In light of Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs requiring Steam games to post their IGRS (Indonesia Game Rating System) age ratings lest they not be displayed for purchase in the country, several developers and publishers have been using Steam’s Built-in Rating System to generate appropriate age ratings, albeit with mixed results. While the family-friendly Umamusume: Pretty Derby got listed as “18+”, titles with more adult-oriented and NSFW content like Saya no Uta and Nukitashi are labelled as “3+”. The ratings have since been removed from the platform, with Valve citing “a technical bug and miscommunication” as the cause of the error.
Steam’s Built-in Rating System uses answers from a built-in content survey to determine the appropriate age ratings for newly released games. Following the implementation of age rating requirements in Indonesia, Valve partnered with local authorities to update the rating system to comply with these new regulations.
While the Built-in Rating System makes publishing games on Steam easier, it isn’t foolproof. Older games without age ratings that were released before Steam’s content survey was implemented in January 2020 have theirs generated based on acquired data and information gathered from the developers. For games that simulate gambling or have online modes, Valve has added new questions to their content survey that may affect their final ratings.
Given that Umamusume: Pretty Derby includes in-game purchases and simulated gambling, this could be why it mistakenly got its “18+” rating. Following a temporary removal of the game’s Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) rating, it has since been updated to “3+” (source: Game*Spark). However, considering titles like Saya no Uta and Nukitashi include depictions of bodily harm and nudity, respectively, it’s clear that the Built-in Rating System is still rough around the edges.
Following a string of misinterpreted age ratings, the IGRS announced that the ratings shown on Steam do not yet fully reflect the official ratings verified by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs. This was due to Steam “still being in the adjustment phase” of its Built-in Rating System to comply with IGRS standards.
Simultaneously, Valve apologized for the misleading IGRS age ratings posted on Steam between April 2 to April 5, citing a technical bug and miscommunication as causes. The incorrect age ratings have been removed to prevent confusion while those involved work on steps to fully generate and display more accurate, IRGS-approved age ratings for Indonesian users.
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