Wouldn't the rating just be updated to the final rating along with the rest of the information in the listing when the game releases?
I don't really see how being physical makes a difference. The case isn't being rated, the game data is. Seems like it would make the most sense to keep everything in the listing up to date as possible.
What instance would the RP rating be used? On digital items only?
First I want to point out that I did the reject to initiate a discussion about it.
The rating
should be updated but it is usually not. I am talking about all the users who make items in the db. Most do not revisit an item they made, or owned, in order to update the information. So for a physical release that has an entry made before the physical release actually exists, this results in an entry for a physical item with the wrong rating. Because the person who made or edited the entry originally to put RP onto it, did not change the rating once the thing actually came into being. It is preferable to not have a rating on an item than to have the incorrect rating.
Entries in the physical game categories are not actually for
games, they are for
products. For these items, the ratings drop down should only be used if a rating is printed on the physical item itself. If you wanted to note that the game data has a rating when the packaging/media does not, or that it has a different rating than what is represented, that type of information can be put into the description. Even in that scenario, ESRB RP would not be allowed into description because the physical release does not exist, thus it cannot include game data. So we aren't concerned with what is actually being rated, only if a rating exists on the item, then we set that rating in the drop-down. And then this also means you can set ratings for this like strategy guides or anything else that have a rating on them, even thought we know the book isn't rated, but they are advertising the rating for the game the book is based on.
For entries for physical items, ESRB RP should only be set for items that have an ESRB RP printed on the case or media. Usually you only see these on demos or betas. For entries of digital games, ESRB RP can be set for any digital game on a platform that shows that rating. But the same logic should apply here as well. If that digital game gets released and the rating is different, then why bother setting the ESRB RP rating on it in the first place? Why are we bothering to input data into our database that we know is going to be incorrect in the future?
So this comes down to two things:
1. We do not really care what is rated. If the thing has a rating on it: put it on the entry. If it doesn't, don't put anything.
2. We currently allow for people to make entries for things that do not exist, but are planned to exist. We allow the use of pre-release mockups for images if that is the only image that can be found.
3. We are not creating entries for mockup photos. Whatever rating is present on the mockup is irrelevant. It is only there until a better picture is made available.
4. We should not put information onto an entry that we know is or will be incorrect.
