by Stephen Baker

Created on: March 25, 2010

The ESRB or Entertainment Software Rating Board is a great tool for knowing the content of a video game. Knowing this can be very helpful for many reasons. The most important of those reasons is knowing if the game is appropriate to buy and let your child or children play. Its kind of like a movie rating. Chances are your not going to let your three year old watch Pulp Fiction. 

When it comes down to it there is really only one reason that the ESRB is not working. I can sum it up with one word... PARENTS! Parents are what is making this great system fall to its knees. What most parents dont understand is the a rating on a game is just like a rating on a movie. Thats why you legally have to be 17 years of age to purchase a M rated game. 

The ESRB or Entertainment Software Rating Board, breaks games up into several deferent ratings. These show whether or not a young child should or should not be playing these games. The ratings are as follows. 

-"ec" or Early Childhood. These games are great for anyone to play but are aimed at small children. 

-"E" As most of you know E is for everyone. This game is great for players of all ages. 

-"E+10" This one stands for players ten and up. These games may have some content not a appropriate for children under the age of ten. 

-"T" This rating stands for Teen. Players should be at least 13 years of age before playing. 

-"M" This signafies that this game is for a mature audience only. You have to be 17 to buy this game and thus 17 to play it. 

-"Ao" This stands for adult only. They should only be played by those who are 18 or older. 

The ratings sure do seem to explain themselves but no one likes to read and heed their warning. The ESRB is a great system. Its only flaw is the ignorance of the parents who are buying these games for their children. If you ask me a 10 year old kid should not be witnessing what happens in a game of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a recent game which was rate M. From personal experience I find that many younger kids are playing this game at an alarming rate. I say that something should be done about enforcing the rating system. 

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