The "M" rating currently is meaningless. Most "M" rated games are kids games and contain nothing but stupid shit stacked on top of bigger shit. 
  
The ESRB should work in 3 grades (four if you keep reading). 
 
The only ratings the ESRB should have are E for Everyone, T for Teen, and A for Adults. 
 
E (all ages), as we know, is for everyone. Contains all the family SAFE type of entertainment you're looking for. 
 
T (13+), as we know, is for teens (aka kids). This rating should contain all the family SAFE type of entertainment you're looking for, but may contain bouncing boobies, maybe a few "damns", and/or alcohol/tobacco use. 
 
A (17+), as we should know, is for adults (aka kids). This rating could contain some signs of family SAFE type entertainment, but only through strict supervision. The A rating may contain bouncing boobies, nude 3D models, maybe a few "damns", "shits", and "fucks", upskirt gameplay, panty collecting, heavy use of alcohol/tobacco, clear use of hard and soft drugs, or could possibly make an under-aged child question his or her reality. 
 
Now, this is perfect, because its what it already is. In fact, I actually tricked you into thinking that there should be an "A" rating, when it already exists as an "M" rating. Haha, damn does your brain look silly right now. 
But, of course, we can add a new rating that can actually be used. I call it an "AO" rating, meaning "Adults Only". Parents/kids/teens/pap-paps and the like will now become familiar of the E-T-A style game ratings. They would understand that "A" means "Adult", and "AO" means "Adults Only". 
 
AO (18+), as we should know, is for adults ONLY (aka adults aka kids). This rating should contain NO signs of family SAFE type entertainment, and should mostly make you question humanity. This rating may contain bouncing boobs (by default), nude 3D models with pubic bush (unless the 3D model is Westernized and shaves like a slut), extreme profanity or none at all, usually tentacle rapes (by default), heavy use of all drugs all at once, and definitely not something you want your mom and dad to catch you playing. 
 
AO rating would basically be accepted as a special standard. It will bring all your favorite hentai games to consoles (you perverts) and possibly create more interesting and "adult" novelty ideas. This way, the AO rating can actually begin to be used and become a common rating among the other three. This way, it would actually be possible to play an AO game on your home console, unlike now where the Big Three are a just a bunch of big wet pussies who are too afraid of adult gamers who may or may not have no-no games next to THEIR games. 
 
I rest my case, your honor.

So you just want them to call every M game an A game?
also that's called Australia

" So you just want them to call every M game an A game? "

maybe i'm just stupid but this seems like the exact same thing to me.  
and besides, who the hell wants to play a hentai game on a console? 

Oh, hell no.  The fewer ratings there are, the more difficult it becomes to categorize certain games appropriately.  If you remove M, the scale jumps straight from T to AO.  Most retailers refuse to stock AO titles, and none of the three console makers allow AO titles for their hardware.

" who the hell wants to play a hentai game on a console?  "

" Oh, hell no.  The fewer ratings there are, the more difficult it becomes to categorize certain games appropriately.  If you remove M, the scale jumps straight from T to AO.  Most retailers refuse to stock AO titles, and none of the three console makers allow AO titles for their hardware. "

" @Hailinel said:

" Oh, hell no.  The fewer ratings there are, the more difficult it becomes to categorize certain games appropriately.  If you remove M, the scale jumps straight from T to AO.  Most retailers refuse to stock AO titles, and none of the three console makers allow AO titles for their hardware. "

But there are already only 3 ratings. The AO rating is a novelty that is used for good laffs here and there. 
 
@AjayRaz:  You want to play a hentai game on a console. You know you do... I won't tell anyone your dirty secret... shhhhh.... "

They SHOULD up the T rating to 14 or 16, as well, that way, we'll be on par with our friends across the pond, and we won't have to censor silly little things like the Jokers fatality in MK vs. DC, but we'll still have in intermediary rating between kids games and games made for adults.

" @Hailinel said:

" Oh, hell no.  The fewer ratings there are, the more difficult it becomes to categorize certain games appropriately.  If you remove M, the scale jumps straight from T to AO.  Most retailers refuse to stock AO titles, and none of the three console makers allow AO titles for their hardware. "

But there are already only 3 ratings. The AO rating is a novelty that is used for good laffs here and there. 
 
