[android-developers] Re: Have an extra $800 lying around for a mobile ESRB rating? Didn't think so.

There's nothing in writing from Google that games will not be promoted
on the marketplace without a rating just rumors. - but - there is no
other reason to suspect that the new rating system as it applies to
mobile phones would be different than the one for desktops and
consoles. Why would it? It's the same content, just a different
distribution platform. So yes, when this announcement is made then
there will be two types of games - games with a rating and games
without - and like on all other platforms the hopes of getting your
game in to a mainstream outlet would require an upfront cost of $800
for a rating. It couldn't be anything other than that or console game
developers and other game developers would cry fowl at having to pay
two fees for the same rating on two platforms. Also all of the mobile
companies involved would have to accept this agreement or be seen as
allowing children access to violent games by customers / competition,
and if they accept the terms of the ESRB mobile rating system then
there's no addition need for more useless legislation from the
government.

In the end the small developer loses, I can pay $800 for a rating, it
would take me months to save up for it, but in the end I have to now
make up the loss of the rating cost and then after I dig out of that
hole if I'm lucky. Only months later would I see a profit from my game
on the store. Then we'd still be fighting against the mega AAA titles
which now litter featured marketplace.

Also this goes even further because now we have a breakup of the
android marketplace with Verizon and Amazon both pushing their own
separate app stores which all have a separate submission process and
hoops to jump through.

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