Video Game Feature: Children Gaming and Age Ratings

Published November 1, 2016

Today I am going to share my thoughts on children playing games, age restrictions given to games, give you some recommendations for games your kids can play and share the opinion of people in the gaming industry.

First off I know this is a very sensitive topic that can cause some serious debates to arise, so to start I will remind you that this is how I feel about it. I am not here to tell parents they are going to get into trouble for letting a 12 year old play GTA V, for instance. I am not a parent myself, but as I get older I began to understand why these systems are in place.

The PEGI Rating system

When we look at games today and compare them with older games a lot has changed, especially in first and third person shooters the gore factor has been turned up and not to mention some titles that have meticulous realism when it comes to people being dismembered. We, being myself and my wife, have already decided that we will be keeping a close eye on what our children will be exposed to.

This might sound like an extreme measure but when we look at the facts its simple, no two people or children in this matter will have the same experience when playing a game. And this is where I feel the danger lies, being exposed to the levels of violence and bad language, for example, can have a definite negative effect on one child while having no effect on another.

A misconception is that games can turn kids into murderers? Really people get a life.

The rating system is there as a guideline for parents to decide if it is a suitable game for their child, if there is no interest from the parent side then the system can and most likely will fail. I have myself seen parents’ buying games for children that are definitely not suited to the age of the child.

The Local FPB Rating System

The FPB (Film and Publication Board) has committed to protect the interest of children since 1995 and it is an offence to display any game to a person contrary to the age restriction. By law only games carrying the ratings “A” and “PG” may be publicly displayed. Even though it is against the law, I have seen game trailers or demos carrying ratings of 16+ shown publicly and I have yet to see anyone get into trouble for doing so.

It has been shown that gaming can be good for children.

I feel the responsibility comes back to the parents, it is the parents have to make sure that their children are not exposed to material that can cause them harm. By no means am I suggesting that you stop your child from playing games, as it does have benefits such as hand eye coordination. Rather make it a family event and remember there are many educational games out there as well.

Showing interest in what your child plays can help to prevent exposure to unwanted material.

For parents that are not clued up in the gaming word I will be giving some recommendations of games. But please do yourself a favor and research a game before you buy it, you can find game related info on local sites like Fortress of Solitude Techitout and MWEB GameZone .

Here are some games that I would recommend for children to play.

Bird of Light

Lego Marvel’s Avengers

Sonic Adventures

On a Roll 3D

This is the ESRB Rating system.

Here are the thoughts of some local people in the gaming scene.

Deville Louw – Gaming Editor at Fortress of Solitude

Censorship in games, especially age ratings, are seen as a very controversial subject. As a stubborn teen, I never gave it much thought. All I knew was that if It had a high age rating it must be good (although this was not always the case). Things have changed a lot for me in recent years as I’ve grown up (even if there is still a little wide-eyed kid inside me) and have been fortunate enough to have two beautiful daughters. All of a sudden I went from not being bothered by censorship and age ratings in games to actually being more aware of them.

The question is, do these influence my choices when buying games for my kids? For me, this is a little tricky to answer. As a dad who finds himself working with and writing about the gaming industry almost daily, it is easy for me to gauge which games would be suitable for my kids to play. It’s been my experience that, in some cases, rating boards aren’t always accurate in their assessment of games and who should play them.

As a guide, especially to parents who find themselves clueless when it comes to picking games for their kids, I believe these age ratings are important. Sure they won’t stop determined kids from getting their hands on games that they shouldn’t play, but as a guide, I think these ratings play an important role. No rating or amount censorship will keep your kids away from games, unless parents make an effort to understand what their kids are playing (and watching). Age ratings are merely tools that can help parents make more informed decisions when it comes to what their kids are playing.

In the end, it is up to the parents such as myself to make sure that our kids are exposed to content that is suitable for their age. So I guess even though as a young teen I thought ratings and censorship sucked (and kept me away from everything that was radical), as a father I understand why these exist. Ratings and censorship will never replace the influence of a well-informed parent, and therefore it is critical that as parents we make sure that we understand not only what each rating means but why they are there in the first place.

Han Cilliers – MWEB GameZone Site Manager

ESRB ratings or FPB for South Africa, have their pros and cons. I’ll list off a few of those, but I want to be very clear about one thing first – the age rating on video games is a guide, and it cannot, nor should it, replace guidance from parents and other adults. Children mature differently, and only a parent or close friend (who has gaming knowledge as well), can truly know which games a child should, or shouldn’t play. We have two passionate gamers in our family; my nephew and me. I’ve been gaming for decades and have a few miles more on the age clock than him. Naturally, my sister always checks with me when he asks to play a game.

Age rating pros: It’s a good guideline for parents who don’t have knowledge about games. It specifies the specifics of the rating and recommends an age group limit. It also protects the developer and distributor – you know, for those cases where games get blamed for things like violent behavior. It empowers the parent to make an informed decision.

Age rating cons: The ESRB system works well enough, while SA’s fps system is currently not optimized to handle the demand. Parents can use age ratings as a cop-out, or a tool to shift responsibility to a system, instead of doing proper parenting. There have been many cases where I told my sister, “Ignore the age rating, your son can play this game because …” There have also been cases where he has tried to wiggle his way into a game he shouldn’t play, and I could give her the reasons why the rating would apply to his situation.

In closing, today’s kids are very different to what we were at their age. Things like the influences of the Internet and gaming have rewired the way kids see the world.

http://www.mweb.co.za/games/view/tabid/4210/Article/24148/Can-gaming-rewire-the-way-kids-see-the-world.aspx

We cannot blindly apply ESRB ratings, kids today are smarter in one way, and perhaps more vulnerable in other ways – because of technology. If parents want to use age ratings as the only yardstick for decision making, then they are missing the point. That having been said, if it’s the only guidance a parent has, then I would advise them to use it according to the age limit suggested. It’s easy for gamers to judge, but I’ve had first-hand experience from parents who know nothing at all about games, and for them, it’s a foreign, frightening world they’re permitting their kids to explore.

Ronelle Hendriks – Ster Kinekor Entertainment

We prescribe to the regulations and guidelines as mandated by the Film and Publications Board (fpb) with due care in particular when in regard to the protection of children from unsuitable content. This with the defined aim of ensuring that minors are not exposed to games that are unsuitable for their particular age group, by providing and informing parents of age classification for all games. We feel that it is critical to protect children from content and themes that they are not yet mature enough to be exposed to. Working within the parameters of the FPB we aim to provide guidance on what is suitable content for a specific age group to parents, so they can make informed purchasing decisions for their children, to enjoy the most suitable games and have fun at the same time.

Alexia Scotten – Apex Interactive

In short – feel the age rating system works if the parents are educated enough to read/respect the ratings.

It is not up to the younger kids to decide if they can pay the game or not. For ages 3 to about 13 I think the parents need to take more responsibility and heed the warnings given to them on the front cover of every game. For 13 and up it should be up to the parents whether they want to allow their kids to play games that are rated 13 and over.

Again, just an opinion

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Gatsusama

Gaming Author at Geek Node

I'm 35 obsessed with anything gaming and technology related. Staying in a quiet town does have its drawbacks as we don't have the fastest internet, but that wont stop me from enjoying my passion for gaming. Just a quick shout out to my lovely wife who supports my dreams and my friends and all the crazy moments we have encountered in games.