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Do you have a video game console in your home? If you do, no doubt your child has brought home a game from a friend, rented a game from the local video store or they are pressing you for a few bucks to buy one at the store. How do you know if the game is suitable for your family? A quick glance at the video game ratings on the boxes can be a big help.
The ESRB or Entertainment Software Ratings Board was founded in the mid 90's to help guide users by assigning content ratings to computer and video games.
Video game ratings have two different aspects to them, an age rating which is listed on the front and a content description that is listed on the back.
There are six age ratings symbols that could be listed on the front. The following is a listing of the different age ratings.
EC (Early Childhood) - Games with this rating are intended for ages 3 and older and do not contain inappropriate material.
E (Everyone) - Games with this rating are intended for ages 6 and older and may contain minimal cartoon or mild violence or may contain very small amounts of mild language.
E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) - Games with this rating have content suitable for those 10 and older and may contain mild violence, mild language or some suggestive themes.
T (Teen) - Games with this rating are intended for ages 13 and older due to violence, suggestive themes, minimal amounts of blood or some strong language.
M (Mature) - Games with this rating have content suitable for those 17 years of age or older due to intense violence, blood, sexual content and/or strong language.
AO (Adults Only) - Games with this rating are only intended for those 18 years of age and older due to prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.
If you see a game with an RP it stands for Rating Pending and the game is waiting for a final rating prior to the games release.
In addition to the age appropriate ratings on the front of the box, there is a content description on the back of the box. There are over 30 content descriptions to help you determine what your child is being exposed to. Some example descriptions are Blood, Comic Mischief, Edutainment, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Real Gambling, and Use of Drugs.
It is important to note that even though a game receives a rating, that rating is for single player gaming. One of the more attractive aspects of today's video games is the ability to play them online with others from all over the world. Many games allow use of a headset or even a video camera. Whenever you play a video game online (just like when you play a group game at school or a board game at a party) your child may be subjected to things out of your control such as inappropriate language.
As a parent, video game ratings can be a great help to you, however it is important to not just rely on ratings on the side of the box. Also make sure to spend time watching or better yet playing the game with your child or participating in an online game to better determine what is appropriate for your child.
For more http://familyhometheaterguide.com/Video_gaming_guide_for_parents.html
The Family Home Theater Guide is an informative guide to home theater, with a particular emphasis on family entertainment. Jared has a wife and three children that love to experience the magic of the big screen in the comfort of their own home.
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