PlaySavvy.com will provide features such as Gaming 101, a comprehensive guide to ratings, parental controls, and online gaming, as well as reviews, pertinent gaming news, and information on how to access the tools essential to being a game-savvy parent.

"Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching TV. We created AOL PlaySavvy to help parents navigate through all the gaming information out there in order to decide what’s appropriate for their children," said Libe Goad, Editor-in-Chief, AOL PlaySavvy. "In addition, PlaySavvy provides advertisers the opportunity to reach this targeted user base by creating appealing campaigns around the content.”

See? The advertising emphasis wasn't ours. Hit the jump for the full press release, or just visit PlaySavvy.com to see for yourself how AOL plans to learn them parents.

AOL Launches PlaySavvy.com

New Site Serves as Gaming Resource for Parents

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—AOL announced the launch of AOL PlaySavvy.com, http://www.playsavvy.com, a new site that targets parents of children ages 5-17 and helps them decipher the world of games, both PC and console. PlaySavvy also helps parents stay aware of their kids’ entertainment choices including assisting them in making informed decisions about buying games for their children. The PlaySavvy.com launch is a continuation of AOL’s overall programming goal to offer consumers interactive and engaging experiences with relevant sites that target people’s passion points. This year, AOL launched several targeted sites including ParentDish.com, http://www.parentdish.com, Lemondrop.com, http://www.lemondrop.com, WalletPop.com, http://www.walletpop.com, and Holidash.com, http://www.holidash.com.

"Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching TV. We created AOL PlaySavvy to help parents navigate through all the gaming information out there in order to decide what’s appropriate for their children," said Libe Goad, Editor-in-Chief, AOL PlaySavvy. "In addition, PlaySavvy provides advertisers the opportunity to reach this targeted user base by creating appealing campaigns around the content.”

PlaySavvy will provide the following features:

Gaming 101 – PlaySavvy editors help parents understand game ratings and where to find them on a game box, how to use parental controls on the game systems, offer tips on what online games and web sites are safer for children, and provide advice for first time buyers on the differences between video game systems and which one is most appropriate for their family.

Parent Q&A – Consumers can ask questions about games and get real-time answers from a panel of real-life parents.

Reviews – Video game experts provide reviews ranging from how appropriate to how fun a game is for kids.

Relevant How-To Articles – PlaySavvy staff helps guide parents through the video game wasteland including common issues on hot-button topics such as content and safety.

AOL has long been a leader in the Parental Controls space, pioneering the idea of online safety for children when it began offering a robust set of tools designed to help parents keep their children safe online. In September, AOL launched SafetyClicks.com, http://www.safetyclicks.com, a new online safety education Web site, and introduced an improved version of its free, downloadable parental controls software, http://parentalcontrols.aol.com, that is designed to give parents the tools they need to help protect their children from inappropriate or dangerous online material.

AOL Games experienced 41% unique visitors growth, 62% page view growth and 54% engagement growth year-over-year, according to October 2008 comScore Media Metrix. AOL Games also runs GameDaily.com, http://www.gamedaily.com, and BigDownload.com, http://www.bigdownload.com.

AOL is giving away a 40GB Playstation 3 with a copy of Ratchet and Clank Future and a wireless Sixaxis controller to customers who sign a two-year contract for AOL Broadband Wireless Plus.

The 24-month contract also requires you to sign up for AOL Talk call plan (not sure what that is) and runs £19.99 a month. Once you stick around for 24 months you can keep your PS3 forever. The only catch, besides the ironclad two-year contract, is that you have to pay a deliver charge of £14.99 for the console, controller and game. Not a bad Christmas present, especially since it comes with Ratchet and Clank.

Judging by the price and location of the source, I suspect this is a UK only deal.

AOL Broadband now offering a free Sony PlayStation 3 [Think Broadband]

If you're simply looking for a fun game system, you can find a Nintendo Wii (try eBay) or Xbox for around $400. You could also simply wait for more PS3 games or for the system itself to come down in price.

Top 5ive Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy [AOL Money & Finance - Thanks Chad & John]

AOL, always one to steal an idea and make it their own, seems to be trying to soak up a bit of the Nintendo Wii glow. Reader X (coolest name ever) writes to say he was greeted with the above image when he logged onto AIM this morning. A WeeMee? As in a Mii for your Wii? You've got to be kidding me? Spelling something different doesn't make you clever, it just highlights what an idiot you are. I guess we shouldn't be suprised, it is AOL afterall. Brian Crecente

As part of the agreement AOL gets both GameDaily and Biz.GameDaily. This is the second major game site purchased by AOL. Last year the company bought up Weblogs Inc, which includes gameblog Joystiq.

GameDaily will become the flagship of the AOL Games network, which will still feature stories from their current writers and properties. The AOL Video Games editorial team will be combined with the GameDaily editorial staff to create content for GameDaily.

"Video game sites have become a valuable resource for advertisers wishing to reach the young male audience, and GameDaily is a brand that resonates with these highly sought after consumers," said Ralph Rivera, Vice President and General Manager, AOL Games. "We look forward to continuing to serve this audience, maximizing GameDaily content with AOL's community features, and further expanding the AOL Games community."

It looks like AOL is building up to become a powerhouse in the industry. Brian Crecente

AOL Acquires GameDaily From Gigex [Biz.GameDaily]

Murdoch-owned broadcasting giant Sky has revealed details of a monumental move into PC gaming by openly looking for a new 'head of PC gaming'.

The media behemoth is currently advertising for a candidate who will be charged with the task of managing the firm's forthcoming 'broadband games destination', and is also looking for a marketing manager to join whoever spearheads the new operation.

The pundits think he's got his sights on AOL, which owns game blog Joystiq. This is believed to be part of his plan into ease into the broadband and game space. And make a truck load of cash in the process. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Games Blog]

But not Will Wright's kids. They play Guitar Hero. Meier's offspring play Oblivion. Oblivion! AOL Games has a feature on the coolest gaming dads in the biz, including those two and many more.

What about you, commenting crew? Tell us how cool (or uncool) your gaming dad is. Michael McWhertor

Father's Day Game Time

We found 'im. Again. During E3, we were wondering when exactly Microsoft was going to drag former compulsive eater Xbox poster child J Allard out of the dungeon for a press conference. Sadly, we were disappointed, but we did track him down in our hotel. Apparently, hipster J is being allowed to mingle with other humans as AOL Joystiq says Allard recently made an appearance on reality-show The Apprentice. Microsoft, is J Allard the face of the Xbox or not? Personally, I prefer Peter Moore. He's kooky. — Brian Ashcraft

More Here [AOL Joystiq]

Valve, Microsoft, and now AOL. How many all-in-one game portals will the average PC have in 2007?

Nintendo has announced that some lucky fan will be able to play a Revolution game on the new console at their pre-E3 press conference on May 9.

The winners will be flown to LA and invited to step up on the stage at the Kodak Theater during Nintendo press conference to play a game on the system. I guess that means will be seeing some game play on May 9?

To enter you just have to click on the link below by April 28. Three finalists will be selected at random to be flown with a guest to Los Angeles and put up in a hotel for two nights. The three will then sit in the front row (maybe next to me, I promose I'll say hi) at the press conference. During the presser one of the three will be randomly selected to go up on stage and play with the Revolution in front of the world's media and not a few Nintendo execs.

The gamer will be the first consumer on the planet to play the Revolution. Hit the link for you chance to enter and the full rules.

Nintendo Sweepstakes [AOL]