Letting Kids Play M for Mature Games.
- Thread starter VanityGirl
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I would play games that had age-ratings on. I mean around my age there were loads and loads of people that played Goldeneye at some point, and that was a 15.. then loads played Perfect Dark, and that was an 18 (silly rating systems, it's the same game!). Played GTA when I was young too, dunno if 1,2+London had 18s on them but they were a lot of fun and parents didn't mind at all.
I would say I was a really mature kid for my age, I wonder if it's because of being introduced to life earlier that made me that or I was just generally a good kid.
Most of the good games I've played are ones that are 15 or 18, except a few like zelda mario and pokemon.. there aren't many other games. So yes I'd let my kids play mature games, I'd prolly know what they were like too so I could filter out not only the Saw-like games, but also the really badly made ones too.
I would say I was a really mature kid for my age, I wonder if it's because of being introduced to life earlier that made me that or I was just generally a good kid.
Most of the good games I've played are ones that are 15 or 18, except a few like zelda mario and pokemon.. there aren't many other games. So yes I'd let my kids play mature games, I'd prolly know what they were like too so I could filter out not only the Saw-like games, but also the really badly made ones too.
No but apparently the Titanic being a 12 is just the thing for kids! Goldeneye? No way, too violent!Timmey said:
What country are you in? At least, in the US, it's not illegal for kids to buy M rated games. Stores have just made a policy out of not letting them. Now, Ao games, on the other hand, cannot be bought by people under 18. In fact, that's the main distinction between the two ratings.afaceforradio said:
Edit: Actually, upon further inspection, I'm not entirely sure that it's illegal to sell Ao games to kids, either. As far as I can tell, like razer17 said, the industry self-regulates.
I find it Ironic that you support it's Adult rating beacuse of the sex scene, and not the violence.StONEdeF said:
Why are people so damn afraid of sex? At least the scene is semi-romantic in Mass Effect, unlike the unpersonal and miss-informing pornography most teenagers watch. It's not even very graphic. If a movie had a sex-scene like that it might as well have an E (everyone) rating.
Sex and love are by the way more natural things than murder, if you think about it. Yes, I blame the motherfucking Bible for the commonly accepted (american) view that sex is evul, sue me. Make love, not war.
Back when i was so young to be bothered by such issues, there was no such games to start with really, so it is pretty hard for me to get the whole deal... first GTA came out just barely before i hit 18 mark. Then again i also read Jaws book when i was 8.
Thing is i grew up in different environment, i read loads of books in my early days, i didn't have much problems with distinguishing reality from fiction, i also had the occasion to play games before they got violent. Damn, i was there when first arcade's with Pac-Man arrived in my country, i laughed when i played Prehistorik bashing big bad dinos with big clumsy club in their toes. For me it was just extension of fairy tales i read when i was 5.
Nowadays young gamers have access to all weird things from the start. Books are uninteresting niche you actually have to grow up to to be able to appreciate it. They don't have to go through the whole process of learning what video game is. They get shiny, close to realistic experience right away as soon as they are able to hold the pad in their hands.
It is parents fault, where too extreme example of gaming reality get to their children way too early. Plenty of safer games for them to start with. In my eyes, if a parent buys an M rated game to their child thats not even 11-12 years old without even bothering with what the game is about is plain ignorance and deserves a smack in the head, preferably with a thick wooden plank.
Thing is i grew up in different environment, i read loads of books in my early days, i didn't have much problems with distinguishing reality from fiction, i also had the occasion to play games before they got violent. Damn, i was there when first arcade's with Pac-Man arrived in my country, i laughed when i played Prehistorik bashing big bad dinos with big clumsy club in their toes. For me it was just extension of fairy tales i read when i was 5.
Nowadays young gamers have access to all weird things from the start. Books are uninteresting niche you actually have to grow up to to be able to appreciate it. They don't have to go through the whole process of learning what video game is. They get shiny, close to realistic experience right away as soon as they are able to hold the pad in their hands.
It is parents fault, where too extreme example of gaming reality get to their children way too early. Plenty of safer games for them to start with. In my eyes, if a parent buys an M rated game to their child thats not even 11-12 years old without even bothering with what the game is about is plain ignorance and deserves a smack in the head, preferably with a thick wooden plank.
In Australia our ratings only go up to MA15+ so 12 suddenly seems a lot less "too young." Regardless, I've worked in games stores and advised many parents on GTA, Saints Row and many other violent mature games, most do not care - of course there is the other end of t he spectrum (mine) where they have fits at their 19 year old son for drinking and playing games with guns in it.
In the end I really couldn't give a flying fuck if an 8 year old is playing GTA or not. There are only 2 things that concern me:
1. That the little shit doesn't have Xbox Live and a headset.
2. That down the track parents and lobbyists don't blame the kid being fucked up on video games rather than shitty parenting.
