Display Standard - Veritas et Visus

Veritas et Visus Display Standard February 2009
things when perhaps compared to a more passive activity, like watching TV. And adults, even seniors are getting in
the game, so to speak! Game developers are making games that are not only easy to play for all ages, but are
targeted to groups of people that most would not think of as traditional ‘gamers.’
Between parents and kids, I’m sure you will agree that it’s often hard to agree on what program to watch.
Do you have any findings about parents playing video games with their kids? How many do it? Why do you
think that is? Our research shows that 57% of parents play video games with their children. Parents and children
are finding exciting game content that appeals to multiple generations. And the majority of games are family
friendly, especially in terms of ratings. Can that be said about most television shows today?
Do you think parents are playing the games because they enjoy them, or is it more a concern about
monitoring what their kids are playing and who they are chatting with online? I think it’s both. Games are
available for the whole family to enjoy together. But maybe what got parents interested was the fact that this was a
significant pastime for their children, and being conscientious, they wanted to be involved. Perhaps they got
“hooked” as well! Certainly, in past research, we’ve determined that parents are very aware of what their kids play.
According to our 2007 data, 79% of parents monitor closely or very closely the video games their child plays.
Can you take a guess about what triggered parents to suddenly take an active interest in their kids’ video
games? Were the parents game players all along and just grew up, or has something happened that made
games more appealing? I think parents have always been interested in what their child plays, and our research has
always supported this. But a) parents are perceiving a greater number of games available for family play - 69%,
according to our recent study. And b) publishers are reaching out to all ages and developing content for nontraditional
gamers as well as gamers. And finally, c) the Atari generation has grown up. Those who grew up playing
video games are embracing video game play with their children.
Video games: Tips for parents from ESAC
Here are some helpful tips for parents regarding video games, courtesy of the Entertainment Software
Association of Canada:
� Check the ratings. Ratings are featured on the front of the game package, and give information as
to age appropriateness.
� Carefully read and look at the package. Game content is described on the back of the package,
and is a helpful tool for parents to understand why games are classified for certain ages.
� Monitor your child’s game play. Create a dialogue with your child about their game playing -
their habits, feelings and with whom they play. Ask them about their experiences interacting with
others while playing games, both in person and online.
� Use the parental controls offered on all platforms. These controls allow parents to restrict content
based on the age of the user/ESRB rating, set time limits for game play, set monthly spending
limits for online gaming, and restrict chat functions with other users in a live setting.
� Play with your kids. Recent surveys show that Canadian families are embracing gaming as a way
to spend time together. According to Ipsos Reid, fifty-seven per cent of parents play video games
with their children. Choose games that parents and kids can play together.
� Go beyond the box. There are many other resources for information about video games,
including game reviews, trailers and demos both online and in store, which can empower
parents’ wise choices for kids video game play.
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