Mom's Minute

Brave The Video Game is Rated E for Everyone

Will you be giving video games as gifts for Christmas, birthdays or any other special occasions.  If you are, it's important for you to be aware of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating on video games.

You must first know the age of the receiver of your video game gift so you can give a video game that is appropriate for his or her age.  Always consider the age of the person who will be playing the video game before you select the video game.  And when you do, take the time to look at the rating of the video game which is usually located on the lower left side of the video game case.

FarCry 3 is rated M for Mature

Do not rely strictly on the picture of the video game cover to determine if  the game is suitable for the receiver of your gift.  Take the time to read the video game rating.

Know the ratings of the video games your child is playing.

Below is a guide to help you choose the appropriate video game for specific age groups.

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Video Game Ratings

eC =  Early Childhood for children under 3 years old

E = Everyone, suitable for the general audience

E+10  = Everyone +10 years, suitable for anyone over 10 years old

T = Teens, for older kids, 13 years and up

M 17+ = Mature, for people 17 years and older.  Game players under 17 years old should not play rated M  video games.

A = Adults only, not suitable for anyone under 18 years old. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have policies against allowing AO games on their consoles.

RP = Rating Pending, meaning a video game has not yet been assigned a rating.  This rating is usually used for promotional type video games. Once the game is rated, all advertisements for the specific video game must show the assigned rating.

Most ratings also show why the video game has that particular rating.  For example for rated M games, you may see warnings of "Intense Violence,", "blood and gore," etc.

In a nutshell, always take notice of the rating of the game you are giving as a gift, and choose another video game or another gift if the video game is not suitable for the particular age group you are buying for.