Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

March 4, 2010

Parents looking for more information on what games are safe for their kids are now armed with a new resource.

FamilyFriendlyVideogames focuses on “games that are easy to play and fun for families to play together.” Each reviewed game will feature a score based on how fun the game is for a family to play as a group, along with detailed information on which age groups a game’s subject matter is safe for.  Age recommendations are broken down into Toddler (2-4), Kid (5-8), Tween (9-12) and Teen (13+) categories.

Accepted games receive a Seal of Approval from the site, offering parents a way to judge games with a quick glance. Progress Reports are also offered for games that the site has not had a chance to review yet, allowing parents to at least access some basic information on the title.

The site was launched by the husband/wife team of Johner and Christina Riehl. Johner, a former videogame industry  veteran on the PR front, on why the site was started, “It's difficult for a family to find relevant information when deciding whether or not to buy a videogame to play together, because many of the traditional media outlets that provide videogame reviews don't represent the family viewpoint.”

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Comments

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

Most of these games are all Wii games. Not all families out there have a Wii!!!!!!

 

 

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

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Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

I'd be interested to hear what criteria they're using to rate games, because they're currently featuring "Just Dance" on their site, and rated it a 94%, when MetaCritic gives it a decidedly tepid rating of 46%, with the most glowing review there only going as high as 78%.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

Just had a quick look at their site. I wouldn't be caught dead playing those lame-assed games - not even with my daughter. I'm all for a family-friendly game website, but does it have to be populated by the lamest games imaginable? I mean surely there are some good and easy to play games that aren't made purely for a three year-old. Even the games they rate as appropriate for teens seem designed for toddlers.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

This won't fix the problem for parents who are too lazy to even look the game up online, however, it is a nice effort on their part, and better than demanding games with certain content be done away with entirely.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

“It's difficult for a family to find relevant information when deciding whether or not to buy a videogame to play together, because many of the traditional media outlets that provide videogame reviews don't represent the family viewpoint.”

I´m not gonna to criticize them, because I think they can do a lot of good with an information outlet. The ironic thing is that they need to make a site like this because parents are too lazy to read the boxes, which have basic information about the game as multiplayer features. Parents can also check it on internet on official sites and sites like whattheyplay.

There are already enough information. But again, is the lazyness and the fear of technology what make parentes to just step away when their children choose Gears of War instead of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

My opinion is that the most of the parents just don´t read what they are buying to their children, and then, is fault of everyone else but them.

 

------------------------------------------------------------ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

Yes some basic information about multiplayer can be found on game boxes. But the majority of the time that information consists of "Supports up to four players" and "Insanely fun multiplayer action"

This site advertises that they will actually playe the game and get an idea of the relative skill level of the gameplay relative to the age of the player and base their recommendations off that.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

Yes, but that information is already in the back of the box along with many other stuff. Well, if the message of this new site is "parents, do your research", I think is good.

------------------------------------------------------------ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

And how are parents supposed to know this sites message if they don't do research?

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

That´s actually a good question. Adversiting?

------------------------------------------------------------ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

So parents are too lazy to read the box, but not too lazy to go onto the internet and look up information about games on a site they will probably never know exists?

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

I thought whattheyplay has been doing a decent job in that regard.

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

I don't think that Whattheyplay does exactly this. Whattheyplay does provide parent focused insight into games out there, but I don't know if they provide details on multiplayer aspects for the family.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Family-Friendly Game Website Launched

I could do their job for them with just one line "95% of the stuff on the Wii."

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
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