Ratings apply to console, dedicated handheld gaming devices, and most computer-based games but are often not given to web-based games, MMOGs, or games played on cell phones. Why does this matter? Different games are available on different devices, and more importantly for regulators and parents, different ratings apply to games played in certain environments. Games may be played on personal computers, on dedicated gaming consoles attached to a television (many of which now have as much processing power as a desktop machine), on cell phones, or on dedicated handheld gaming devices like the PSP or the Nintendo DS systems. There are a variety of devices and modes of game play. And different games provide players with a number of ways in which to play with other people, either through dual controllers, Bluetooth links, or connections forged over the internet. Different games, sometimes with different ratings for the same game, are offered on various brands and platforms. Each gaming device offers a variety of opportunities for game play.

Beyond a general sense of who plays games, it is important to understand how games are played-what types of hardware and software are used and in what type of social, solitary, or academic settings games are played.

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