th 2007 6:31PM

Congratulations everybody, you have succeeded in proving that you cannot agree on anything!
-At #1, you sir, are a Nintendo fanboy, which does NOT by any means translate that you are any less mature than those around you.
-At #7, you sir, are a Sony fanboy, which does NOT by any means translate that you are also any more or less mature than those around you.

I myself own both portables, liking both, but I believe that something has been addressed here that has not been brought as a point; is it young vs. old demographic or casual vs. hardcore demographic here that applies to PSP/ DS Games. Look at the slate of popular DS Games: Warioware, Mario titles, maybe Nintendogs, which ALL APPLY TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S PERSONAL PREFERENCES in a game, are more suited to probably a shorter 15-30 minute sit... you really don't need blood and gore throughout, or "sexual themes" as the main item of interest; it is a gameplay oriented game...suitable to maybe a japanese person riding the subway or bus home from work/school to flip open a DS and play a few rounds before getting off...aka casual gaming.
PSP games tend to be a little more time consuming and emulating of more complex plots and content, which gives developers leeway for such ideals as more blood and guts on the details and "sexual content", because gamers will notice such subtle details within their extended period of time with the handheld, though maybe splitting time with multimedia details. An ideal use of the PSP would be a flight of 2-3 hours, to where much of the story on the more sophisticated console itself can be accomplished.
-Of course there are exceptions to the rule, because some people like other things, and the consoles have to apply to all of the demographics at some point, the DS with longer, possibly more addicting games like the Zelda series (in time) and Metroid series, maybe even Resident Evil, and the PSP with other titles like WTF and LocoRoco for the casual gaming demographic.

It's all in the perception, folks. That's capitalism for you...

Dookie @ Jan 23rd 2007 10:21PM

I am an adult. I do not own a psp. None of the psp games satisfy my needs in games, but the ds does. It depends on the person. I don't care about ratings all I care about is if the game is fun or not.

effervescence @ Jan 23rd 2007 11:07PM

I've got to come in against the gist of this article. The argument that "our games have more M's and T's and therefore we are more diverse" just doesn't hold water with me. E does not mean "suitable for children." It's E for EVERYONE. Why does making games that are more suitable for a larger percentage of the population, coupled with the stated idea of reaching out to an audience of diverse ages, seem to be lost on everyone as they denounce the DS as just for kids?

And really, the key argument here should be about the quality of games, along with their ratings. You shouldn't be looking at the ratings of the games available so much as the ratings of the games that are being played. For myself, the only games I've found for the PSP worth buying and keeping have been Lumines I and II. I've also been eying Ace Combat and Loco Roco, but so far it's just the music puzzlers that I've decided to keep. The average rating for my PSP games - E10+. My DS library, about 6 times the size, keeps about the same average, with titles varying between the E of NSMB, Tetris, and Pokemon Ranger, to the E10+ of Contact and FFIII, and the T for Metroid and both Phoenix Wrights. Frankly, I've found more titles I feel happy with spending my money on.

Why does ratings seem to matter? Do people go out of their way looking for that Big Black M on games? Since when is staring at tits and massacring AI targets a more mature activity than saving princesses from a villainous dinosaur tyrant? More adult maybe, but hardly more mature.

I'll admit, my tastes differ somewhat from the "mainstream" PSP audience. It seems many want to feel that their sleek black handheld is edgy and cool, and therefore plays games that would be approved by the local football team. Interestingly, I'll bet in 10 years that no one on the football team will remember the name of the guy from Grand Theft Auto (any of them). But they'll all recognize Mario from a mile away.

Michael @ Jan 23rd 2007 11:16PM

As others have said already, ESRB ratings do not necessarily indicate the "maturity" of a game, just as movie ratings don't. They're more there just as a limiting factor. G movies (and E games) can be watched (and enjoyed/played) by everyone, whereas R movies (M games) should only be enjoyed by an older (though not necessarily any more "mature") audience. Nintendo is working to make sure that everyone can play their games, whether they are 8 or 80. Brain Age is probably the best example of this.

Jeff Cossey @ Jan 23rd 2007 11:47PM

What I am reading from those that own both systems and those that own the DS is that there are no games they like for the PSP except for puzzle type games. This is all well and good but that is only a small part of what the PSP is about. They speak about the quality of the games, well how about the many many clones of the DS there are. How many incarnations of Mario,Pokemon, Yoshi,Nintendogs are there? So you say if there are 5 different versions of the same name and basically the same game is quality? I alse hear the old rhetoric that they only port or release clones on the PSP, the DS does this much more so, it does it with it's own games. AKA Mario and all of its very similar but a new twist.

Joe @ Jan 24th 2007 12:09AM

I love how for what I said says I am a Sony fanboy. In all truth I am a Nintendo Fan. I have got my First gameboy in 89. then got another then the color then advance,SP and then the DS. So to say I am a fanboy is funny all I was saying is what comes to mind when you think of Nintendo is that it is for younger kids no where did I say Nintendo sucks. Because if it did why do I still have my Snes,N64 and Gamecube. I am a gamer I own every system you out there now just have not gotten a Wii yet. So having my 360 makes me a Sony fanboy thats nice to hear.

