One of the most common concerns regarding the growing video game
culture is the violent content which many game franchises include in
their content. Many organizations have been working to create a
restriction system to help ensure that excessively violent content is
not sold to underage players.
Much of the concern around the sale of inappropriate video games
begins with the concern of finding games that are appealing to boys.
- Half of boys that play video games selected a game with an AO or M rating as their favorite as opposed to 14 percent of girls.
- 32 percent of adults that play video games prefer games with a mature rating as opposed to more casual gaming mediums.
Much of the regulation of video game content is left in the hands of
the parents. While underage players cannot purchase mature games on
their own, they are more than welcome to play these games if their
parents purchase the game on their behalf. The ESRB (entertainment
software rating board) provides a list of all questionable content in a
video game so that parents can make an informed decision on whether or
not a game might be appropriate for their child. A highly detailed
version of this report is available online.
