(New York City, NY, Friday, December 13, 2019) – According to the latest data from the Entertainment Software Association, video games are a $43.4 billion industry. Over 164 million adults in the United States play video games, and three-quarters of all Americans have at least one gamer in their household.

With the holidays coming up, video games are likely to appear on the gift lists of children of all ages – but not all games are intended for children. So, how can parents choose games that are appropriate for their families?

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) offers a clear and easy understand rating system that incorporates Rating Categories, Content Descriptors and Interactive Elements to help parents make educated decisions.

To make it even easier this year, the ESRB is working with retail partners to help familiarize parents with parental control settings on consoles and other devices. ParentalTools.org provides consumers with step-by-step instructions for setting controls that can block games by age rating, limit how much time is spent playing, help control spending and restrict communication with other players.

The ESRB is the non-profit organization that assigns age and content ratings for video games and apps so parents can make informed choices. As part of its self-regulatory role for the video game industry, the ESRB enforces guidelines that ensure responsible advertising and marketing practices.

GameStop is an American video game, consumer electronics and gaming merchandise retailer and operates 5,830 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.