Activision announced that the results of national survey released today reveal that parents overwhelmingly agree that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system is a highly effective and influential tool for determining what videogames are appropriate for their children to play. This data comes from a national survey released today by Activision as part of its "Ratings Are Not a Game" educational initiative. With the holiday shopping season underway, the survey was conducted by The Harrison Group to help determine the awareness and influence of the ESRB rating system among videogamers and their parents. Highlights of the survey include the following results:

Eighty-four percent of parents said they are very familiar with the ESRB ratings system, compared to 65 percent of children ages 8-17 who indicated the same. Nearly eighty percent of parents (79%) revealed that they pay close attention to the ESRB ratings on videogames, especially those parents with children ages 8-12 (89%). More than two thirds of parents (68%) believe the ESRB ratings system is effective in helping them determine whether a specific game is appropriate for their child. A majority of parents (56%) cited a game's ESRB rating as their top purchase influencer when considering whether to buy a videogame for their children, more than any other factor. Parents said they actively research over half (52%) of all videogames prior to approving purchase for their children - including reading game reviews/previews or visiting gaming websites. The study also showed that a strong majority (74%) of parents feel that videogames are part of their family's life and that they are very comfortable with this. In fact, 58 percent of parents surveyed said they play videogames themselves, and among those players, 52 percent of their videogame playing time is spent with their children. Moreover, even when playing videogames by themselves, half of that time (49%) is spent playing their children's games.

For the Activision ESRB survey, 1,014 online interviews were conducted among a nationally-representative group of videogame players ages 8 to 24 and their parents. The research was conducted between September 21 and September 28, 2006 by the Harrison Group, a strategic marketing consulting and research services firm.