When buying a video game for children, we must be attentive to the symbols that appear in the box. These symbols or acronyms are not always easy to decipher. That's why we are going to give a small dictionary of symbols that appear in video games, to know which one is right for our children.
Usually children's video games are recognized quite well by their covers, but we do not want to take surprises, or it may be the case that we doubt any particular game. For this we can consult its "classification". There are several content classification systems, and in some video games we can find one of them or different combinations of symbols.
The symbols of video games in the PEGI system
The PEGI system (Pan European Game Information) is mainly used in Europe and some Latin American countries and describes data such as the suggested age and content of the game. It is represented by symbols that only appear on products under evaluation by developers. The symbols used are:
Age: It is represented in a grid with blank numbers and indicates the minimum age to play it: 3, 7 on a green background, 12, 16 on an orange background, 18 on a red background.
Content: Icons appear indicating the presence of themes or scenes with foul language, discrimination, drugs, sex, violence or fear, the symbols used are:
The symbols of video games according to the ESRB
Another classification commonly found is that suggested by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) employed in the United States and that classifies videogames according to their content of violence, sex, language, themes ... The symbols used are:
EC: Early Childhood or "Early Childhood", suggested from 3 years. E: Everyone or "For all": suggested topics people 6 years and older. E10 +: Everyone 10 and older or "For all over 10 years". T: (Teen or "Teen"): for ages 13 and older. M: (Mature or "Mature"): the content is suggested for 17 or more years. AO: (Adults Only or "Adults Only"): content with extensive scenes of violence, sex or racism, is suggested only for adults. RP: (Rating Pending or "Pending Classification"): it is carried by products that have been submitted to the ESRB for evaluation and are awaiting final categorization.
The ZERO system
This is the least extended system. Symbols like A, B, C, D and Z They are used by the ZERO system and refer to the age for which the content is suggested. This classification is used in Japan, can be found in some imported or untranslated games and means the following:
A.- All B.- 12 and more C.- 15 and more D.- 17 and more Z.- 18 and more
The different classifications, in addition to considering the content of the game, which may be inappropriate for children to show wars, violence, foul language ..., also take into account the skills required to play it. That is, aspects such as the level of difficulty of the controls or the type of reasoning that is required for the game, or the difficulty of the "tests" to overcome it.
Taking into account what these symbols that appear in video games mean We will find those that are appropriate for the children of the house.
