At the recent MI6 Conference, ESRB president Patricia Vance laid down the law: downloadable content (DLC) has to be to "[kept] consistent with the core rating."

This is slightly vague, but presumably if the content would be of a lower rating (say, Everyone instead of Teen), this would be allowed.

The funny part comes with this:

"If it [the downloadable content] does [require altering the original product], then obviously the rating will have to change,” said Vance. “But the consumer is still being informed. That downloadable content is still carrying an ESRB rating and the consumer’s ultimately protected by being informed.”

Kind of contradictory. "It must be kept consistent with the original rating, but we could alter it.."

Essentially the message though is "we're not going to allow developers a loophole for harsher content." Should they be allowed? Maybe. The board's perspective makes sense, a sort of all-encompassing set of rules, but, I also like the idea of a loophole: "Here, you get the main game with an acceptable level of violence, sex, and whatever else you're into, but for those of you that can handle more (being mature, sane adults and all), you can download it." I mean, there'd have to be some kind of parental controls in place, obviously, but other than that, wouldn't it be a healthy thing? What are your thoughts, readers?