Video Game Ratings: Does the System Work for Parents?

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of parents toward the video game rating system. This relatively new medium and industry have rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. The industry-regulated rating system designed to help parents make choices about video games has made the news of late because of the possibility of government intervention into its practices.

Parents who buy video games for their children participated in a focus group or an in-depth interview. Topics under investigation were the extent to which parents understood and trusted the rating system, how they used the system and how they felt about the possibility of government involvement in the video game industry.