Video Game Ratings Wars: What Deserves an "Off"
Some groundbreaking, critically acclaimed media is meant to push our buttons. In movieland, the terrifying Exorcist comes to mind. In music, there\'s in-your-face Eminem channeling Slim Shady. For TV, it\'s the curse-soaked world of Deadwood. And for video games, it\'s violent, sexist, and vulgar Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Our reviewers gave all of these titles 4 and 5 stars and, of course, a 17+ age rating -- well-crafted stuff, but not appropriate in any way, shape, or form for kids.

But while many very adult films, albums, and TV shows get the yellow "Pause" rating, Grand Theft Auto and other games like it push Common Sense Media\'s big "Red" button. So what\'s the distinction?

Be the Game
When you watch a movie it\'s over in a couple hours (or, in the case of The Exorcist, when you stop having nightmares). You can listen to a CD over and over and cuss like Eminem, but you\'ll never be Slim Shady. But when you\'re playing a first-person shooter game for hours and hours, and it\'s enthralling and well constructed, you\'re an active participant absorbed in another world. When that world is full of violence, prostitutes, and, yes, even cannibalism, the Pause button just isn\'t enough.

Sell the Game
Who knows more about the truly infamous video games than kids do? They see ads and images for them all the time. The commercials for these games don\'t look "M for Mature" -- they look fast-paced, fun, exciting, and not at all like any mature adults that kids know. And the guy who says "Rated M for Mature" at the end of the commercial delivers it with the same forgettable, fine-print gravitas as "member FDIC." These games are out to make money and build brand loyalty, and they appeal to kids more than any other form of adult entertainment. Another reason to choose Off instead of Pause.

We hope that the Off button makes parents do even more research a game\'s content before they buy. We understand that many families let kids under 17 play "M" rated games, and we want to help parents sort through which of those adult games will have the most intense impact on their children. Our "On," "Off," and "Pause" buttons apply to kids under age 17 playing these games.

Why Does Common Sense Media Review These Adult Games?
We don\'t hold ourselves out as an adult game review site. We review media that kids are wanting and/or playing. When we find that an "M" rated game is generating a lot of buzz, we look at it with the purpose of providing information to parents so that they can decide whether it\'s appropriate for their child.