Twitch Updates Rules Of Conduct On Adult-Oriented Games
Video-streaming site Twitch updated its site’s policy Thursday, redefining its Rules of Conduct (RoC) on adult-oriented games.
From this point on, any game that is marked as “adults-only” (AO) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) will be prohibited from streaming on the platform.
In a statement today, the streaming site explains the reasons behind the latest change:
“Our goal at Twitch is to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive community platform where everyone can feel comfortable and have fun. From time to time, we update our Rules of Conduct (RoC) in pursuit of this goal and to match emerging issues in the video game industry.”
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The newest amendment mainly targets titles in the United States that are rated AO by the ESRB, the organization that assigns age ratings to games in North America. Still, the prohibition applies all over the world, which means that any player who streams the titles stated in the list may face sanctions from the site.
To further clarify the rule, the streaming site gave out the following statement:
“If a game’s US version is rated Adults Only by the ESRB, you should not broadcast that game on Twitch. However, ESRB rated Mature versions of Adults Only titles are permitted for streaming, such as Mature versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy.
Games rated 18+ by other rating systems are fine to stream, so long as they are not rated AO by the ESRB, and they don’t violate the standard language of our RoC and ToS.”
Launched in 2011, Twitch is one of the largest video game streaming sites in the world. It has been acquired by Amazon on Aug. 25, 2014 for a total of $970 million.
The site is considered to be the home of many streamers who play popular gaming titles such as Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends among others.
View the full statement here.
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