The Entertainment Software Ratings Board's system to rate PC and video games has had its share of both praise and critisism over the years. Now the family gaming themed site What They Play is looking into what they see as a trend to put more adult content into games with the ESRB's "T" rating.

Specifically the article looks into the fact that in many "T" rated games the word "sh*t" is used more and more by game characters. Recent games cited as using the world include Wheelman, Mirror's Edge, Tom Clancy's HAWX and Tom Clancy''s EndWar. They also point out that in some of those games, the ESRB doesn't use the "Strong Language" description when it talks about the content of these games.

ESRB President Patricia Vance commented on this trend, saying, "There's no question that the average parent is sensitive to the language to which their children are exposed, just as they are to sexual or violent content. That's why one of our 'language' content descriptors will always be assigned to a T-rated game that contains profanity." It should also be noted that world "sh*t" has been used more and more in not just games but in movies and even on basic cable and broadcast television (remember that classic South Park episode?)