The LEGO Company is always striving to create safe and fun play environments for children of all ages. The same thought is behind all LEGO video games where we aim to make fun and challenging gaming experiences suitable for children. This section of the website is created to guide you, as a parent, through the wonderful world of children’s gaming. The section is created with inspiration and help from the ‘Entertainment Software Rating Board’ (ESRB) who is the expert when it comes to assigning age and content ratings for video games and mobile apps so parents can make informed choices as to which are suitable for their children and family. Checking a game's rating is a great way to gain insight into its content and decide about a game's appropriateness for your child. If you'd like to go even deeper you may want to take advantage of additional information available. Another good idea for help you and your children, is to have a conversation about the computer and video games played in your household.
Below is a framework, but the goal is to have an honest dialogue through which you learn more about your children's games, and they learn more about your concerns, particularly about playing games online. What about your child's favorite games is especially fun, interesting or challenging? What's appealing about the games your children want? The story or characters? Are any of the games you've discussed online-enabled (able to be played over an Internet connection with other players)? What online features and components are possible? Has your child ever seen or heard inappropriate language or comments from other players when playing a game online? How does he or she react? Should your child receive your permission before playing a game online? Are there parental controls set up regarding which games can be played, and whether they may be played online? Do you know whether the games your children want allow for player chat, and if so which type (text, audio, video)?
Does your child know what to do, and whom to contact, if being bullied online by another player?Checking for a game's rating - on game packages or online - is a great place to start in terms of gauging its age-appropriateness. If you want more info, many of the games also have rating summaries that describe in detail exactly what type of content a parent would want to know about, along with specific examples.Game review websites are another great source, often providing screen shots, videos and other resources that can help a parent get acquainted with a game's content.Parental controls built into the game console or handheld device itself also let parents restrict games by their rating. Some consoles' parental controls even let parents decide when and for how long their child can play, who they can play with, or even let you "mute" or disable the ability for your child to hear the game's online chat (which can at times be pretty colorful). Check out these guides for instructions on setting up parental controls.
Be vigilant and monitor. Just as parents pay attention to the people their children interact with in the real world, that same vigilance is required when their children play or interact online. Certain console-based online gaming services provide parents with the ability to approve friend requests and set up approved lists of friends their child can play with and talk to.In addition to blocking a player who behaves in an inappropriate manner, you can also notify a game's publisher or online service about the offender. Check the online service's or game publisher's Terms of Service for instructions on how to file a complaint about another player, and be sure to include as much information and evidence as possible about the player in question.Parental involvement is the best tool parents have in managing and monitoring online safety. Stay involved, keep your computer or game system in a common area so you can keep an eye and ear on the action, and talk with your kids about what they're playing and whom they're playing with.
Look out for mods. Some games offer players the ability to modify their content, sometimes in ways that are not consistent with the ESRB rating. These changes can be made by using a special cheat device or a free downloadable program called a "mod."Make sure that your children know not to divulge personal or financially sensitive information about themselves or other family members when completing profiles, purchasing items or interacting with others online. And personal information isn't merely limited to things like home address and phone number; kids should be mindful about revealing other aspects of their lives like where they go to school, who they hang out with, where their parents work, or what their plans are for the weekend.Set and discuss limits on what your children can do when playing games online and how long they are allowed to play - online or off.Cyberbullying is a serious and growing problem, and can be just as real and hurtful as the traditional kind. Watch for warning signs that your child is the target of cyberbullying (such as changes in computer usage, increased anxiety or depression, reluctance to go to school and/or socialize), and be sure your child knows and uses proper "netiquette" when playing games online.
or www.pegi.info (Pan European Gaming Info)Another year, same issue. Is Star Wars Rogue One suitable for kids? The actual rating of the film – PG-13 from the MPAA in the US and 12A from the BBFC in the UK – is the least of it. Why am I so keen for my not even 5-year-old daughter to see this movie? Same reasons, I wanted her to see The Force Awakens last year at nearly 4-years-old – to reinforce in her that Star Wars isn’t just for boys. As this movie again features another female lead (Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso), it’s even more important to me that she sees it. And my daughter’s an even bigger Star Wars fan than a year ago. What do parents need to know? IMHO, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is less violent in tone than The Force Awakens. Yes, there are likely more onscreen deaths – but they are far more in keeping with the less visceral nature of conflict in the original trilogy. Ultimately, this is a story of selflessness and hope. I have no issue with my (nearly) 5-year-old Star Wars fan daughter watching it, though she may get a bit bored – it is pretty talky.
But for any fan of the original trilogy, there is so much that is familiar in the era of this story – Stormtroopers, Yavin-4, spaceships, and other stuff I don’t want to spoil – that they will find plenty to love. But it still feels ludicrous that movies such as these new Star Wars instalments or the superpowered adventures of Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and even Ant-Man, should be deemed unsuitable for kids under 12 or 13 (depending on what country you’re in). Now I know these age ratings are only advisory, and that we as parents know our kids best, but this shouldn’t even be an issue when we are talking about movies of this type. They should first – and foremost – be suitable for kids. If they’re not, what’s the point of having tie-in toys (like this Rogue One LEGO U-Wing)? But, a film’s certificate only tells part of the story. A film can be rated PG and be utterly terrifying (Jaws). A film can be U and give your kid childhood nightmares (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Watership Down).
And, I think the real reason these movies are rated 12A/PG-13 is simple – money. They are seen as more commercial – U & PG look like kids films and may put off adults, 15 & 18 are age restrictive. In the US, while kids can see R rated movies with an adult (it’s a very weird thing to see if you’re not from the US – family trips to see a super- inappropriate movie), it will still put enough people off. But many of these films are 12A/PG-13 in name only, adding in a little violence or innuendo to get the rating up. In my experience, the majority of these 12A’s are perfectly fine for my daughter. The violence is fantasy, the sexual content is innocent, and while the language can be a bit fruity, this is language she will increasingly hear, and she has yet to repeat (no doubt the first time will within earshot – or to – a teacher). Where does Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fit into this? To me it is definitely at the lighter end of the 12A/PG-13 scale, where the likes of The Bourne Identity and The Dark Knight lurk at the other end.