Back when I was a kid video games were pretty tame and didn't need any type of video game ratings. You see the graphics weren't very good and the games were not very sophisticated. A video game rating system was not needed at the time. Since there wasn't anything very violent or graphic to rate at that time!

Today, things have changed quite a bit.  Video game reviews and ratings are big business. You see, the video game industry has grown astoundingly in the last 20 years. It used to be something for goofy teenage and pre-teen boys, but today everyone from elementary school kids to professionals play video games. Video game magazines are very popular these days and game stores sell massive amounts of games every year.

With all this came a new video game ratings industry. The ratings for video games are similar to those for movies. They are pretty self explanatory. As a rule on the box it tells you whether it is proper for teens, all audiences, or only adult users. For the younger viewers it's important that it will tell you if the videogame has appropriate content. Usually this means violence, but occasionally there are other adult themes as well.

Believe it or not, video game reviews are as important to a potential buyer as ratings are nowadays. There are thousands of video games that come out every year, but most of them are not very good. The first person shooter has become such a successful platform that it has spawned a whole industry of basically comparable games. Don't get me wrong – there are plenty of very good first person shooters, but there are also plenty that are a spin-off and unnecessary. Take the time and make sure this is the best one for you you before you spend your hard earned cash. If you don't you'll be very dissatisfied with your purchase and have to get another one.

I like the fact that everything is very detail oriented when it come to video game ratings and reviews. The majority of them deal with issues of playability, graphics, storyline, addictiveness, and other areas as well. That way, you can learn everything about a game before you begin playing it. It's very important that you look at the video game ratings before you plunk down your hard earned cash. That way you'll get you money's worth out of the deal. Just because the game has a great screen shot doesn't mean you should buy it. You will never know if it is a good game until you to take it for a spin or read about it.