With Christmas fast approaching, many parents may well still be debating what to buy their kids this year. There are now so many interactive toys, gadgets and tons of choice for kids and carers alike, with new game releases and consoles remaining a top choice.
Recent research showed that over half of parents or carers planned to buy a game or console for their child. But the research also found that only two in five parents said they only buy games that have the right age rating, and half of parents said they would let their child play a game that was bought for them by a friend or relative, even if it had an unsuitable age rating.
This is worrying: undoubtedly the Christmas period is prime time for pester power, and sometimes it is hard not to give in to making inappropriate purchases. It is important, though, to remember that the power is in your hands as a responsible adult to make the right choices for families and children. This year saw the introduction of the single PEGI age ratings system for games, which gives clear and simple guidance on the suitability of titles for all ages. The minimum age you should be to play the game is clearly labelled on the pack along with some content descriptions, and while the 3 and 7 age ratings are there for advice, the 12, 16 and 18 age ratings are legally enforceable, meaning it's illegal for shops to sell them to anyone under that age.
What's more, while some people are under the impression that games are predominantly first person shooters designed for mature audiences, 18 rated games actually make up less than 10% of all the games on the market. There is a huge variety of incredible games out there that families can play together, whatever the age of their children - whether they be for the Wii, the new Wii U, Xbox, Playstation, DS, PSP, online, tablets and mobiles. Whether you want to have the traditional family argument over digital versions of board games, race against each other, dance together, solve puzzles together, or go deep into a magical story world together, there really is a game out there for everyone, whatever your age.
There are lots of useful resources for parents to find out more about the PEGI age ratings and different games for different ages. This includes askaboutgames.com, a website for parents and carers where you can find real family stories and suggestions on how games can be a creative and collaborative experience for all the family. You can also see the game charts by PEGI age rating and post your own questions about family gaming to our family games expert, Andy Robertson, who can offer advice that is personal to you.
So, take control this Christmas: level up your games knowledge before you buy - look online, understand the age rating, play the free demos online and read the reviews before you go for the stocking filler that might not be appropriate, and have a top high score New Year.
Jody Thompson: Smells Like Christmas
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Nor in any discussion with the admittedly small number of people I know who work in that area has your name ever been dropped.
Mass effect 3 for example is rated at 15 but I allow my 13 year old son to play it because I feel the he is mature enough to cope with the game. I have let him play a few PEGI 18 rated game, because I didn’t personally feel the PEGI rating was reflective of the game.
There is a world of difference between Deux Ex human revolution and Dead Space yet they’re both PEGI 18, consider that he’s read the Lord of the rings novels but the game based upon them is a PEGI 18 game.
Parents should just use their own judgement and not rely upon the any rating system alone, we don’t regulate books.
I've never bought into this corrupting our children nonsense. Saying that I wouldn't buy my kids COD because It's a bad game, get them Total War or something.
I've really gotten away from the Total series and more into Paradox Interactive games of the same genre, but the amount of ancient and modern human and natural geography that I now know from Europa Universalis III is insane.
I never learned this much or this quickly from school.
I agree with Tsadik that Paradox and their ilk are more realistic.
That being said, at what age does a child have the mental, and for that matter, moral capacity to determine what is fantasy and what is reality?
Undoubtedly its at a different point for each individual for a child, therefore it is always best to give a rating of the upper limit.
The very first scene in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 contains graphic CGI of a man burning to death. Its not something I want my kids to grow up with, and I'll play games with that kind of content after they've gone to bed.
I thought the calvinists have all softened their ideas on predestination.
I have played video games pretty much all my life, and yes, I have played age restricted games when I was too young. However, not everyone has the ability to define where the game ends and where reality begins. Parents are the ones who know their children the best (supposedly), yet are the first ones to blame the games designers when their children watch/play something that wasn't designed for them.
So it's fine for you, but not for other people? Sounds a bit hypocritical mate to be fair.
"However, not everyone has the ability to define where the game ends and where reality begins."
Actually study after study has shown that even very young kids are quite able to do this; that it's only the mentally ill who can't and mental illness isn't predicated on age.