In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that I am not a parent, nor am I in any way qualified to give advice on parenting. That matter aside, I do sympathize with the frustration a parent can experience when selecting age-appropriate media for his or her children. There are a lot of games out there; how do you know which ones are OK and which ones are not? These days, it’s easier than ever to find out.
To start, talk to your kids to learn as much as you can about the games they and their friends are into. A great place to begin is with the ones on your kids’ lists to Santa. Chances are, these names are going to be completely foreign to you; some will probably set off alarms in your head immediately while others will seem much more benign. In either case, do your research. Hit the Internet. See what you can dig up. A great site to start with is WhatTheyPlay.com.
WhatTheyPlay.com is a relatively new Web site founded by people who have kids and know how hard it can be to determine what’s in a game. It’s their job to play games and take note of what’s going on regarding subjects like foul language and graphic violence. Take a recent review of “Mirror’s Edge,” for example, a game rated T for Teens. In the review, it’s revealed that the in-game characters like to swear a bit. The reviewer even tells you the four-letter words that get tossed around to spare further surprise once you’ve gotten the game. For parents, this is an invaluable resource. WhatTheyPlay.com isn’t interested in hyping a game or pushing any sort of agenda, it’s just looking for a definitive answer to the question, “Is this game good for my kids?”
While the Internet is a great tool for learning about games, it’s much more likely that you won’t hear about a game until you’re already at the store. In this case, be sure to ask a sales associate for help in determining what’s appropriate for your kids to be playing based on their ages. He or she will probably point to the ESRB rating and base his or her decision on that.
Established in 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board was assembled to review computer and video games and assign ratings based on their content. The ESRB regularly reviews more than 1,000 games per year, so you can trust that very few, if any, titles on the shelf this year haven’t been rated. In fact, many retailers refuse to carry games that haven’t been rated. With ratings that range from EC for Early Childhood to AO for Adults Only, parents can get a good idea of what kind of content they’ll find inside. Take some time to visit ESRB.org and get acquainted with the icons it uses to label games. Understanding the ESRB rating will go a long way, so once you find yourself in a retail store, be sure to ask for clarification on what the ratings and the descriptors that go along with them mean if you still aren’t sure. Of course, a specialty shop that only sells games will probably know more than a big-box chain store, but it never hurts to ask.
In the end, you know your kids better than anyone. You’re the best judge of what’s most appropriate. Make sure you talk to your kids and make them understand why you only want them playing certain games. It’s also a good idea to learn where the parental controls are on your family’s console — the Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 all have one. Learn how to set it so that it won’t play games rated higher than you will allow. Using these tips as a guideline, you can be sure that your holiday won’t be spoiled by nasty surprises.
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