| Visit any video game outlet and you are bound to | | | | handy reference to what the ratings mean: |
| get overwhelmed by the hundreds of choices | | | | C = Appropriate for Early childhood |
| available especially if you're new to gaming. | | | | E = Appropriate for Everyone |
| Interestingly, children and teens seem to know | | | | E 10+ = Appropriate for Everyone aged 10 and |
| their way around these places as if they were | | | | older |
| their second home. But for the adult, the typical | | | | T = Appropriate for Teens |
| video store looks like some sort of color paint | | | | M = Appropriate for Mature Adults |
| explosion and sooner or later, all the games start | | | | 3. Within your temporary shopping list, try find a |
| to look the same. This guide is for the adult who's | | | | game that's built from the latest movie release. |
| buying a game for a younger person perhaps as | | | | Little people love the new animated movies put |
| a birthday gift or as a bribe. Whatever the | | | | out by Disney and Pixar, and they really enjoy |
| reason, you're going to appreciate the following | | | | re-living precious moments in the movie in a video |
| tips. | | | | game. That's why when these movies come out |
| 1. Research this strange phenomenon before | | | | on DVD, their producers put a few games in the |
| setting foot inside a video store. There's plenty of | | | | "Special Features section" of the CDs. |
| information available about video games online, so | | | | 4. If you can't find a game that's built from a |
| to reduce frustration offline, fire up your web | | | | movie that the child likes, try to find a game that |
| browser and do a little homework. Visit the | | | | centers around a popular cartoon character or |
| website of the gaming outlet nearest you and | | | | one that attempts to educate. |
| then look for a link to the games section of the | | | | 5. If you still can't find one that resembles |
| system that your youngster plays. Here's a helpful | | | | something that you've heard this particular person |
| chart to explain what all those strange letters | | | | rambling on about, first give yourself a slight slap |
| mean. | | | | on the hand. You should pay better attention. |
| Wii = Nintendo's Wii System | | | | Then point your browser to the nearest |
| EA Sports = Entertainment Arts System | | | | Blockbuster or Hollywood Video website. Follow |
| PS3 = Playstation 3 System | | | | the same procedure outlined in steps 1 - 3 only |
| XBOX 360 = Microsoft's XBOX 360 System | | | | this time, elect to rent 5 or 6 games that look |
| PC = Personal Computer | | | | appealing. This will give your tot a chance to play |
| PS2 = Playstation 2 System | | | | some games and select one to keep forever |
| PSP = Playstation Portable System | | | | while you return the others. |
| DS = Nintendo's DS System | | | | 6. If on the other hand, you did find a game in |
| The key is to locate the system on the store's | | | | step 3 or 4, you can either check out online, or |
| website first. The system, it's accessories, and all | | | | drive up to the store and buy it there. |
| of the games that work on that system will | | | | They say you can't judge a book by its cover, |
| follow. If not, you may need to use the website's | | | | but the illustrations on the both video and pc |
| internal search engine. | | | | game cases do a pretty good job of representing |
| 2. After locating the appropriate games section | | | | the game's content. So if you see an illustration of |
| for your youngster's machine, check out the | | | | fighting warriors, chances are the game will be |
| ratings of each game and create a temporary | | | | more violent than you prefer. If on the other |
| shopping list of age appropriate material. The | | | | hand, you see an illustration that resembles what |
| Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) | | | | you'd see on the cover of an interesting children's |
| gives each game a rating in an effort to inform | | | | book, the game should be age appropriate. |
| parents what their children are playing. Here's a | | | | |