With the recent rash of topics dealing with kids supposedly too young to be playing a given game, I'm left wondering something; what game would you people have them play? I'm at a point in my life now where I don't even look at the ratings box; I just buy games that I know will be good. Problem is, every game I've bought in the last few months -- since I got my new computer, in other words -- has either been rated M or been very old. Now I know that Nintendo is still making quality first party E rated games, and that the DS is full of quality E-T rated games made by both first and third parties -- but as far as I can tell, almost every E rated game on the other systems is some form of shovelware that can and will turn kids off of gaming for life.
When I was really young, there was no rating system, so games were self censored to keep from creating a problem with the media. By the time I was four or five, there was a ratings system in place, but the majority of games being made were still rated K/A. Something tells me that if many of these E equivalent games came out with modern graphics, they would garner at least a T rating -- due to the improved realism, not due to containing more violent content.
This creates a conundrum for those of us who want to introduce a new generation to the hobby; do we give them games that are age appropriate, but terrible -- possibly turning them off gaming for life? Or do we give them games that the various ratings boards have deemed inappropriate for them, enraging the soccer mom brigade?
I guess what I'm asking here is, am I right about the lack of lower rated games, and if so, what should we be doing to introduce the new generation to the hobby without scarring them for life?
When I was really young, there was no rating system, so games were self censored to keep from creating a problem with the media. By the time I was four or five, there was a ratings system in place, but the majority of games being made were still rated K/A. Something tells me that if many of these E equivalent games came out with modern graphics, they would garner at least a T rating -- due to the improved realism, not due to containing more violent content.
This creates a conundrum for those of us who want to introduce a new generation to the hobby; do we give them games that are age appropriate, but terrible -- possibly turning them off gaming for life? Or do we give them games that the various ratings boards have deemed inappropriate for them, enraging the soccer mom brigade?
I guess what I'm asking here is, am I right about the lack of lower rated games, and if so, what should we be doing to introduce the new generation to the hobby without scarring them for life?
