An 8-year old wants Gears of War 2

Sylocat

Sci-Fi & Shakespeare
Nov 13, 2007
2,122
0
0
I don't see what the problem is. Gears of War has a lot of appeal for eight-year-olds.
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
4,190
0
41
Okay I'm 15 in a week, and my parents have only just let me play 18 games, but still limit what I can and can't play.

For example, I am not allowed Manhunt, thanks to the media. They're also iffy about Grand Theft Auto and Canis Canem Edit (AKA Bully). Note how all these games are by Rockstar, and feature in the press when released.
 

BioBeast

New member
Dec 30, 2007
16
0
0
When I was younger (first grade? second grade?), one of my friends had Super Smash Brothers for his Nintendo 64. He was generally a hyperactive kid and his parents noticed that he was apparently acting more violent after playing the game, so they took it away from him. I had somewhat violent video games and yet they didn't change my behavior. It all depends on the kid, and the parents should know what their child can and cannot play.

Unfortunately, as others in this thread have said, some parents just buy it as a result of the pester power.
 

Cahlee

New member
Aug 21, 2008
530
0
0
I'm not sure if I'm in the minority here but I think restrictions on games should be enforced to the degree where ID is shown and that if a parent is quite obviously buying it for a child (kid is with them, bothering them) then they should be refused service. I think it's the only way to get everyone off our back. We all had to wait to watch 18+ movies and drink and smoke, it should be the same for games. Also it might mean that we can actually have an 18+ rating in Aus.
 

willard3

New member
Aug 19, 2008
1,042
0
0
buy teh haloz said:
This is why I'm happy that this current generation of parents will die out soon, leaving us, the new generation to pass on our values to our kids.
I dunno, just look at the majority of Youtube comments or some of the incredibly immature comments on these forums. Parenting is like teaching; you don't automatically know everything just by having experienced it.

Also, I have to say it...the reams of "i played gears when i was 8 and i'm not a psychopath" comments on this thread are getting OLD.
 

Avida

New member
Oct 17, 2008
1,030
0
0
IndieRocker said:
Avida said:
What is it about killing and chainsaws that these kids are attracted to before even playing the game?
Do you really need an answer to that question
Yes. Do i really have to explain why?
 

EzraPound

New member
Jan 26, 2008
1,763
0
0
No, games do not need toning down. What needs to happen is that the parents have to be told what potential content there is within games, and what the ratings mean. I've heard some parents actually believe that the numbers refer to the difficulty of the games. Someone smack some sense into them!
Yeah, if you're dumb enough to believe that digitalized killing can incline anyone to violence - ESRB ratings serve no purpose; and if they do, why do we make kids under 18 study über-violent Shakespeare plays that were condemned as morally bereft in their own time? The only thing stopping me from buying an eight year-old GoW is the fact I think the game's lame.
 

OnlyWonderBoy

New member
Jun 11, 2008
91
0
0
The thing is I don't think the parents miss that rating it's just that they either A.) Don't care of B.) they think it's OK for their kid to play.

It seems a bit ridiculous but in the end it comes down to parent responsibility. That's the only way we can keep games from becoming completely censored. The parent must have use their best judgment in the situation and decided that their kid is "mature" (and by this I mean he won't imitate it) enough to play the game.

Also it has a content filter but who knows if the parent knew that.
 

Ago Iterum

New member
Dec 31, 2007
1,366
0
0
Amnestic said:
DirkGently said:
Sheeeeeeeee-it. Somebody needs to explain to that lady what Gears of War is about. Kids that young should not be playing body-exploding violence like gears.
Do you think? I was playing Silent Hill at the age of 10. That's rated M by the ESRB. I turned out okay, although I am thoroughly afraid of zombie nurses. Non-undead nurses I'm fine with.
I have mixed views about this sort of stuff... More towards 'against' than 'for'. Mainly because I had to wait to play this stuff, and subconciously I want other kids to, in spite. Haha.

