Tips for Gamers and Their Parents: ESRB Ratings

It's that time of year - the time when children make gift wish-lists for the holiday season. Often included in these lists are video and computer games.  Here's some information regarding the ESRB Rating system.  

It is highly recommended that parents pay special attention to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings. These ratings can help parents determine the suitability of games for their children, even if the parents themselves have not played the game prior.  

Remember that these ratings are designed to help buyers decide which games are appropriate; however, the final decision as to whether a game is okay or not rests solely with a parent or guardian.  I recommend checking many sources of information - ESRB ratings, online reviews, and  product websites - to determine any game's suitability.  

These ratings are as follows: 

eC: Early Childhood, appropriate for ages 3+

E: Good for ages 6+ 

E 10+: Good for anyone 10 years and up

T: Good for teenagers or older (13+) 

M: Mature game, good only for adults 17+

Ao: Adults only game, usually includes some kind of sexuality or violence of an exceptional nature. 

All games must be rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board to be on the market.  If a game is offered for sale with the label "Rating Pending", it is from a questionable source and should not be purchased.  Games with ratings of E 10+ or higher will usually include Content Descriptors, which provide some indications as to why that rating was given.  Learn more at:  http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=735291849989549240