For Parents…
By Chris CesaranoThere are a lot of misconceptions about video games circulating among adults. Unfortunately, the people that know about this medium are unable to reach them because they aren’t speaking the same language. When games are called into question in the media for causing violence or other problems, games journalists rant and complain about the misconceptions. However, these misconceptions are never explained. The only place for parents, or any non-gamer, to go are the news organizations that are sensationalizing the news and causing a stir to begin with.
So to try and bridge the two communities together, GamerTagged tries to provide a place for non-gamers to go and learn about the medium. There are three primary articles in the Parents section.
Media Mayhem
When the news organizations start to blame games for the latest adolescent shooting, or they start sensationalizing a game’s mature content, we get the facts and look to clear things up. Dr. Phil himself tries to blame video games on the incident at Virgina Tech, but the shooter did not even have any video game systems or games installed on his computer. The individual’s problems were much more deep and psychological than simply playing to many violent games. Similarly, when the game Mass Effect came out, news sites were claiming it as pornography due to a sex scene present. However, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is the game was rated Mature, the equivalent of an R-Rated film. It is not meant for young audiences to begin with. The second is there was no real nudity even visible in the scene other than a woman’s butt. Hollywood is frequently littered with greater contents of nudity, especially raunchy comedies that are actually targeted towards young high school and college youths.
So when games are similarly pulled into the media’s attention, we seek to deliver the truth of the matter while the media will look to get ratings and views with the most sensationalized stories.
Age Appropriate
Sometimes game ratings are deceptive, as are their appearances. While Halo is rated M, it does not have much in the way of bad language or blood. In some ways it is comparable with a PG-13 film. At the same time, there are some games that look a lot more child friendly than they are. Castle Crashers has a cartoony appearance, but also features the beheading of foes and other content that isn’t too child friendly. Or Team Fortress 2, a game with an animated appearance but contains a lot of blood and violence. When ratings or appearance are deceiving, we cover the game to let you know what content is present and allow you to judge what is right for your child.
Gaming 101
For all non-gamers alike, Gaming 101 analyzes games for their quality as an introduction to the medium. If you or someone you know is having trouble getting into games, it is probably because you are playing games assuming you’ve already had experience in playing them. There are plenty of games that start off more simple and ease of play, however, and provide an excellent starting point. If you are a parent looking to understand your child’s hobby, trying to find a game to start your child on, or anyone trying to find a gateway for themselves or a friend, these articles are written as suggestions specifically for you.
While these three articles are written specifically for non-gamers, don’t be afraid to read other material on the site. Another goal is to provide articles that show there is a lot more to games than just pointing and pulling a trigger. There is a whole narrative involved, and some games may not be covered in any of the parents articles that are covered otherwise. So feel free to explore the articles, pick up on the lingo and to learn about a new and exciting medium that is rapidly growing to compete with film and television.
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