The observation I have made is that the ones who don't care are usually younger parents (talking 27 with an 8 year old young), these ones are generally less concerned with their child killing a hooker to get their money back. Going hand in hand with this is that older parents (late 40's to 50's with teenagers) are generally more conservative and may try and buy their 16 year old NBA or Guitar Hero rather than COD or Gears.
Another general observation is that it is generally the Mothers who are less happy with buy, even a child old enough to buy it themselves, a violent game, whereas Fathers are less concerned on a general level.
In the end I really couldn't give a flying fuck if an 8 year old is playing GTA or not. There are only 2 things that concern me:
1. That the little shit doesn't have Xbox Live and a headset.
2. That down the track parents and lobbyists don't blame the kid being fucked up on video games rather than shitty parenting.
The observation I have made is that the ones who don't care are usually younger parents (talking 27 with an 8 year old young), these ones are generally less concerned with their child killing a hooker to get their money back. Going hand in hand with this is that older parents (late 40's to 50's with teenagers) are generally more conservative and may try and buy their 16 year old NBA or Guitar Hero rather than COD or Gears.
Another general observation is that it is generally the Mothers who are less happy with buy, even a child old enough to buy it themselves, a violent game, whereas Fathers are less concerned on a general level.
Being poor does not mean you don't care about your children (or at least moderate their video games), nor does being wealthy mean you do.DAVEoftheDEAD said:
I'm not saying "No kids can ever play games".
I think when it comes to the young'ins, like from 5-12 should be more closely monitered than older kids.
I think there's a point when a kid is just too young.
I think when it comes to the young'ins, like from 5-12 should be more closely monitered than older kids.
I think there's a point when a kid is just too young.
Why shouldn't it have been in the game? It wasn't thrown in for the sake of it, and was tastefully done (unlike, say, GoW.) Also, it's a 15 here (the first, anyway) which makes more sense. The highest age limit should be 16, in my opinion. But seriosuly, if you think seeing a second of sideboob/ass is going to screw a child up, you need to sort your priorities. Sex shouldn't make a game an 18 at all (Unless of course it's a game about sex, a la eroge).StONEdeF said:
I think their is a big difference between faces of death and violent videogames. Firstly, FoD is meant to e real, even if some of it is fake, unlike other films it is designed to show real death. And porn? That's completely unrelated.Cheveyo said:
The thing about games is that they are virtual. Which means as soon as a child has the ability to distinguish reality and fiction, they are mature enough to handle them.
Oh no.... he swears. Seriously, swearing is a silly taboo. Most swear words are only taboo because of some silly arbitrary reason. Apart from racial slurs and such. The N word IS taboo for a reason.GaD said:
Manhunt? seriously?
For those of you who is saying Manhunt is totally cool and fine for a five year, let's try this with another example. Would think it's okay for a five year old to watch Silence of the Lambs? What about Saving Private Ryan? What about Saw?
Yeah yeah, can they distinguish between fantasy and realism and all that. Whatever.
What about just the fact the material is highly unsettling even for an adult at times? (That is, a pre-internet /b/ tainted adult)
For those of you who is saying Manhunt is totally cool and fine for a five year, let's try this with another example. Would think it's okay for a five year old to watch Silence of the Lambs? What about Saving Private Ryan? What about Saw?
Yeah yeah, can they distinguish between fantasy and realism and all that. Whatever.
What about just the fact the material is highly unsettling even for an adult at times? (That is, a pre-internet /b/ tainted adult)
I don't think there is a problem with parents buying M rated games for their kids. I remember playing MGS 2 at a friends house when I was 10. The thing that bothers me more is that their lack of knowlege about games is so low, you almost can't comprehend it.
This is a conversation I heard between a woman and a clerk at a gamestop.
Woman: "Hey, uh, I would like to buy Counter-Strike for my son"
Clerk: "Okay, what version?"
- He's twelve.
-Um, okay, that doesn't help much, but I'm assuming that he wants the 1.6 version.
She better hope she got the right version of the game.
This is a conversation I heard between a woman and a clerk at a gamestop.
Woman: "Hey, uh, I would like to buy Counter-Strike for my son"
Clerk: "Okay, what version?"
- He's twelve.
-Um, okay, that doesn't help much, but I'm assuming that he wants the 1.6 version.
She better hope she got the right version of the game.
that's because Ratchet and Clank IS heaps cooler.
GTA 3 is so goddamn juvenile at points. (But to it's credit, it knows it and doesn't seem to take itself TOO seriously)
GTA 3 is so goddamn juvenile at points. (But to it's credit, it knows it and doesn't seem to take itself TOO seriously)
America's youth is getting too fat. Kids should be playing outside, not sitting in their room playing video games all day.
However, I believe the rating system needs to be better enforced. It's M rated for a damned reason. And parents wonder why kids are having sex and shooting each other at such an early age.
However, I believe the rating system needs to be better enforced. It's M rated for a damned reason. And parents wonder why kids are having sex and shooting each other at such an early age.