ESRB, Senators commit to parents

As the quiet passage of a recent law in Maryland showed, the relationship between the game industry and US legislators is not always a contentious one. Another example of the two groups working together is set to surface tomorrow.

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has announced that it will join Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA), George Allen (R-VA), and Mark Pryor (D-AR) in unveiling "an unprecedented commitment on the part of leading video game retailers to enhance compliance with store policies regarding the sale of Mature-rated video games and educate customers about ESRB video game ratings, among other initiatives."

Details of the program, dubbed "Commitment to Parents," will be revealed tomorrow, but it will be the project of the ESRB Retail Council (ERC), a group of stores including Wal-Mart, GameStop, Best Buy, and other retailers who collectively account for 80 percent of US game sales. Check back tomorrow for the full story on the program.