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Industry Group to Publish Rates for Video Games

These are holiday times, and many parents are shopping for their gifts for their children. One of the most popular items during the holiday shopping season are video games, and people are buying more games than in any other time of the year. The Entertainment Software Rating Board, an industry group that voluntarily rates video games, will issue special public-service television spots to help parents tell what games their children should play.

The video gaming industry is offering content for a highly diverse crowd, and it`s important that parents know what kind of games their children are playing. Many of today`s games feature violence and sex as main themes, and it is hard to tell what games are of a proper value. "Ultimately, this is about parents exercising some responsibility," said Sens. Joe Lieberman. Parents have a key role in their children`s education, and censoring content is one of the decisions that parents have to be more involved in. After all, most children get their video games from their parents money.

By buying games that feature violence and sex, parents are showing support for such content to be consumed by their children, and that might have a direct affect on the child`s education and future behavior. The Entertainment Software Rating Board said that about 12 percent of all games that the group rates get the M-Rated mark, which means that they are suitable for people over the age of 17 years old. There are many games that parents would not want their children to play, and knowing the rate is the first step for a wiser decision.