Age ratings on games, are they important? The big debate between parents and children, should children be allowed to play games rated above their age? Today, we are going to debate it!
Age ratings on games are essentially there to protect the company selling the game. It means that the content or language within the game is not deemed suitable for people under that age. This is where the debate begins as teenagers are wanting to play 18 games which some parents won’t allow due to the age rating.
Games that are rated 18 are not much different from those that are rated 16. The main difference is the graphics, meaning how much they show you. For example, a game rated 18 may be more sexual or violent than those rated 16. The language used may also be more foul, meaning more swearing will be heard. With regards to this, it should entirely depend upon your child. If you know what they have been presented with beforehand, for example, have they already heard swearing or played other violent games. These higher age-rated games may be suitable for them. However, we would recommend watching gameplay before you decide as some games will not be suitable.
The same debate occurs the other way round. With gamers assuming that games rated with lower ages than what they are will be too childish for them. This is not the case at all, with some of the most popular games amongst all gamers being PG-rated. Again, the only difference will be the language and graphicness, this does not mean it will not be a good game to play.
To conclude, age ratings are important. They are there to protect our children from being shown content they shouldn’t be seeing. If your child is sure they want to play the game rated higher, you should always view the content yourself before purchasing.