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