UK games industry body ELSPA is publishing a parents' info guide to encourage safer online play.

Known as‭ ‬The Good Online Gaming Guide,‭ ‬ELSPA hopes to offer adults ideas and tips to make online game experiences safer in the home.‭

The guide’s first tip will be seen as the most important,‭ ‬as it suggests parents should take an interest in what their children are playing,‭ ‬and recommends that they even join in with the game.‭ ‬It also encourages that games should be played in well-lit rooms and that regular breaks are taken between play.‭

It also offers a handy guide to enable parental locks on the Wii,‭ ‬PS3,‭ ‬Xbox‭ ‬360‭ ‬and PCs‭; ‬something which is commonly an overcomplicated procedure with consoles.

You can read a copy of the parental guide here‭ [‬pdf‭]‬.‭

“Children,‭ ‬especially today,‭ ‬see gaming as normal part of everyday life. ‭ ‬Everything from Scrabble to World of Warcraft can be played over the Internet and against other human opponents,‭” ‬says ELSPA chairman‭ ‬Andy Payne.‭

“Child safety has always been the most important issue for the games industry and in an online world‭ ‬it is even more vital than ever,‭” ‬he adds.‭