Best Buy to provide video game ratings to parents

It what looks like another effort to win business from money-spending parents, Best Buy's (NYSE: BBY) website at www.BestBuy.com is set to start giving parents guidance on video game choices for their kids. This appears to go past the ESRB "Ratings" system for current games that tries with a single letter ("T" or "M" for example) to describe games for parents. Often, though, the actual content of games is unknown unless parents do a little research beforehand. Common Sense Media, Best Buy's partner here, will be providing reviews and content descriptions on video game choices so that parents can have the work done for them.

This is another value-added service from the consumer electronics giant. Those who are concerned about the content of what their kids are seeing (like screening for appropriate television shows) will certainly be glad for this proactive service Best Buy will be providing. Additionally, where do you think those parents will go to buy the game? Hint: the initials are "BB."

The ratings system from Common Sense Media will give parents information about the violence, sexual and profanity content of video games, with it's CEO stating that "Our goal is to give parents the information they need, when and where they need it to make the right video game choices for their families." Sounds pretty straightforward to me and it's probably going to turn into a heavy customer retention tool for Best Buy's growing entertainment area from the launch point of this program forward.