How did you get that M-rated game?

[Eamar]

I didn't get to play any games when I was a kid, apart from when I went to a friend's house and played theirs

As for the future, I won't be having kids myself but I fully expect to look after nieces/nephews/godchildren at some point. In that case I'd run things past the parents first, but generally I'd let them play M rated games once they hit their teens. Like 14 or 15, but it would very much depend on the game and the kid. Different kids can cope with things differently, and I'd definitely have to have checked the game out myself before letting a kid play it.

Despite them not understanding games, that's the attitude my parents had with films when I was growing up and I think it's a good one. I saw plenty of 15 and 18 rated films way before I met the age requirements, but my parents always had a good idea what they were letting me watch, and some things remained off-limits, at least temporarily. It was a decent system, and I was hardly ever barred from seeing something I really wanted to see (I was never into really hardcore horror films or whatever). My parents were pretty good judges of my maturity.

Obviously once someone hits 16 and especially 17 it's ridiculous to police their entertainment in anything other than the most extreme circumstances though. I class most people that age as young adults rather than kids.

 

[hermes]

1- MK2 for SNES. Never new what they bought me.
2- No, I don't think so.
3- I would play with him. Once he is old enough to play on his own, I would advice him on what games to play. M is a relatively too restrictive label; M games can be moved to T with a few little changes. So, I don't think you can't be a teenager and play most of them.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

Either bought them myself, because our age restrictions aren't legaly binding - they're just guidelines or my father bought them for me.
He plays videogames himself so he always knew what he bought me.

The first game two games - which i bought next to each other - were Quake 3 and Halflife, which i got around the age of 10.

 

[Major_Tom]

I grew up in Croatia during the '90s. What's a "rating"?

 

[xPixelatedx]

I'm 32, I don't even remember games having ratings back before I turned 18. So there, It's pretty simple.

But if it makes you feel any better I got to watch Hellraiser and Alien when I was 12.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

1. I remember I used to watch gameplay of the old Devil May Cry games when I was younger. I loved the style, Dante, and the whole premise of them. I was like, 13, so I wasn't allowed to play Rated M games yet at the time. I managed to show my mom gameplay and convinced her to let me buy it the next time we went to a Best Buy. I actually got the collectors edition for less money then the regular edition.
2. I remember clearly Dante's mission after beating the giant fire creature. His whole monologue and giggling like an idiot. I was super into that game when I was a little kid. That's what convinced my parents I was more mature witmy games (not the giggling) and they bought me a three game set of the PS2 originals.
3. How will I handle his? Whenever age I think my child will be ready is the day I let them try a rated M game. It doesn't matter to me.

 

[L. Declis]

I remember going to my cousin's bedroom and I'd watch him blast through the Resident Evil games when I was seven or eight. Yeah, I jumped a bit, but I also remember him mocking the zombies and we'd have fun; he later got me Resident Evil 3, a game which I've always had a soft spot for (and made me frown with the movie's interpretation of Nemesis).

The first game I bought which was M-rated; I think I was maybe 14 when Vice City came out, and I was waiting outside of Woolworth's with a group of men and I was thinking "There is no way in hell I'm going to not get ID checked". I had a look around and I noticed that across the street in WHSmith they were selling games 2 for £60 quid. I then told one of the older fellows that we could use this deal to get two copies of GTA, and each of us would save £10. He did so and I got a copy.

Amusingly, my mother knows nothing about video games (she tries, though) and she actually let me decide what is and is not appropriate for him as I know video games. My rule is this; is there context for the violence? I have no problem with God of War or Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto, as they're basically so cartoony or they're fantasy or you're the big hero to slay the monsters.

But when he wanted Manhunt, I simply put my food down on that regardless of what his friends said. If he wants something like that, he can go to his friend's house and play it there like I had to do.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

Well...there really isn't such a thing as "a game you aren't supposed to play". It's all 100% subjective. That being said, when I was at least 5, I played a lot of Turok and Turok 2, probably some of the goriest games on the N64. Seriously, in Turok 2 (one of my favorite games of all time) you can walk up to an enemy, and slice their head off, blow it off with many of the weapons, or burrow into their skull with a bore weapon. Did I end up scarred for life and messed up in the head? No. I'm just as messed up as everyone else, in that I'm a person left to my own devices. I do what I think is right.

As for answering your actual questions:

1. My parents bought them. When I was younger, my parents only bought me specifically games within my age range, however my father let me play most games he had anyway.

2. No, they did not. I don't have any trauma, or behavior issues. Why? Because I didn't have the mental problems to begin with. The games themselves aren't harmful, they only act as a trigger for those that are already having problems.

3. If I feel like I know my childs behavior well enough, and they have a strong interest, I don't have a problem with letting them play violent video games, even if they have gore. This does not make me a bad parent, nor should anyone think that way. If I feel my child can't handle it, possibly because they've displayed some sort of behavioral instabilities to begin with, then I will carefully decide whether or not I feel they should play the game.

The crucial difference here is, you used an online shooter as your example. It's not secret that most kids have terrible communication skills. I feel if they are under 14, they shouldn't have a mic to play those games. That's the real problem here, isn't it? You're playing your online game, and then you hear the voice of an 11 year old, and it bothers you someone that young is playing with you (and maybe beating you). Other than that, I see no problem.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

I don't think I've actually played any M-rated games before I turned 18... My parents weren't strict at all, so I could probably get away with anything. Maybe some of the older games, like Wolfenstein 3D, which I played when I was a wee lad. But my parents didn't care.

