Ok, I’ll be honest: I like video games. I grew up in the age of the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision; my brother introduced me to the original Nintendo Entertainment System; and Doom came out when I was in college. I still enjoy playing video games with friends and I definitely look forward to playing them with my children.
However, I also believe that there are some video games that aren’t appropriate for children. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Video games are just like other forms of entertainment. I think we can all agree that there are movies, television shows, books and music that aren’t appropriate for children. Why the controversy over video games?
Although our daughter is not quite five-months-old, my wife and I already find ourselves looking differently at media of all types. And I know it’s going to be a challenge to limit her exposure to things we feel are inappropriate, particularly when she’s older. But you know what…that’s what parents do. It’s not the role of government to tell us how to raise our children. I may be jaded, but I believe the current congressional flap over violent video games is nothing more than pre-election posturing by candidates afraid to go on record with views on important topics. Parents already have resources available to help them that don’t require new laws. Could they be better? Sure. But broad, fear-inspired legislation is not what we need right now.
I cringe when the news shows parents complaining that their child shouldn’t have had access to violent video games. Often the parents speaking out are the ones who actually purchased the game for their child. And yet they still complain that it’s not their fault. I’m sorry, if you buy a game for your child, you ARE responsible. Now I do believe that children themselves should not be able to purchase games rated beyond their age. But this is no different than keeping children out of R-rated movies. Yes, not all theaters do it, but that’s an issue to address with the theater owners, not the movie industry. Similarly, if you feel that a store has sold an inappropriate game to your child, take it up with the manager. If you’re not satisfied with the response you get, take your money elsewhere. But do it yourself. This is not an issue we want politicians to legislate.
I mentioned earlier that there are resources available for parents. Below are some websites that feature information to help you make educated choices about video games. I’ll post these links to the Video Games Message Board and I encourage you to use them and share your experiences with other parents.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
The ESRB has created a system of six ratings for video games. Similar to movie ratings, these provide information on games and help consumers make informed choices about video games. These ratings appear on the cover of the game box. If your teenager ask for a game that’s rated M (Mature 17+) or AO (Adults Only), it’s up to you to take a look at it.
The ESRB system isn’t perfect, but it does provide a quick and easy indication of a game’s content when you’re in a store. I encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the ESRB Game Ratings & Descriptor Guide.
But ESRB ratings don’t tell the whole story. I also recommend reading game reviews before the actual trip to the store. The two sites below make it easy to do this.
GamerDad
This site reviews video games from the point of view of parents. Games are given one of five seals, similar to the ESRB ratings. However, because these seals are based on actually playing the game (as opposed to simply watching videos as the ESRB does), these tend to be more accurate. Each review also includes a “Kid Factor” section that details elements that led to a game’s seal. Like the ESRB, Gamer Dad also includes a thorough explanation of their rating system.
Metacritic Game Reviews
Metacritic makes it easy to find out what reviewers thought of a game. The site provides links to individual reviews and, more importantly, an average of all the reviews linked. However, a good game isn’t necessarily good for children. Unlike GamerDad, the reviews on Metacritic don’t always look at games with a parent’s eyes. For that reason, I suggest using it only as a general guide to the quality of a game, not whether or not it’s appropriate for your children.
