Video Game Ratings

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Adam West

Video games are fun to play. Children all over the world play all sorts of video games for both fun and education. Just like movies, television shows, and music, there are plenty of bad games to go with the good games. Would you take a nine-year old to an R-rated movie? I truly hope not. Why, then, would we let our children play “R-rated” video games? Just like movies and music, video games for devices such as the Xbox, PlayStation, or personal computer are rated for content. While music labels only let you know one way or the other if … Continue reading →

A Parent’s Guide to Video Game Ratings

Posted on March 4, 2006 by Nicki Bradley

The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB ) was created in 1994 as a means of independently assessing and rating video and computer games for content and age-appropriateness. Many parents are unaware that, while completely voluntary, almost all retail software and video games sold today contain an ESRB rating. The ESRB considers aspects of game content that are of concern to most families in our society: violence, sexual content, offensive language, and substance abuse. The rating is then broken down into two parts: the rating symbol and the content descriptors. The rating symbol is located on the front of the … Continue reading →