Hopefully, most parents are aware that video games have a rating system very similar to movies. Rating range from “E” to “T for Teen” to “Mature” and contain extra information to help you know why it received the rating it got. As mobile gaming continues to influence more of the video game marketplace, in-app or in-game purchases are becoming the norm. This has inspired the ESRB to add new warnings into their rating systems in an effort to make parents aware when there are pay-to-play items in the latest video games.
“The video game industry is evolving and innovating continually, as is the ESRB rating system. ESRB’s goal is to ensure that parents have the most up-to-date and comprehensive tools at their disposal to help them decide which games are appropriate for their children,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance. “With the new In-Game Purchases interactive element coming to physical games, parents will know when a game contains offers for players to purchase additional content. Moreover, we will be expanding our efforts to educate parents about the controls currently at their disposal to manage in-game spending before their kids press ‘Start’.”
Most games now offer things you can purchase to make your gaming experience better or at least easier. Things like storage upgrades, suits of armor, character “skins,” and weapons can all be purchased and used in-game. These items, while not always necessary to complete a game, are very tempting as they let you customize or even accelerate your experience. Notification of in-game purchases is great, but what’s even better is the new ESRB Parent Tools page.
The Parent Tools page has news updates, rating explanations, and best of all, step by step instructions for setting up parental controls on any current (and some older) gaming systems. There’s also a link to their resource center which contains a wealth of video game rating information that can help you make quality decisions for your children’s gaming adventures.
What Parents Should Know
If your kids play video games, this is great news for you. Countless parents have had purchases charged to their accounts without realizing it because of their kids buying items in-game. It isn’t known when these warnings will begin to show up on gaming packages but you should be on the lookout for it. Talk to your kids about what they should do if they want to purchase something in a game they’re playing. If it’s against your rules, then they should know that and stay away from the in-game store. What are the consequences of spending money you didn’t approve of? All of these things should be discussed and the game shouldn’t be bought until they are clear on your expectations.
The ESRB is offering some great resources on their site. Parents should take advantage of these resources, learn how to set up parental controls, peruse the resource center, and look up your kids’ favorite games to see what their ratings are and why. This is a great way to ensure your kids aren’t seeing content you wouldn’t approve of. Many video games have content as mature or even more mature than some rated R movies. Don’t be caught off guard. With resources like this at your disposal, you don’t have an excuse.