It’s no secret thatnon-gaming parents need helpwith videogame purchases for their children. Hell, some parentsdon’t even like games! There are mediagroups that offer up their over-opinionated guidance,but most experts prefer tofocus on game violence, which often scares non-gaming parents away from the gifts their kids really want. These parents are probably better off making game purchase decisions for themselves.
We like to see that at least one expert has their head on straight. Samantha Blackmon, a Purdue University associate professor of English who studies representations of race and gender in video games, doesn’t go the “videogames kill” route. Instead, she offers up solid, sensible advice for parents looking at holiday gaming gifts, and encourages parents to take an interest in the games their kids play.
“In a perfect world, video games would be rated in terms of content and complexity,” says Blackmon, who is also a gamer who owns a dozen video-game systems and hundreds of games. “But the content of video games can be surprising. The way video games are drawn can remind us of cartoons and feel safe for children, but sometimes the language and innuendo that accompanies the images is anything but child-friendly.”
Hit the jump for Blackmon’s holiday buying tips.
We wish more non-gaming parents had the sense to think of these helpful tips on their own. What’s more is that the other “gaming experts” would be better off approaching the issue like Blackmon has, but I think the difference here is that this expert actually plays games. Imagine that!
