Pr1ADI:jON GO HERAI-D
CANTON. MS
C'rc~laf~=
o n11558
WEEKLY
11/27/2008
Take
cl note of these #ft- buying tips
., S
~ ~ d GThe
r o~ e r d d
Attorney General Jim Hood
urged Mississippi parents and
other consumers to check the
Entertainment Software Rating
Board (ESRB) rating before pur-
chasing c o m ~ u t e ror video
games a i gifts. -
"Every Christmas1 review the
ratingsto determine what is
appropriate for my children,"
said Attorney General Jim
Hood. 1want other parents to
know the ratings are as follows:
EC/Early Childhood (ages 3
and older), EAveryone (ages 6
and older). ElO+ (ages 10 and
older). T/Teens (13 and older),
M/hlature (17andolder)."
T h e ESRB ratings a r e
designed to pmvide information
about computer and video game
content. so consumers can make
informed purchase decisions.
ESRB ratings have two parts:
rating symbols suggest age
appropriateness for the game,
and wntent descriptors indicate
elements in a game that may
have triggered a particular rat-
ingand may be of concern.
'More than 40 percent of
Americans expect to purchase a
computer or video game this
year and a majority of those
games are purebased during the
holiday shopping season," said
Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of
the Entertainment Software
Association (ESA), the trade
association representing U.S.
wmputer and video game pub
lishers. "Asparentscbmse titles
hum the broad range of enter-
tainment choices our industry
offers, we urge them to use the
ESRB ratings system to ensure
the games they purchase for
theirchildrenareappropriate."
'As a parent, I know it can
sometimes feel overwhelming
trying to manage the media that
ourchildrenconsume, but video
games are actually among the
easiest to control," saidPatricia
Vance, president of the ESRB.
'The ESRB ratings are easy to
understand, and provide valu-
able guidance about the age
appropriateness and content of
video games s o parents can
determine which games are
appropriate for their children. I
strongly encourage parents to
remember to check Ole ratings
each time they buy o r rent a
game for their child."
The ESRB recently supple-
mented its rating system by
launching new ratings sum-
maries. The summaries, which
were relea
games rate & by ESRB for all
ce July 1,2008,
provide brief,objective descrip >One of the t o ~ c o m ~ l a i n t s purchases.
tions of thecontent and sur- rece deo by B_ej
_ erB.&ess i Don't miss the oead ~ne.kor-
rounding costext that factored B.rea.s, especia vi d,rlnaMe ma1 v, ourin0 hol.oays, retailers
i n t o a vid o game's r a t i n g ' h m y s , isihat "he storiwont edend the length oitheir return '
assignment!_Parents and other ' aive me mvmonev back." policies.
intereste4individuals may '~nfort,na~ely they don1 haie iPay arlent~ontoonlane rerurn
access these summaries on the lo.' raid Bil. Moakof Madison polic,es.
ESRB website (www.esrb.org), pres,oenVCEOof t i e Mississ p p b S a ~ ereceiprs W t h o d a
via a new mobile a d d r e s s BBB:'Gene'alty. eitn a rece cr. receipt, yo.r rel-nd may be equal
(m.esrb.org), o r through you canal leasigelan exchange. tothecurrentpr~ceoltre~remin
ESRB's rating search widget. BUI com~aniesaren't oblWle0 rhestorei~steaoofthe p-rchase
The Entetainment Software to g..ea'retund or rxcha+at al price.Also, the refund may bein
kssoeitiod is the U.S. associa- unless thepro0,crisdefect Jeer theform of an in-storecredit.
tion d e d i c e d to serving the nas been misrepresented." Keep tags, boxes, etc. Be
business Lad public affairs The BBB sewing Mtssissipp aware that some businesses
needs of companies publishing oflen mefo low~ngr~ps tcmane require restocking fees.
interactive games f o r vldeo theret-rn Drocess nore~leasanl B e nice. Be politeandfirm.
game consoles, handheld and hassle-free: Relax if you can't makea
devices, personal computers. P Checkout the store'sreturn return. Many stores havea "no
andthelutemet. policy. Thelaw requiresthatthey return, no exchange"po1icy on
For more inlormation, visit I be ~ o s t e dinevew business itemssoldasafinal sale. So just
waw.esrb.org. establishment orbnlinefor web re-giftthe item.
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