Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Know what game system you are purchasing a game for. Above almost everything else, before you can purchase a video game you need to know what system the child is playing, since Xbox 360 versions of games cannot be played on a Playstation 3 and vice-versa. Also, while many games are made for a variety of platforms, some games are only available for one console. This is true for most games from Nintendo, which can be played only on Nintendo console systems like the Wii or DS.
Step2
Know the ESRB rating system. Just like movies, games are rated, too. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board rates all video games that come to market regardless of what platform (Xbox 360, Playstation 2 and 3) they are played on, and this will be the first indicator as to a game’s appropriateness for a child.
Step3
Check out the box art. While you may not be able to judge a book by its cover, in many ways you can judge a video game by the images that appear on the cover of the box. Game publishers are not trying to trick a consumer into buying an extremely violent video game when they are really looking for Scrabble. If the box art has guns and blood and nasty creatures on it, it most likely will include some adult content that may not be suitable for a six-year-old.
Step4
Rent the game before you buy. You can rent games from a video game rental store or from Gamefly.com, the Netflix of video games. This will allow you the opportunity to at least turn on the game and check out the characters at the beginning to see if it’s appropriate before plunking down $60.
Step5
Read online game reviews. Countless sites on the internet review games these days, and many write reviews with parents in mind. It’s worthwhile to check out these reviews before making a game purchase, but keep in mind that everyone will have a different opinion on a video game in the same way that critics have different takes on a movie.
Novice 
