While we recognize some publishers have concerns regarding earlier-than-desired 'announcements' of product on our website, the ESRB system will not work for consumers if publishers arbitrarily select dates bearing no reasonable relationship to consumer interest in the product.

Publishers who have a legitimate basis for utilizing this field should select a date that coincides with the earliest of the following:

•     Product Marketing/Announcements, if any
•     Ship Date, for physical product
•     Product Availability, for downloadable content without any prior announcement
  

Via Next Generation