A few things:
- Many (most?) ratings these days are self-assessed by the developer/publisher.
- The review process has been heavily streamlined through IARC, so you can effectively get ESRB/PEGI/etc simultaneously. Governmental ratings (like GRAC in South Korea) still require you go through the government agency -- but some stores like Epic or Oculus can effectively do this for you -- and even then it's still self-assessed.
- Some of the storefronts offer help with ratings, in a way doing what a publisher would do, if you self-publish. You take a quiz to determine ratings and ask questions before the rating boards even know you exist.
- Ratings boards don't typically play the game. Sample screenshots and descriptions can be included in some submissions, especially if there's a grey area or the submitter is inexperienced, but it's often just apply and get your cert.
I was about to comment that I lived in Oakland for 5 years and it really isn't that bad. Like any city, it has its bad parts that you need to avoid. But you cleared it up.
A large part of east Oakland is bad. Luckily, it's easy to avoid... but not if you already live there.