43% of parents make me sigh

In a recent study, 43% of parents surveyed were not aware of rating systems that apply to video games. How come? It’s not hard. It’s like watching a DVD of a visit to the cinema.

Here in the UK, a big green U for universal means its soft and cuddly; jam it in and let them play. A yellow PG (parental guidance) means play it before or with your kids. 12 means be 12 for rude words, 15 means lots of cleavage for mid-teens and 18 means too much blood ‘n guts. Stick to the numbers and you can’t go far wrong.

Perhaps the boys will get hold of a game that is above their age, like we did with the old VHS around Halloween; and yes, they well see something that freaks them out a bit, like we did with Mr F. Krugar (I went three days without sleep). I escaped fairly unharmed from my childhood viewing habits because I loved watching films with my folks. So with any luck my kids will love gaming and films with daddy; and with just us much fortune they’ll want to game/watch with their old man as the years go by.

In the meantime I’m going to continue to tell them that PG is for Parent Gaming.

tag... play, gamer, philosophising