More families are playing video games together, according to US study

A US market research survey shows that parents are tech-savvy enough to turn video gaming into a family event.

58% of the 1,014 parents surveyed said that they played video games, and over half of this time was with their children.

74% of parents are comfortable with video games becoming part of their family life, and most understand the industry rating system that categorises games based upon their content, with over half saying the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating was the biggest factor when deciding whether to buy a game for their child.

“We’re really seeing an emerging generation of parents who are also gamers,” said Paul Lundquist, research expert with the Harrison Group. “For the most part these parents have been playing since they were teenagers themselves.”

Of course there is the argument that an external group should rate games, not the industry itself, particularly as some believe there is a direct correlation between violent media and actual behaviour.

Even so, this news must be good news particularly for Nintendo whose newly released