After Tuesday's release of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, critics and parents alike are pointing to the violence and sexuality contained in the game.

Although video games are rated by the Entertainment Software Board, many argue that the ratings are merely suggestions. It's actually quite a process that goes into matching up a rating with the game.

Before the game is ever released, game publishers submit responses to a detailed written questionnaire. Publishers must also provide examples of all content, including the most extreme, when it comes to violence, language, sex, and gambling.

There are six ratings all together, ranging from EC, which means early childhood to AO for adults only. There are also more than 30 different content descriptors used to indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a certain rating.

When it comes to Grand Theft Auto IV, research experts say it's the violence, sex and language that sells.

"This is you being the criminal. This is you being Tony Soprano, if you will. Although some of these scenes probably make Tony Soprano probably seem like a pretty mild guy by comparison. And controversy does sell, and it is targeted to an older audience. It's really not meant for children," says Michael Gartenberg with Juniper Research.

Keep in mind that these ratings provide guidance about a game's content, not its quality.

The rating symbol can be found on the front of the game, and content descriptions are on the back.