Since 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has been giving video games ratings based on the appropriateness of their content. While they do have their detractors and personal observation is the best form of parental monitoring, their ratings give a very good baseline as to what to expect from the games you buy for your children or yourself.
The First and weakest rating is the early childhood mark. It signifies games suitable for young children and everyone older, though it's likely few teens or adults would wish to play games targeted to such a young audience. These are the games you should find appropriate for your toddlers should you wish to use video games in a developmental role. They are frequently marketed as such and oftentimes prove highly effective. Examples of games in this category include: Dora The Explorer, and JumpStart Pet Rescue.
The most common rating is appropriately named Everyone. It signifies a game with no real questionable content suitable for all audiences, much like a G-rating in the movie theaters. These games might include some minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence. It signifies a game that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults. Examples of such games include: Epic Mickey, The Legend of Zelda series, Mario series, Pokemon series, and Madden NFL games.
The E-10 rating serves to identify a game appropriate for most audiences but slightly racier than the Everyone label. It frequently contains things like fantasy violence and comic mischief which may prove inappropriate for children under 10 but completely suitable for everyone older. This rating was introduced in 2004 and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was the first game to receive this rating. Examples from this category include Lego Star Wars, the Kingdom Hearts series, and The Legend of Spyro series.
The Teen rating is also rather prolific within the video game market. It signifies a game with a decent amount of violence or strong language that would be unsuitable for children under the age of 13 or 16. These games are not suitable for younger audiences but don't possess any potentially scarring material. In fact, with parental supervision they are frequently appropriate for slightly younger audiences. Examples from this category include: The Sims, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and the Guitar Hero series.
The Mature rating signifies that titles in this category may contain blood and gore, sexual content and extreme language. Many retailers refuse to sell games with this rating to people under 17. This rating is one that parents should pay particular attention to when selecting games for their children. If you wouldn't let your child see an R rated movie then they probably shouldn't play an M rated game either. Examples from this category include the Halo series, the Grand-Theft Auto series, and the Gears of War series.
The Adult Only rating contains content that is considered unsuitable for people under 18 years of age, and cannot be bought by anyone below that age. These may include adult video games that show uncensored sex and graphic nudity, extreme violence and blood and gore. Companies like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all have policies forbidding AO rated games to be licensed on their consoles. As of 2010 there were only 23 games registered as AO rated.
The Rating Pending mark signifies a game which has yet to be rated as it is still in its developmental phases. Games are not released with this rating, but companies will frequently begin advertising for their games before they've received an official rating. Parents don't need to worry about accidentally buying their children inappropriate content due to this rating.
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