Entertainment Software

No other kind of software is as critically eyed as entertainment software in part because its audience is largely comprised of children and young preteens. While much is said by the members of the Entertainment Software Association that at times decry the labeling while at other times applaud these efforts to keep kids safe, the fact that the collective responsibility of developer, publisher, interactive entertainment software platform enabler, and of course parents is aided by such an effort is indisputable. Entertainment Software Association news might at times question the ratings that their media entertainment software receives, but by and large the Association has gone on to bigger and better topics, such as the creation of the latest software titles.

Entertainment software is rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board that is an outcropping of the Entertainment Software Association but has long since taken on a life of its own. To understand the labeling, here is a quick rundown of the symbols you might find displayed on the entertainment software of your choice:
If it shows an “EC” rating, it is found to be acceptable for early childhood play. This rating is perhaps the hardest to earn and indicates that children as young as three may safely be exposed to the images, situations, and game play. Think of Blue’s Clues and Winnie the Pooh games, and you are in the right ballpark.

The kind of entertainment software that earns an “E” rating – short for everyone – is appropriate for children who are six years old and for anyone older than six. While this is a bit of a wide stretch, the fact of the matter shows that the violence in these games is purely cartoon violence and as such is very specifically neither graphic nor person oriented. Additionally, some of the educational games that are too hard for the average three to five year old to muster are falling into this category. Stretching the label are some games that contain double entendre humor that is usually so infrequent as to get a chuckle out of the parents who are playing the game with their kids while the latter will remain blissfully unaware.

An “E10+” rating is a bit more explicit in content as well as graphic execution. Where before a splat sound might have been heard, in this kind of entertainment software the splat is accompanied by the picturing of the foot that hit the spider and the guts and gore that are evident. Kids over 10 years of age are thought to be able to handle this kind of software.

It gets tense for parents when the “T” for teen label is applied, since there is a big difference between a teen of 10 and a teen of 16 years of age. Inappropriate language, sexual suggestiveness, and violence are all part and parcel of these games and parents will do well to closely monitor their child’s play, especially for younger teens.