It looks like the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the National Institute for Media and the Family (NIMF) are trying to stop occurrences of irresponsible parenting from happening. They've released a joint statement urging parents to be careful about the games they buy for their children, especially in light of Grand Theft Auto 4's upcoming release on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

In their statement, the ESRB and NIMF note that parents should "consider the assigned rating carefully when purchasing or renting computer and video games for their children." They also note that GTA 4 has been rated as Mature, with depictions of Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity and Use of Drugs and Alcohol.

Given that many children and teens may want GTA 4 for their console, it stands to reason that many an eager parent may get it to please their kids without checking the rating. We advise our teenage (or slightly above teenage) readers to be mindful of what they get for their home consoles, especially if they have younger brothers and sisters.

If you'd like to read the full statement released by the ESRB and NIMF, you can follow the link below to the ESRB website, which contains a link to the PDF file containing the statement.


Buy: [GTA IV (PS3)]
Buy: [GTA IV (Xbox 360)]