And speaking of Silent Hill, I watched the movie last night at 4am when I stumbled back to a friends house. Was it the alcahol that made me not get it?! Or is it genuinely a confusing movie.
 

I Stomp on Kittens

Don't let go!
Nov 3, 2008
4,289
0
0
ianuam said:
The clerks shouldn't sell the games to the parent if they think that it's going to be used by a minor. It's simple.
At the gamestop near me theres some person that tells whats in it and i saw a little kid get turned down from god of war because the person told the parent there was nudity
 

Wilfy

New member
Oct 4, 2008
460
0
0
My friend played GTA when he was six and he turned out normal - aside from chopping off my fingers and replacing them with parsnips everytime I see him.
 

Railu

New member
Aug 7, 2008
173
0
0
buy teh haloz said:
This is why I'm happy that this current generation of parents will die out soon, leaving us, the new generation to pass on our values to our kids.
Just wait until you have kids of your own. Those parents that you make fun of so much said the same things.

We always turn into our parents. Especially after we have kids. The only way to avoid it is to never have them. And from some of the comments here, I don't think that's a bad thing.
 

Zersy

New member
Nov 11, 2008
3,021
0
0
hem dazon 90 said:
my parents bought me 18 games back in the day. they just sat down and talked to me about how it wasnt real and was impossible. i turned out good
all parents should follow this example
 

Cid Silverwing

Paladin of The Light
Jul 27, 2008
3,134
0
0
By this rate age ratings are going to be abolished and child soldiers are going to become more prevalent.

I weep for the inbred retardation of today's parents. They never ever pay attention to the age ratings then blame the games (that THEY consciously bought to silence their kids) whenever something bad happens.

It has to end. Now.
 

Enigmers

New member
Dec 14, 2008
1,745
0
0
I think that saying "You have to BE a certain age to play games" is a little harsh. You need to prove to your parents that you can handle the game, part of which involves not whining about it in the first place. I think it should be alright for parents to buy their kids whatever games their kids want - provided the parents know what they're doing. I'm against immature 8-year olds playing Gears of War 2, but I'm also against teens like myself who need to wait an arbitrary amount of time to be able to play games like Fable just because of a few whiny children and irresponsible parents.
 

wordsmith

TF2 Group Admin
May 1, 2008
2,029
0
0
What we need- intelligent, educated gamers in the stores, selling these games. Ones who can look at a box and say "oh yeah, that's nudity, violence and bad language" or "that's bad language, but minimal violence" and pass that on to the parents.
Also, in house consoles where the salesperson can SHOW the parents what they mean by "graphic mutilation", not just some blood, but you see intestines etc.

Then let the parents decide. Personally, I'd go with letting them have it, but if I catch them swearing/threatening people (generally acting out the game) I take it away. They know that behaviour leads to it being removed, simple as.
 

Frizzle

New member
Nov 11, 2008
605
0
0
DirkGently said:
Amnestic said:
DirkGently said:
Sheeeeeeeee-it. Somebody needs to explain to that lady what Gears of War is about. Kids that young should not be playing body-exploding violence like gears.
Do you think? I was playing Silent Hill at the age of 10. That's rated M by the ESRB. I turned out okay, although I am thoroughly afraid of zombie nurses. Non-undead nurses I'm fine with.
While I've never played silent hill, at that age I was loving the N64 and Golden Eye, and shortly thereafter, Halo. I turned out fine, but I still think the overdose of gore and ultraviolence isn't what such a young age should be playing. Me? Fine. You? Fine. Whiny, eight year old brat? No, not by a long shot.
But here's the thing. Halo isn't really *that* violent. It's aliens and stuff. You never really see humans being killed. If they are, then there really isn't a whole lot of blood.

Goldeneye, I don't recall, but again it wasn't too graphic if memory serves. Mostly what i'm getting at, is the level of realism and violence together is becoming a little too much for the young mind. We had to grow up on mario. Jumping on heads of mushrooms is not bad in games or real life. Running over old ladies with cars is super bad in real life. Just because you get more points for it on your own block, as opposed to in a game doesn't make it right.