Won't somebody please think about the parents?

One of the few good things about being a gamer is that you always know what you're looking for when you walk into a store. You know that anything with 'Grand Theft Auto' in the title is going to feature prostitute butchering rampages and anything with 'Nintendogs' in its name isn't, well not while Nintendo are ignoring my suggestions at least. The question is though what if you weren't so well informed? What if you were a parent trying to find a video game for your offspring but didn't want to expose them to something that is far too mature for them?

The Internet is the first choice and a few keywords can lead you to some good sites, this one for example http://www.whattheyplay.com/ seems quite well written and impartial which is reassuring because it's quite easy arrive at a site detailing the latest outrage in gaming and that can be quite disconcerting.

If you've not had time to search the Internet before finding yourself in a store what else is there to help you decide? Truthfully the system in place for age ratings is more confusing than helpful, even for someone who knows their video games. Whats the difference between PEGI and ESRB? Why is this game 7+ and another a lower rating? Is it because it contains content not suitable for people under that age or is it because the game is too complicated for a small child to understand?

So the last line of defence for the parent is the people working at the store. It's up to these stalwart defenders of our sanity to guide us to the correct decision. To sort the wheat from the chaff, to help us avoid something that may despoil our innocence. Do they succeed in their task? Well not always.

For a start you go to a game store and assume the people working there are video game fanatics but that isn't always the case. Particularly in the run up to Christmas it's not uncommon to find people there who want to make some money to spend on presents and drink and aren't really interested in video games. I'm not saying their evil, just that they may be as ill informed as the parents they are trying to advise.

Then you have to keep in mind that they are their to do a job and not share their passion. When I worked at a video game store I was a terrible employee, I'd rather people went away with the right game than the most expensive one. It worked out alright for me because people grew to trust that and returned more often but for most people it's all about pushing the latest and greatest game. Even if you know yourself it's not a very good one, or one suitable for the person someone is buying it for.

Perhaps then it's up to us to inform and teach. The people who have played games to death help steer parents to the right decision for their kids. It sounds like a tough task but I think I can do it... just as soon as I've sliced up a few more hookers.