Gamertell

Best Buy has announced that it will begin using Common Sense Media’s video game ratings to help parents decide what games will be safe for their children to play.

CSM is a nonprofit organization that rates media - movies, TV shows, web sites, books, DVDs, music and video games - using a combination of scales. The first is a general age appropriateness (is, is not and “know your kid”) for the target audience, the second is the actual age the game is appropriate for and the third is a 1-5 star quality. Finally, they offer a grid that breaks down sexual content, violence, language and messages including social behavior, commercialism and drug use.

Best Buy plans to eventually offer video reviews by CSM as well.

From the press release:

“The Common Sense Media information will be available through a link on the page for any game title the group has reviewed, right next to the ESRB Ratings information for that game. The information is meant to enhance the ESRB Rating information, providing insight from reviewers and users who have played the game.”

Funny, but I thought the ESRB ratings printed right on the box art served essentially the same purpose? Do we really need a second rating system for this?

Not only does CMS try to pass an age judgment, but it also tries to review it as well. Sorry, but when you’re trying to offer non-biased age appropriateness ratings (which is, of course, a biased judgement), you cannot also be an admittedly biased critic. Pick one or the other, CMS. Also, the red “off” icon next to an age rating appears to indicate that the game is somehow “off” for that age, not the age of people most likely to play the game. Also, the colored icons in the content grid are confusing - does a red icon mean the Sexual Content in the game “Strawberry Shortcake and Her Berry Best Friends” is good or bad for kids? The system is too complex for most people.

Read [News 8 Austin] Site [Common Sense Media]