Computer Entertainment Rating Organization

Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) is the organization that rates videogames and computer software in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable. It was established on July 2002 as a branch of Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, using Entertainment Software Rating Board as a model and became an officially recognized non-profit organization in 2003.

Rating
On March 1, 2006, CERO made a new, revised version of the ratings system. The symbols the CERO uses are stylized depictions of letters, meant to convey at a glance a game's suitability:

One of the symbols above is displayed on the front of the package. This mark is the notation of the age suitability based on the contents. The Z rating may not appear to be very different from the D rating, the only difference is that the Z rating is regulated under the government.

Contents descriptor icons
In April 2004, CERO defined the following "contents descriptor icons". These icons are displayed on the back of all packages except those rated as "All ages".
 * [[Image:CERO Love.gif]] Love (Examples: Sakura Wars, Grandia 3)
 * [[Image:CERO Sexual.gif]] Sexual (Examples: Super Robot Wars, Sakura Wars, The King of Fighters)
 * [[Image:CERO Violence.gif]] Violence (Examples: Dynasty Warriors, Metal Slug, The King of Fighters)
 * [[Image:CERO Horror.gif]] Horror (Examples: Tendou Dokuta 2, Ghost Hunter only)
 * [[Image:CERO Gambling.gif]] Gambling
 * [[Image:CERO Crime.gif]] Crime (Examples: Burnout, Genso Suikoden I&II, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
 * [[Image:CERO Alcohol.gif]] Use of Alcohol or Tobacco
 * [[Image:CERO Drugs.gif]] Use of drugs
 * [[Image:CERO Language.gif]] Language or other

Classic Ratings
The symbols the CERO used were stylized depictions of numbers, meant to convey at a glance a game's suitability:

Trivia

 * The first title that rated "Ages 18 and up" is Dead to Rights on Xbox (Released in Nov. 28, 2002).
 * As of 2005, the following titles are games on Nintendo hardware that rated "Ages 17 and up":
 * Biohazard Code: Veronica Complete edition (known as "Resident Evil Code: Veronica X")
 * Biohazard 4 (Resident Evil 4)
 * Due to societal and cultural differences between the eastern and western worlds (especially the United States and Canada), some titles rated "All ages" by CERO are rated very differently outside Japan (hence the term "rating system deviation"), such as:
 * Even though the word "computer" is in its name, the CERO mostly deals with ratings of console games and not PC games.