Parent-Friendly Game Reviews and Other Informational
Resources
Download
Parent Guide (PDF)
The Internet offers a wide array of alternative
sources of information on games. These reviews, recommendations and commentaries
often offer a perspective and a level of detail that many parents find helpful.
Useful resources include commonsensemedia.com, whattheyplay.com, and gamerdad.com
Ratings: A Useful Start
While the ESRB ratings are
great tool for parents who want an initial sense of a game, they do not replace
parental involvement and supervision. Often you can use the ratings to narrow
your choices but the only way to know if a game is right for your family is to
use alternative information resources, talk to other parents, and ultimately supervise
game play or play with your child.
Parental Controls
All the major consoles as well as computers running the Windows Vista operating
system allow parents to determine which games their kids can play. Sony’s
handheld PSP also offers parental control settings. These parental controls use
the ESRB ratings to set age-appropriate limits for kids and they can be used to
prevent or limit online play and Internet access. But unless parents know how
to use these parental controls, they won’t work.
Each of the parental
controls systems is different. Find the instructions for your console or computer
and get to know your options. Follow the step-bystep instructions to set the right
boundaries for your family.
Xbox 360 Family Settings (link*)
Select the “System” tab in the Xbox Dashboard with the left stick
or round pad on your controller. After choosing “Family Settings,” select
“Console Controls” with the green A button. Choose “Game Ratings,”
then select the ESRB symbol that represents the highest rating you want to allow.
To “Set Pass Code” choose this option and double click the
green A button. Then enter a four-button pass code. Make sure you select “Done”
after you make changes and “Yes, Save Changes” to activate your new
settings.
The “Family Timer” setting allows you to limit the
total amount of time the console may be used each day and week. You can also manage
access to Microsoft’s online service and block access to movie DVDs by MPAA
rating.
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