The Recreational Software Advisory Council was an independent, non-profit organization founded in the USA in 1994 by the Software Publishers Association as well as six other industry leaders in response to video game controversy and threats of government regulation. The goal of the council was to provide objective content ratings for computer games, similar to the earlier formed Videogame Rating Council and later Entertainment Software Rating Board. The RSAC ratings were based on the research of Dr. Donald F. Roberts of Stanford University who studied media and its effect on children. In 1994, senators Herb Kohl and Joseph Lieberman raised concerns over the levels of violence and other adult material appearing in video games which were available to children. Under threat of government regulation, industry groups like the Software Publishers Association, the Association of Shareware Professionals, and others had concerns about the intrusion of the government, and the costs, delays and subjective judgements of a review-committee-based system. At the time, the largest trade group, the SPA had few members in the gaming field, but the ASP had many, and the two organizations decided to work together. Lance Rose and Rosemary West appeared before Congress in the summer of 1994 in support of the SPA representation. Wikipedia [ - ]

The Recreational Software Advisory Council was an independent, non-profit organization founded... [ + ]