commonsensemedia.org
classification.gov.aus
childrenandmedia.org
raisingchildren.net.au
Across the numerous rating organisations and methods, an individual title maybe recommended for differing ages. In these cases, we individually assess game titles for their suitability for our group of participants.
Game content suitability is rated against a number of criteria including positive messages, positive role models & representations, ease of play, violence, sex, language, consumerism and drink, drugs & smoking and whether participants are allowed to play the game. We favour game content that has high ratings in the positive aspect categories.
The suitability of game content for children has been a very topical issue in recent times.
Active Gamers management takes this issue seriously and is aware of the range of views across the wider community. While much game content is uncontroversial and universally accepted as being appropriate for younger age groups, the appropriateness of some content is ambiguous.
Game platforms like Roblox, despite being rated PG, have been in the news recently due to its interactivity with other users, and varied content. We aim to approach these issues from a position of knowledge and implement a 3-part strategy:
1. We implement parental controls on our game consoles: this may include access pin codes that only staff can use, restricting chat with outside parties.
2. Education: A feature of our program is to educate children in cyber safety and around the risks of online interactions.
3. Supervision: Our staff are directed to actively supervise children playing games and will have the ability to direct children away from in appropriate content.
Fortnite is another game that presents challenges and evokes a range of community opinions. It began as a game made for younger players and has grown into one of the world's most popular games. Over time the average age of players has increased, and the game makers have made some of the content more mature. They are also moving to a Roblox-style user generated content model. A large portion of players of Fortnite are still in the <12 age group, so the makers are implementing some enhanced parental control at the end of 2026. We will be watching this change closely to see how we can adopt this in our program. Currently we are in the process of implementing an ‘opt-in’ system for Fortnite access. New registrants and current families will need to opt-in in order for their Active Gamers to play the game at the program from January 2027.
We welcome input from parents and carers on issues around our game selection policy and individual game suitability.