Rated E for Everyone

If you have looked carefully at the box art for Ghost of Thornton Hall, you may have noticed that the game has been rated "E for Everyone" (and with "Mild Violence"). I have noticed that a few message board members brought up the question "Why is it rated E and not E10+ since we (Her Interactive) claim this is going to be the scariest game to date in the Nancy Drew game collection?" Well, I can answer this for you! :)

We have already submitted our game and have received this rating, which is official. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) judges games based on several criteria, (and you can learn more about these here on their site) including Violence, Language, Humor, Blood/Gore, Suggestive themes, Drugs/Alcohol and Gambling. The only category that really affects our games rating is the Violence found in them.

One example why Shadow at the Water's Edge received an E10+ (for Everyone ages 10 and up) is that at one point towards the end of the game, you the player (as Nancy Drew) are physically grabbed and forced into water to be drowned. This is considered more violent than say, if Nancy was going to suffocate from smoke in the burning town hall of Alibi in Ashes.

Ghost of Thornton Hall will not have such specific violence as SAW. After all, can a ghost really grab you? Maybe in some way she will in the game, I won't say...but if she does, it will not be like that "ghost" in SAW.

Scariness is not a factor in the ESRB Rating. Since being scared is more a state of mind, it could mean different scare levels for different players. Think of Curse of Blackmoor Manor: it's one of the scariest games we have released, yet it, too, is rated E for Everyone.

As for the scare level in GTH...you will just have to wait and experience it for yourself! Mwahahaha! XD

As for the weekend puzzle...to solve it, first highlight the entire poem with your cursor. Find the extra letters [GIZROVIZKIRO]. Then write our the alphabet forwards, then underneath that write it backwards. The letters written above are found when you reflect them against the real alphabet. Example: A=Z, B=Y, C=X and so on. Your end answer is [Trailer April]. Now how exciting is that?

~Little Jackalope~