Just as some films, TV shows and books aren’t ideal for children, not all video games were designed for young eyes.

There’s still a popular misperception that video games are for children. In fact, according to the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a game player in the U.S. is now 35 years old -- meaning there are more mature themes, visuals and dialogue in video games now than there was a decade or two ago.

Like movies, today’s video games contain a recommended age rating in the corner of every box, courtesy of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a self-regulatory body launched in 1994. Here’s a breakdown of the group’s ratings:

• EC (Early Childhood) games have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and up. These titles contain no inappropriate material.
• E (Everyone) games have content suitable for players age 6 and older. Most games fall under this category.
• E10+ games are for gamers age 10 and older. These games might feature some comic mischief or mild fantasy violence.
• T (Teens) games may be suitable for players age 13 and older, as they might contain some violence with animated blood, suggestive themes, alcohol references or mild language.
• M (Mature) games are only suitable for players age 17 and older. These will likely contain mature sexual themes, intense violence with blood and gore, or strong language.
• AO (Adults Only) games are not suitable for players under 18 because they likely contain extreme violence and gore or graphic sex. Most retailers won’t carry games with an AO rating.

After looking at the suggested age on the front of the box, review the content descriptors on the back of the packaging to see why the game received that rating (for example, ESRB’s "Blood and Gore" warning for particularly violent games). If you want specific examples of what you can see in these games, visit ESRB.org and type in the name of the game your child wants to play -- it will have a detailed description.

On a related note, the three major video game consoles -- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii -- can all be easily programmed not to play games with a specific age rating (e.g., "Teen" or "Mature"). Parents can find these password-protected settings in the console's Options menu.