Parent's Video Game Shopping Guide

Los Angeles - Got your children's holiday gift wish lists yet? Chances are good a video game or two might be on them. How do you know if the video games they want are the ones you want to give them? Here are some tips.

When you go to the movies with your kids, you check the ratings. That's exactly how you should approach buying a video game.

Every video game has a rating from the entertainment software ratings board.

ESRB Rating Symbols

	EARLY CHILDHOOD Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.
	EVERYONE Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.
	EVERYONE 10+ Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.
	TEEN Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
	MATURE Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
	ADULTS ONLY Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

You can't see game video by just looking at the box so look beyond the title and check the rating.

Now, the ESRB ratings are a guide. Maybe, as a parent, you're okay with your teen playing games that are rated M for mature. '

Something else to consider... you might know exactly what's in the video game, but there's no telling what will come over that console when your kids are playing online. Inappropriate language, etc.

You can also go into that X Box, Playstation, Wii or whatever you play games with and set up the parental controls. Limit what your kids can play, how long they can play for, and so on.