@AjayRaz:  You want to play a hentai game on a console. You know you do... I won't tell anyone your dirty secret... shhhhh.... "

Wait...so you're idea is basically to make M games AO in an attempt to allow Wal-Mart to sell hentai games?
 
...why?

" Wait...so you're idea is basically to make M games AO in an attempt to allow Wal-Mart to sell hentai games?  ...why? "

" @mazik765 said:

" Wait...so you're idea is basically to make M games AO in an attempt to allow Wal-Mart to sell hentai games?  ...why? "

Maybe he loves hentai. "

" @mazik765 said:

" Wait...so you're idea is basically to make M games AO in an attempt to allow Wal-Mart to sell hentai games?  ...why? "

Maybe he loves hentai. "

Anything adult rated in the U.S. will pretty much mean it's porn to the common public. So I don't really see this ever being able to work. Not that it's not possible, it's just our American brains are so strongly tuned to a certain thought, adult usually means naughty sexy things, or shameful you're going to hell things. So yeah, won't work.

i wouldnt mind this if i could play my hentai games on consoles. But could i plug in a mouse and keyboard?

I really don't know what estimated time of arrival has to do with videogame rating systems. Do games get lower rating if they meet release dates? Wouldn't that make all Valve games ultra-porn then.

" @Emilio:  But....why? That just confuses parents who don't know the difference between A and AO and makes it easier for kids to buy hentai games. "

" @Emilio:  Having worked somewhere that sells games, let me tell you that's a lot to ask of your average parent. I can see them getting very confused with A and AO as opposed to M and AO. "

This is stupid and pointless.

" @Emilio: You mean like PEGI  "

ETA is also easily remembered as a ratings scale. Not that anyone would give a shit, though.

Wouldn't work because stupid people would confuse AO and A type games.  Just like they confuse M and AO games now (remember, not everyone  are  game geeks like us)  so it wouldn't work..  Just keep the rating system as it is now.  

... and who the hell plays hentai games anyways besides Japanese people, and demented teenagers?    I mean I have no problem with naked pussy, but naked cartoon pussy? come on guys, you can do better than that.........

Exact same thing.

The current  ESRB rating scale is as follows: 
Abbreviation - Full name (appropriate for this age group)

EC - Early Childhood (ages 3+)
E - Everyone (ages 6+)
E10+ - Everyone 10 and older (ages 10+)   Not sure why exactly they made a distinction between these two, but whatever.
T - Teen (ages 13+)
M - Mature (ages 17+)  Stores should be asking for ID if the customer doesn't look old enough, and make sure that parents know what they're buying for their 12-year-old.
AO - Adults Only (ages 18+)  These are basically porn.
RP - Rating Pending (not yet rated)
 
All you're doing is adding unnecessary confusion to an already easy to understand system.  Using A for Adult and AO for Adult Only isn't enough of a distinction as M and AO are currently.  To use the movie rating analogy again, you're basically lumping the R rated movies with the NC-17 rated movies.  Most of the problems stem from parents not heading this system or are, for whatever reason, uneducated in it.  But that again is why stores should make sure parents know what they're buying and educate those that don't.

This is the exact same thing but without a fourth rating which is VERY necessary for more mature games.
 
Most large venders refuse to see AO games to help their PR with families and parents. What happens when you merge what is now M rated games and AO games into one ESRB rating? It's what happens in Australia. Games start getting material cut out to bring the rating down.  I say no, no, no.
 
edit:
 
Also, just a quick note: In the US children of any age are legally allowed to buy any game of any rating. It has something to do with free speech. However, almost all companies have strict store policies to only sell them to the recommended age groups. This isn't the case in Canada though where there are legal restrictions.

There's a distinction between M and A for the same reason there's a distinction from R and X.

" There's a distinction between M and A for the same reason there's a distinction from R and X. "

New Post for new Thoughts: Mafia II is a perfect example of an M rating meaning nothing.