Welcome back. If you’re new to this series of blogs I would recommend you start with the first blog by selecting it from the archives on the right side and read them in chronological order.
Now that we’ve discussed the options to restrict online interaction for console games let’s move on to the world of PC gaming. A word of caution: you might be tempted to disable as many options as possible to feel safe but some of the options can really enhance the online experience. In certain team based games for example chat allows players to strategize to defeat the opponent. In my opinion it is better to educate children than blindly disable features. Review the features available for each game and decide accordingly. Some of the most explicit language can be read/heard in first person shooters due to their fast pace and extremely competitive nature. Just read some of the comments left about the last Medal of Honor iteration and you’ll quickly get a sense of how these kids talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We-ejhDB1jE. These games are mostly rated M due to their graphic single player content (as one of the gamers states: “This game has honestly scary graphic, i mean it look's like it was recorded by a real US soldier. Except of the blood that appears on the screen when you are getting hit. =)”) but you will find even pre-teens playing them online. A rather crude comment from the post points to this fact: “this is f**** (explicitly spelled out on the comment) legit unlike xbox games that are invaded by ten year olds and fatass nerds with no lives”. I don’t know if this is because of parents not being aware of the rating or them not understanding the nature of these games either way I hope that you will be better able to evaluate them before you buy them by taking into consideration the rating, the descriptors and the more detailed content descriptions available on the ESRB site and on the Disney site I mentioned.
I would also be cautious with user created content which is particularly applicable for PC games but here too this can be a great addition as some fans are truly creative. It does take some research to determine the kind of user created content available and so far I have not found a site that reviews mods (modules i.e. levels or adventures created by fans) regarding their age appropriateness. Don’t panic though. Very few games ship with complex tools that allow players to create entire adventures like I mentioned for Neverwinter Nights. If they offer this ability this will definitively be called out since it is a big selling point. Most games that do have include tools allow players to simply create maps or modify their characters.
Back to online gaming. I will start with premium PC games sold in stores or directly over the internet as a downloadable version. Free to play or “freemium games” that come as free downloadable versions with the option to later upgrade or buy special items (characters, skins, levels etc.) will be discussed in a later blog. I’m mentioning this here though so you’re aware that your child might have access to free games that are more adult oriented. Some require the user to input their date of birth but there is no verification as of the date entered.
Although the death of PC games has long been announced they are still popular, especially amongst hard core gamers. There are a couple of reasons for this:
1. The access to a keyboard and mouse allows much more complex interaction than a controller. This is especially true for complex games like RPG’s (Role Playing Games) or RTS’ (Real Time Strategy Games). Many gamers will also agree that playing shooters or FPS (First Person Shooters) with a mouse is much more accurate than with a joystick. Note that you can plug a keyboard into the PS3 for games that support it. The Xbox 360 needs an adaptor.
2. Tools for modders (players who create their own modules for a title) are mainly created for PC games.
At times the world of PC gaming seems to resemble the Wild West. Although PC games sold in retail stores go through the ESRB rating process there is no real quality control or standard similar to the ones used for console games. When a publisher creates a game to be released on the Xbox 360, Wii or PS3 he has to go through Microsoft’s, Nintendo’s or Sony’s certification process. This process requires the publisher to comply with specific standards, terminology and quality controls. But when it comes to PC’s anyone can release a game, no matter how bad or buggy. Not to imply that console games are never bad but the console manufacturers will have a say in the quality of the design (they can reject a concept if they don’t feel that the game is competitive), the developers have to be pre-approved and the game will at least be tested thoroughly for bugs.
In order to emulate some kind of “quality control and standards” Microsoft launched Games for Windows in 2006 to coincide with the release of Vista. The games that went through the Games for Windows certification can be identified by the Games for Windows logo. One of the required features is the support of the parental controls and family settings included in Vista and Windows 7. These settings allow parents to limit a child’s gametime, set the maximum ratings for games and disable features like chat. A word of caution: when windows does not recognize a game’s rating it does not block the game. You will have to do so manually. You can find the step by step instructions to set up the available controls at:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Set-up-Parental-Controls
Note that you will need to create a user account on the computer for each child to apply the settings.
For PC games with online components that are not part of the Games for Windows program some of the parental controls might not work but there are some ways to evaluate a game before buying it.
- Start with the ESRB rating for the single player experience.
- Look at the available online features. Since these are selling points they are usually called out. A note on chat: chat is most commonly used in first person shooters and MMO’s. Especially in shooters being able to talk to your teammates or “dissing” your opponents by speaking into a mike instead of getting fragged while you are typing makes a huge difference. Some games have build-in chat abilities but there is also software available like “teamchat” that allows gamers to chat in games that don’t come with it. Although I have not tested this, parental controls might not work with some of these programs.
- Demos: some PC games offer free demos which will include a sample level or limited game time.
- Some MMORPG’s (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) like WoW (World of Warcraft) offer free trials for a limited time. I will discuss WoW in more detail in my next blog since this is still the most popular MMO game. It will give you an idea of the kind of interaction available and the kind of language used by players.
- View footage of the game on youtube by searching by the title. As mentioned a lot of players will pots footage of their “best” or “favorite” moments.
The key points to take away from this blog are:
- Some of the most sexually explicit and offensive language is used in First Person Shooters and MMORPG’s. These games are usually already rated M.
- As in console games you have the ability to restrict certain features like voice chat but there is software that might not be blocked by this feature and some games allow players to chat by using the keyboard which also wouldn’t be disabled by the parental controls. Some games like WoW offer filters to catch some of the most offensive terms but as you’ll see in my next blog the language can be pretty creative and suggestive while using common game terminology that would not be filtered.
- If the game is highly competitive in nature chances are that chats will include a fair amount of “dissing” and explicit language.
Join me next week for a peek into the world of WoW (World of Warcraft), a world filled with ogres, mages and elves, where players can role play, combine forces to defeat common foes or fight each other. A world so popular that its economy has extended outside the game and in-game characters or items are being sold on e-bay. Until then I wish you and your families a very happy New Year.
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