ESRB Ratings Help Parents Choose Appropriate Video Games

These days, managing the media your kids interact with can seem overwhelming, but video games are actually among the easiest of entertainment products for parents to control. 

The first thing parents should know about choosing video games is that they have changed a lot since the days of Pac-Man, Pong and Frogger.  The average video game player today is 35 years old (that’s no typo), so it stands to reason that some games are not intended for children.  That’s why, just as with movies and TV shows, there are age and content ratings for video games.

ESRB VIDEO GAME RATINGS
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) video game ratings appear on the packaging for virtually every game sold in the U.S. and Canada, and provide a clear and effective way for parents to determine which games they deem appropriate for their children.  One of six rating symbols on the front of the box suggests age appropriateness for the game.  On the back of the package, next to the rating symbol, are content descriptors that are assigned relative to the rating category and indicate elements in a game that may have triggered the rating or might just be of interest or concern.  Together, the two parts of the ESRB rating system allow parents to make informed choices about the games they consider to be right for their children and families.

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ESRB Rating System (ESRB president Patricia Vance)

  Parental Controls (GamerDad Andrew Bub)

  Online-Enabled Video Games (ESRB president Patricia Vance, PTA national president Jan Harp Domene, GamerDad Andrew Bub)
 
 

ESRB ratings have been assigned to computer and video games since 1994, and are today considered by many parents to be the most useful among the various media ratings (i.e. TV, movies, music and video games).  In fact, the PTA endorses the ESRB ratings as “an extremely useful and informative tool,” and 78% of parents with children who play video games regularly check the ESRB rating when purchasing games. 

You can find out the rating of a game before heading to the store by checking the ESRB website at http://www.esrb.org.  Once there, you can search not only by game title and platform (such as Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION3 or Wii from Nintendo), but also by rating category and content descriptor.  You can also download the free ESRB ratings search widget (seen at right) by visiting http://www.esrb.org/widget. 

BEYOND THE RATINGS
As with any choice a parent faces, the more information you have, the better decision you’ll be prepared to make.  Additional information about the games your kids want can be found on numerous websites and in game enthusiast magazines, many of which provide extensive reviews and details about game content.  Some may even offer screenshots (pictures from the gameplay), interactive demos and trailers, which can give you a good sense of a game’s content.  The Parent Resources section of the ESRB website offers links to some of those websites, along with a few that recommend family-friendly video games. 

Another good source of information can be employees at your local video game store.  They are often gamers themselves, and are likely to be familiar with the games your child is pulling off the shelves, so don’t be afraid to ask them for their recommendations or any other questions that you may have.  And many stores have kiosks with playable demos of recently released games, which are a great way for parents to get a feel for them.

Finally, one of the most important things you can do as a parent is to be involved.  Use this Family Discussion Guide to help structure a conversation with your child about the games he or she likes.  And even though it may be intimidating to some of you, you might even try to play games with your children.  Go ahead.  Try it!  You just might like it!  Playing games together is a wonderful way to learn about your children’s video games while at the same time having a lot of fun.

For more information about choosing appropriate video games or to sign up for ESRB’s e-newsletter, visit http://www.esrb.org.