We sometimes receive questions from parents about the suitability of computer games for players in various age groups. In selecting the games that Whateverdot offers, we apply our own judgment as to what game content is acceptable and what is not, but this is a fundamentally subjective matter, and what one parent considers suitable, another might find inappropriate.  There are lots of academic studies on the effects of gameplay on kids, some revealing marked improvements in cognitive skills among kids who play games, including strategic thinking, while others purport to show that videogames will result in the downfall of civilization as we know it; about all that can be concluded from all the expert research is that the experts disagree with each other.

At Whateverdot, we believe this is an impossible area to standardize, and that parents need to make their own judgment about whether or not the games we offer are appropriate for their families. We are happy to facilitate that judgment--parents are welcome to stop by anytime to "preview" games at no charge; we can explain what games are available, how they work, and what elements of games they should be aware of when they make their decisions.

That said, we can offer the following additional information to help guide parents' choices:

1. Whateverdot does not carry any games designed for children under 10 years old; that doesn't mean children under 10 can't play them, but since they were not designed for that age group their subject matter may not be appropriate, or children may have difficulty with the mechanics of game play itself.  Young children may also not be able to take care of themselves alone, and tend to require more direct assistance than the Whateverdot staff is able to provide.  For these reasons, we recommend that children under 10 be accompanied by a parent, at least until both the parent and child are familiar and comfortable with the environment and the games they will be playing.  We would also like to make clear that Whateverdot does not offer babysitting services; our staff monitors what's happening in the game center and will assist anyone in any way we reasonably can, but children left at the center unattended are just that--unattended. Whateverdot cannot assume any responsibility or liability for unattended children.

    

2. The computer game industry sponsors a rating system for games, similar to the rating system used for motion pictures.  These "ESRB" ratings (named after the organization that produces them, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board") provide information about the the content of each game and the ESRB's judgment about what age groups they are acceptable for.  There are 5 levels of ESRB ratings: C (Children), E (Everyone), T (Teen), M (Mature), and AO (Adults Only).  The games available at Whateverdot right now are all rated either T or M, primarily due to violent content (they are mostly war games, after all!).  While our earlier comments about parents needing to evaluate the games for themselves still apply, we can comment that for the games we have, the difference between a game being rated "T" and "M" is small, and mostly related to how blood is displayed.  Here is a list of the ESRB ratings for some of the games we have at Whateverdot (you can look this information up on any game at the ESRB website):

   Game	ESRB Rating	ESRB "Content Descriptors"
   Battlefield: 1942	T	Violence
   Counter-Strike	M	Animated blood, animated violence
   C&C Generals	T	Violence
   Halo	M	Blood & gore, violence
   Warcraft III	T	Blood, violence
   Unreal Tournament 2003	M	Blood & gore, violence
   America's Army	T	Blood, violence

    

3. It is relevant to note that ESRB ratings do not apply when games are played online--and most of the game play at Whateverdot is online.  This is because most online games feature a "chat" facility whereby players can communicate by typing messages to each other.  This capability is primarily used so that teammates can coordinate action with each other, and it's very useful, but, as with any team sport, players also sometimes send taunts and insults.  At Whateverdot we use software to filter these exchanges to the maximum extent that is technically possible. Just as with email, however, there are limits on what filtering software can do, so the ESRB makes no attempt to rate online games--the rating would depend on players' civility, which can't be predicted in advance.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call, email, or drop by Whateverdot at any time; we will be happy to talk with you, answer questions, or demonstrate games for you.