A Parent's Guide To Video Games

Editor: goremania

This guide provides helpful hints to buying and renting video games for kids of all ages.

Introduction

I've written the following guide to help parents understand more about the latest video game consoles and game platforms - cell phone games anyone? as well as providing options and recommendations for renting and buying the right games for your kids without taking a direct hit to your wallet.

The gaming industry has literally exploded over the past 20 years to become a $12 billion dollar industry, outpacing the amount of U.S. dollars spent each year on going to see a movie at the local theater. That's right - Americans spend more money every year on gaming consoles, equipment and game titles than they do on movie tickets.

With the recent congressional investigations into violence and sexual content of video games, you're probably growing concerned about making the right choices when it comes to purchasing that latest game your child just has to have - the good news is that this is the golden age of gaming, with more choices and better options for kids of all ages.

Some of the most popular games around these days are based on promoting physical exercise, mental agility and positive accomplishments - not every video game is an excuse to create digital bloodshed or promote inappropriate stereotypes.

The following sections of this guide will outline important tips and great information on some of the more positive and cost-effective choices on the market so you and your child can get the most out the time and money spent on video games.

Better to Rent Than Regret

When it comes to buying your kids the latest 'must have' video games, you may have already suffered some serious buyers' remorse.

Once you get over the initial sticker shock at the local megamart and shell out $50 of hard earned income, you may be disappointed with either the content or the gameplay of the title or worse yet; your child becomes bored with the title or plays all the way through the various levels within a few weeks.

As you already know games, like music CDs, are not returnable once you’ve peeled off the plastic covering and taken them for a test drive. If you purchased two games every month for the next year, you’d have invested more than $1,200 in games, which after a few months of play are usually relegated to a dusty shelf somewhere near the television or computer.

One of the great new options available to get your kids all the games they want and you approve of is a video game rental service. Video game rental services work just like Netflix does for movies. You sign-up for a subscription (prices usually vary based on the number of games out at the same time) and for a fixed fee each month, your kids can have video games with unlimited play time. The services are all highly competitive and feature no due dates, late fees or shipping fees. While there are several options available, one I recommend you check out is Gamerang. An online-only service, the site is easy-to-use and offers many subscription options; they even have an introductory plan starting at $10 a month for the first two months.

Imagine spending less than $200 a year to allow your family access to a vast library of titles – they can play as much or as little as they want and then return the game for the next one in their list. The best part – you can review the list, check ratings, read reviews and look at screenshots before they play.

There’s lots of options out there and you can check-out more at TopTenReviews.com.

Too Expensive? Try Buying Used

With the big squeeze on everyone’s wallet this year (need gas for your car?), new video game purchases can be difficult to justify, even to the cutest little face or the best grade in the class. One option most parents aren’t aware of is the thriving business of used video games.

There are many options available today for getting gently used, recently hot titles for all the gamers in your house – and you don’t have to spend precious time digging through the bins at the local rental store anymore. With video game prices skyrocketing, this is a booming business with many providers quickly selling out of the most coveted titles. It helps to do your research and sign-up for email alerts and newsletters to find out about the latest deals and sales.

I recommend having your children prepare a list of games they’d like to purchase (including the console type) and then once you’ve reviewed and approved the list (you can do this by checking the titles online – try Gamerang’s GameFinder search box on the front page of the site) you can quickly search for the games at online outlets – many offer convenient, low-cost shipping and alerts for members when a new shipment has been stocked. I use Gamerang to buy used titles and find their selection to be very robust with lots of great kids’ titles at reasonable prices. In fact, I just checked and they have almost 700 used titles available for sales that are under $20 each.

If instant gratification is what you’re looking for, you should also check-out the used games selection at your local GameStop or EB Games store – use their store locator.

What to Do with Those Old Games

While your kids may claim that they will play those old, dusty game discs on the shelf, you may want to think about great ways to recycle them. I recommend selling or donating titles that have not been played in more than six months.

Here are some options:

Sell them back at your local video game store like GameStop or EBGames - find your local store here. Not all games will be accepted for buy-back; they may be too damaged or not popular enough for resale.

Donate them to a good cause - find a local women and children's shelter or a local children's hospital or the nearest veteran's center or hospital. These folks need games and entertainment and if your titles are still in good condition and fun to play, I'm sure they'd appreciate the donation!

Find a local women's shelter here
Find the nearest children's hospital here
Find a local veteran's facility here

ESRB Ratings - What You Need to Know

The ESRB ratings are designed to provide information about the content in computer and video games so parents can make an informed purchase decision. ESRB ratings have two equal parts: rating symbols suggest age appropriateness for the game and content descriptors indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.

Best Buy recently announced that it is working with Common Sense Media to create a new, more in-depth set of video game ratings in order to help educate and inform parents. Under this new, alternative ratings system, titles will be rated for childhood development standards and age appropriateness. Violence, profanity, and sexual content will be clearly listed.

Until these ratings become available, be sure to check both the ESRB rating symbol (on the front of the box) and the content descriptors (on the back).

These ratings are only a quick review tool - I recommend that parents read at least one or two reviews for every game title before taking the plunge and purchasing or renting a title for their children. I've provided several great resources and suggested sites at the end of this guide.

Current ESRB Rating Symbols

EARLY CHILDHOOD
Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.

EVERYONE
Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

EVERYONE 10+
Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.

TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

RATING PENDING
Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)

Online Rating Notice
Online games that include user-generated content (e.g., chat, maps, skins) carry the notice "Game Experience May Change During Online Play" to warn consumers that content created by players of the game has not been rated by the ESRB.

Great Video Game Resources

I hope this guide helps you in your quest to provide great games and entertainment for all the members of your family.

Here are the some great resources to check-out:

Gamerang - online game rental service and used game store
Common Sense Media - reliable, in-depth game reviews with age-appropriate recommendations
The Cancer Game - a free, online game that focuses on being a stress reliever for kids with cancer
Losing Weight Playing DDR - read all the success stories about people losing weight and getting fit playing Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)
Research - Casual Games Improve Mental Acuity

Categories: Video Games | Parenting