The old gang at Gamepro are rolling out something called GameProFamily, which is aimed at educating parents about the games they might be buying for their kids. Through the framework of a fictional family - a Dad, a Mom, and a kid of indeterminate age - various games are discussed and rated with a traffic light.

I agree with Simon when he writes on GameSetWatch that the idea of helping parent around ESRB ratings and popular titles is a good one; but like him I trip up over the fictional family metaphor as clunky and peculiar.

And the kid - this is maybe the most odd. What exactly is he (and he is clearly a he - another potential problem)supposed to represent? If there is a kid at all, shouldn't there be more of a dialogue between the three? Maybe Mom and Dad should actually directly address the points the kid brings up.

Wes Nihei, who writes the "Dad" perspective, is of course a long-time gamer and game writer, as well as a father. Does it matter that the writer who writes for "Mom" apparently doesn't play games? Other than that it reinforces the stereotype that women don't play games (by the way, why can't you see her eyes in the icon that represents her? Dad and kid have open, smiley faces while mom's looks more like sullen tramp than happy mom) I don't think it's important that one of the parents doesn't play games. Lots of parents have to feel empowered to make decisions about what games their kids play without playing the games, too.

Well, the site is still in Beta; it's a good idea, maybe it just needs some refining?