Before You Buy Video Games for Kids

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has a detailed rating system for video games and other types of entertainment software. The rating system is similar to the movie rating system. For example, it suggests whether a game is appropriate for young children, or if it’s best for teens and older. The game ratings also give you some indication of what types of issues you may have with the game. There may be some form of violence or suggestive themes. The ratings can’t make a decision for you, but they are an excellent starting point for whether a game is something you’d be comfortable with.

You can typically find plenty of articles and reviews about any game you’re interested in. Take some time to read what other people are saying. It will give you a bit more information about the game and whether people are having technical problems. The comments and reviews can also give you an indication if there may be other things in the game that might not be acceptable for your family that aren’t caught by the rating. Some topics, such as religious themes and magical elements are not captured by the ESRB ratings, although they may not be appropriate for some families.

Many games have demo versions available for free download. The demo may be an hour or two of game play, or you may be able to play indefinitely but with limited features. You can often find the demos on the game publishers’ site, but if not, you can search for it. You will want to choose a reputable site to download from, so I’ve provided some suggestions below.

Whether you’re shopping online or at the mall, do your homework. Video game prices can vary, especially on games that have been out for awhile. Check around on your favorite shopping sites and in the fliers for the best prices. If you have some time, you might wait to see if it goes on sale.

Video games are notoriously heavy on system resources. Your computer may not be able to handle the newest games on the market, especially advanced simulations and games with 3-D graphics. Typically, you’ll want to check your operating system, CPU speed, RAM and video card/memory.

If you don’t know how to check how much memory you have, your CPU speed or which video card you have, there’s a nifty site for PCs called "Can You Run It?" which does the work for you. Download a small file onto the computer where the game will be run and it will tell you if you meet the basic requirements. The file can be removed later.

"Platform" refers to what machine the game will play on. For example, if you’re looking for a computer game, you want to make sure it says PC or Mac on the box. It’s easy to pick up a game for the wrong platform, so pay close attention to the packaging before you buy.