The one time my mom seemed to care was when I was in my room, playing Baldur's Gate with speakers turned up quite high. I was near the lighthouse, killing off some Sirines. They give an erotic-sounding sigh when they die. I think my sister thought I was watching porn and told my mom. One stern question and short answer later it was over.

So that's it for 1 and 2. As for 3... I'll probably keep a "no tolerance" policy until my kids turn 13 or around that, and then decide on a case-by-case basis... I'm assuming I will still be a gamer myself.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I'm a little old to have had problems with this (34)...but my parents wouldn't have given a shit about any ratings as long as it kept me quiet and out of their way. I have yet to play ANY game that warrants any special attention other than for language and have on the odd occasion bought games for under 16's because i know that game is overrated and the shop staff over-zealous in their approach. I was watching violent horror films long before i got to play violent computer games so my perception of the subject is tilted by that. Compared to being beaten by my fuckwit of a father for no good reason the violence in computer games isn't violent in the slightest

 

[Alcamonic]

I think the first M-rated games I played was Doom, Wolfenstein, Rise of the Triads and Duke Nukem 3D at about the age of 6-7. Parents didn't care "It's probably that mario thingy again" <-- while doing other things. Sometimes it's wonderful to have an older gaming brother.

Then again, I was also watching plenty of action movies from an early age, nothing overly brutal, mainly James Bond and the kind of silly ones from the 80's.

I turned out just fine. Well, of course I say that. Chances are no people in this thread will openly say "I developed severe psychosis and went on a killing spree".

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I asked for it, and I got it.

The determinate factor for my parents was price more than content, but suffice to say, I never had an interest in horror games.

The only times where I asked my parents to buy an M rated game for me was CoD MW 2 and CoD Black Ops.

They didn't have any effect on my personality really, I wasn't overly aggressive or rude, and the M rating felt a bit...

Well, not token, but a bit of an exaggeration.

Also, as a side note: the very first proper game I played was True Crime: Streets of LA.

 

[lachlan4567]

My way of viewing the age rating is kinda bias, I'm Australian and apparently a hd rerelease of Fable TLC should be the same classification as Gta V, R18.

Divorced parents with different views, dad bought me my first MA15 game at the age of 13, fallout 3 and boy what a way to start. I'd previously loved oblivion which is only M recommended not required.

Mum bought me fable 3 at 14 due to me already paying off the preorder before the classification dropped, to be fair by that stage I looked old enough that nobody asked my age.

Silly Australian classification system.
Fable got R18 for "Sexual activity related to incentives and rewards", which is a demon door that gives you a pimp hat if you have slept with a certain number of women I believe.

 

[Fijiman]

My brothers and I usually got our dad to buy it for us until I was old enough to buy rated M games myself. Though the only games I remember needing him to get were Oblivion and Fallout 3.

 

[Candidus]

I got the games by asking for them. My parents knew well enough what GTA was, what Duke Nukem 3D was etc... but they didn't exhibit any reluctance that I recall.

How will I deal with it? If my hypothetical ten year old asks to play the future equivalent of The Witcher, GTA or something like Senran Kagura, I'll buy it for them without hesitation. And I'll hand it over when I have an hour or two to supervise their first foray into that sort of content.

 

[Church185]

My parents were young and poor. I received a SNES from my grandparents as a birthday present and it became a cheap babysitter for my parents at the time. It sounds bad, but they were young and I still turned out alright. Eventually when I started showing interest in mature titles, I talked about the games with my parents and they made the judgement that I was mature enough to play the games. When I become a parent I will probably handle the situation in a similar fashion. I know games and gaming, it is highly unlikely that my kids would be able to play mature games without me noticing. I'll probably be the one purchasing these games for them if I deem them mature enough to handle the content.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I had a few fairly mature games back in the day, all bought by my parents. I'm not sure if they were all rated, but I had MK2, MK3, Aliens 3, and Jurassic Park for Genesis. We also had Duke Nukem 3D and Primal Rampage for PC. I do remember trying to play Doom at my uncle's house, but not being allowed to.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I've almost always got my games used or from friends or older brothers & when I bought them used it was from places other than Gamestop & the people never even thought to check ages, so yeah I always worked around it.

I've played violent games from the start & it's never affected me, hell I've never even got so much as a speeding ticket... I live so dangerously...

As far as kids are concerned it'd be on a game to game basis & would really depend on if I thought my kids could handle it fine & i'd probably play the game with them...

 

[lacktheknack]

I got Mass Effect when I was 16 because Dad saw footage and it wasn't particularly bloody.

That's it. All other M-rated games I got when I was old enough.

 

[joshuaayt]

Ehn, yeah, I played some grody shooters and such when I was younger than the box told me I should be- Never really thought much of it. Age restrictions were just a thing I occasionally had to use my older sister to get around.

Now, though, at the dignified age of 20, I can see the errors of my childish haha nah just kidding I wouldn't have had it any other way.

If I have kids, I won't stop them playing games based on ratings, because odds are I'll know more about it than the ratings board does- I'll be buying games with them, and I'll make individual judgement calls.

Not that it's something I'll have to worry about for a while- I already have their first 50 or so games lined up, sorted by age appropriateness, and this list is only growing with time.