Some say that playing video games enhances credibility with others. A few may point out that video games can bring in income, whether through retailing, programming, or tournament play. Many believe that video games can be great virtual babysitting tools. Parents can give games to their children to occupy their time with little-to-no direct supervision. Grownups then can do other activities without fear of their children getting into trouble.

Introduction

Many may ask church leaders for counsel about video games: “Should I, or those under my care, play them? If not, why not? If so, what kinds and how much?” To answer these questions knowledgably, pastors and elders must first understand what a video game is, what types of games there are, and what are their ratings.1

Definition

A video game, according to Meriam-Webster, is “an electronic game in which players control images on a video screen.”2 Video games were first made popular on arcades in the 1970s and 1980s, but since then on personal computers, home consoles, and mobile devices. Video games now can be played as a single player or multiplayer, using multiple controllers connected to one console or connecting with others over the web.

Genres

As with literature and film, there are several different genres of video games. Ten of the most common video game genres are:

1. Platform – a game where one character moves across a screen and tries to gather or avoid objects.
2. Role-Playing – a game where players take on the roles of imaginary characters in journeys often in a fantasy world.
3. Action/Adventure – a game which contains problems to solve in an overarching storyline.
4. Shooter – a game where players use virtual firearms to defeat enemies, seeing things either through their character’s eyes (first-person) or from behind or above (third-person).
5. Social Simulation – a game in which players can create and manage the lives of artificial characters, even (sometimes) in their romantic relationships.
6. Sandbox – a game in which players are free to explore a virtual world “without any predetermined goal, or with a goal that the players set for themselves.”
7. Strategy – a game which requires tactical planning and resource assessment to control multiple units. These games can be either turn-based or real-time.
8. Sports – a game which simulates real-world athletic competitions like basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, golf, fishing, skateboarding, racing, or tennis.
9. Puzzle – a game which tests a player’s “problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, sequence solving, spatial recognition, and word completion.”
10. Edutainment – an entertaining game designed for educational purposes, often to develop skills in spelling, reading, mathematics, and problem-solving. Sometimes such games test knowledge in science, music, history, and geography.3

Ratings

Since 1994, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has given each game a rating (similar to the Motion Picture Association’s system), using the following symbols:

• EC = Early Childhood
• E = Everyone
• E10+ = Everyone 10+
• T = Teen
• M = Mature 17+
• AO = Adults Only 18+
• RP = Rating Pending

ESRB also provides content descriptors for games, detailing elements of potential interest or concern for parents and players. Descriptors may include the following words or phrases: Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Crude Humor, Comic Mischief, Strong Language, Gambling Themes, Nudity, or Suggestive Themes.4

Arguments

After reviewing video game genres and ratings, church leaders should examine the basic arguments made for and against gaming.

For

1. Several may applaud the problem-solving, critical-thinking, and tactical skills which are developed through video games, especially in the strategy, puzzle, and edutainment genres.
2. Some might even commend the creativity which sandbox, strategy, and social simulation games seem to promote.5
3. Edutainment is often lauded for the basic knowledge it drills into gamers.
4. Proponents love to point out that video games can improve hand-eye coordination and reaction-time (by .02 seconds), principally in shooter and sports games.6
5. Games are said, at times, to promote collaboration with others. They also purportedly can enhance friendships and family bonding time, whether in person or over the web.
6. Advocates may say that some games can give users a better understanding and appreciation for the work of real life heroes.
7. Some gamers also may say that by playing villains in simulations, they can better understand the criminal mind to combat against it in the real world.
8. Many note how therapeutic it feels to play a video game. Some say that games relieve stress, boredom, hopelessness, and/or loneliness, and allow people to develop self-esteem and management skills that are purported to be underdeveloped in the real world.7

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