So what I said was true the systems sell on what they have so nothing wrong with that.

effervescence @ Jan 24th 2007 12:57AM

I'm a little confused by Jeff Cossey's comments about the "clones" on the system. Is he referring to how there are multiple versions of Nintendogs, with each title having the same basic game and only differing in the dogs included? In that case, yes, Nintendogs should only count as one title for the DS, not 3 or 4, just as I've always thought it somewhat odd that Pokemon Red and Blue (and Silver/Gold, Ruby/Sapphire, etc) would each count as two seperate titles on many sales charts, when really they're basically the same game. But when he mentions that there are several "incarnations" of Mario and Pokemon on the DS, I've got to wonder what he's considering an "incarnation" Does he think NSMB and Mario 64 DS are "clones" of each other? Are Mariokart DS and Mario vs Donkey Kong similar titles for containing the same characters? Does he think Pokemon Trozei and Pokemon Ranger should count as the same title? Or is he merely upset because Nintendo has knack for including its characters in games that are generally considered high quality? In the games industry, success generally means an expansion of the franchise, much like Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid have enjoyed repeated successes on the PSP.

Or, to borrow Jeff's syntax, "How many incarnations of Grand Theft Auto, Solid Snake, Lumines, Final Fantasy are there?"

Jeff Cossey @ Jan 24th 2007 11:06AM

To borrow effervescence syntax how many incarnations
well if you look below you will get an idea
and his ijust on the DS, most of these exist in one form or another on the NEW,SNES,GBA,GAMECUBE and Wii

Mario Kart DS
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario Hoops 3 on 3
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Super Mario 64 DS
New Super Mario Bros. (DS) (NEW ?? really ?? 20 years ago maybe)

Pokemon Diamond
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Pokemon Ranger
Pokemon Pearl
Pokemon Dash
Pokemon Trozei!

Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends
Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends
Nintendogs: Dalmatian and Friends
Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends

Ark no 10-Punkan Eigo Master Chuukyuu
Ark no 10-Punkan Eigo Master: Joukyuu
Ark no 10-Punkan Eigo Master: Shokyuu

Bomberman
Bomberman Land Touch!
Bomberman Story
Bomberman Story DS

Digimon Story Moonlight
Digimon Story Sunburst
Digimon World DS

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Fuuketsu no Grimoire
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

San Goku Shi DS
San Goku Shi DS 2
San Goku Shi Taisen DS

Shrek Smash and Crash
Shrek SuperSlam
Shrek the Third

Sudokou
Sudoku 2 Deluxe
Sudoku Gridmaster
Sudoku Mania
Sudokuro

Sure there are some remakes on the PSP because they went gold, can you say about all of the titles listed above, sure Mario has had some good games but how many times are they going to try to capitolize on the same formula with a few new twists, well I guess as long as the Nintendo crowd keeps buying them. As you can see by the list it is dominated by Childrens games, and they will keep puuting the same out with a new name as children dont know the difference.

Alien @ Jan 24th 2007 12:06PM

lol Thats pretty funny , only to M games on the DS :P Thats pathetic , but the PSP has a decent M collection :D

effervescence @ Jan 24th 2007 12:03PM

I'm a little confused, Jeff. Are you complaining because theres 50+ childrens titles out for the DS (which is true, I'm not going to argue that there are a great deal of ) or because they share similar names? I realize that when "Mature" titles share similar names, it implies the game play is going to be nearly identical along the series, making purchasing one or more redundant. If you've run through one city in GTA, you know what you're in for in the others. But you can't seriously believe that's the case in the majority of these DS titles. I've already admitted that Nintendogs and the Core Pokemon RPGs are near identical titles, and shouldn't count multiple times, and while I don't know much about Japanese titles, I think even a Sony fanboy would have a hard time saying that any one of the games from the Mario list, or the Final Fantasy list, or the Pokemon list (excluding the Japanese-only RPGs).... I think you'd have a hard time telling anyone that one game on those lists was identical to the others simply because they share a name.

Like I said before "Does he think NSMB and Mario 64 DS are "clones" of each other? Are Mariokart DS and Mario vs Donkey Kong similar titles for containing the same characters? Does he think Pokemon Trozei and Pokemon Ranger should count as the same title?" You expanded on the list a bit, and looking at it now, I'm impressed by the sheer variety of games available. Not one of the Mario games is a repeat of another DS Mario title. Can GTA or Metal Gear Solid say that?

So really, the problem you see isn't Nintendo putting out the same game with a new name. It's just the opposite. Nintendo is putting out new games with the same name, because people recognize Mario as a sign of Nintendo's overall quality in game making.

txa1265 @ Jan 24th 2007 12:38PM

I think that the entire basis of the argument is fallacious. There is a fairly large distinction between 'Rated M for Mature' and showing maturity.

Blood, guts and bullets don't show maturity - indeed they tend to reflect the very things that cause many non-gamers to see the hobby as something for immature 18-34 year old single males. Which is largely the PSP target audience.

I may love blowing up zombies in infected, but anyone pretending that it is a more mature experience than 'Trace Memory' is lying to themselves.

I would *love* to see the PSP power put to good use bringing trly mature experiences such as the adventure game 'Indigo Prophecy' to the platform. Sure I'll gobble up 'Chili Con Carnage' when it arrives, but I remember reading somewhere last year the phrase 'Rated M for Immature' ... and it is largely a label that fits.

robby1051 @ Jan 24th 2007 2:02PM

as far as Gamespot is concerned
50 psp games rated 8.0 and up
26 ds games at 8.0 and up and 3 of them are nintendogs
5 psp games 9.0 and up
7 ds games 9.0 and up 3 are nintendogs

effervescence @ Jan 25th 2007 11:47AM

@Robbie - Thank you! These are the sort of numbers that we really need to be showing off here. I was actually thinking about looking up these figures myself, but you beat me to it. Yeah, the DS has a huge huge library, but how many of those games are really worth playing? Apparently - 26. PSP has almost twice as many games worth playing (by that standard), with a more limited library to start with. Good stuff.