Poll: What Age Do You Buy Your Child a Violent Video Game?

[The_Deleted]

My son is five and has been gaming since he could hold a controller. He first took an interest in getting in and out of cars in GTA and since then has taken a very keen interest in gaming.
Obviously as a responsible parent, it's my job, and my job alone, to dictate what I deem appropriate and what he should not be exposed to.

But the main issue for me is context, there is a difference between violence as defence as outright aggression. So while I'm happy enough for him to play through Mercenaries 2 I do get a bit uncomfortable when he plays Red Faction: Guerilla. In Mercs the lines of right and wrong are quite clear, but in RF:G he has a tendency to attack civilians who don't retaliate, and then keep shooting at them when they drop. This made me uncomfortable, so RF:G was taken out of his library.

My son is the least aggressive 5 year old you could meet, indeed, he's soft as shite. But he does enjoy, nay love, the fantasy that gaming, movies. books, comics and his own imagination afford him, but by attacking civilians who don't defend themselves I felt he was getting a negative reinforcement of how to treat others, which went against everything I have taught him as a parent.

I'm more concerned, however, with bad language in games so anything with excessive or strong swearing is an automatic no-no. I also make sure that his gaming opportunities are varied and in some way educational: Scribblenauts, Elite Beat Agents (he preferS Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan,) Little Big Planet, Ratchet & Clank.

He has played through the opening of God of War (before the sex part) and is desperate to play Aliens Vs. Predator, but while the violence in the opening of GoW was all aimed at fantasy, almost Harryhausen style monsters the rest of the game gets far more visceral. And AVs.P is just a big No Chance.

As he gets older, I won't deny him the thrill of playing games or seeing films he shouldn't, but I'd also have to be sure that he is emotionally ready to experience these fantastic works of art and continues to be the happy, social and considerate individual he is. And that, as with all of his upbringing is my responsibility and no one else's.

 

[Radelaide]

@Raidlaide

Dear OP, you're asking the wrong crowd if you want to get a clue of what the general populace will think. Never ask such a question in a place like this. Ask in a parenting forum, you'll get a far better idea. It however should be rather obvious that on a board for gamers (well mostly) we are nearly all going to be part of the ''decide myself''-crowd. We have certainly all had minor clashes with game rating from time to time. It's obvious. Despite that, we would all (in the case we are or will be in general good parents) be in far better shoes than any non-gamer to make the decision. We here likely all know where to get our info, if we don't already have it.

It's just no comparison, you are skewing your own results.

Actually, I find that asking gamers directly provides a lot of good answers. I've also asked parents that I work with and such, but because people who share my hobby generally share my opinions too, we've thought about how we'd make the decision.

Some of the answers have been like, "If it was violence, that's fine. Sexual content may be different."

 

[Radelaide]

My son is five and has been gaming since he could hold a controller. He first took an interest in getting in and out of cars in GTA and since then has taken a very keen interest in gaming.
Obviously as a responsible parent, it's my job, and my job alone, to dictate what I deem appropriate and what he should not be exposed to.

But the main issue for me is context, there is a difference between violence as defence as outright aggression. So while I'm happy enough for him to play through Mercenaries 2 I do get a bit uncomfortable when he plays Red Faction: Guerilla. In Mercs the lines of right and wrong are quite clear, but in RF:G he has a tendency to attack civilians who don't retaliate, and then keep shooting at them when they drop. This made me uncomfortable, so RF:G was taken out of his library.

My son is the least aggressive 5 year old you could meet, indeed, he's soft as shite. But he does enjoy, nay love, the fantasy that gaming, movies. books, comics and his own imagination afford him, but by attacking civilians who don't defend themselves I felt he was getting a negative reinforcement of how to treat others, which went against everything I have taught him as a parent.

I'm more concerned, however, with bad language in games so anything with excessive or strong swearing is an automatic no-no. I also make sure that his gaming opportunities are varied and in some way educational: Scribblenauts, Elite Beat Agents (he preferS Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan,) Little Big Planet, Ratchet & Clank.

He has played through the opening of God of War (before the sex part) and is desperate to play Aliens Vs. Predator, but while the violence in the opening of GoW was all aimed at fantasy, almost Harryhausen style monsters the rest of the game gets far more visceral. And AVs.P is just a big No Chance.

As he gets older, I won't deny him the thrill of playing games or seeing films he shouldn't, but I'd also have to be sure that he is emotionally ready to experience these fantastic works of art and continues to be the happy, social and considerate individual he is. And that, as with all of his upbringing is my responsibility and no one else's.

Hi there! Just a couple of questions!

Do you find that the more cartoonish violence makes it easier? Like the violence in Mercs is easier to deal with instead of perhaps the more "realistic" violence of Red Faction?

Do you think the rating system accurately represents the content in the games you play with your son?

 

[Waffle_Man]

Age isn't indicative of maturity. An individual is ready to accept the uglier sides of life when they understand how to be above it.

 

[The_Deleted]

Hi there! Just a couple of questions!

Do you find that the more cartoonish violence makes it easier? Like the violence in Mercs is easier to deal with instead of perhaps the more "realistic" violence of Red Faction?

It depends on the context and how he utilises the violence, to draw a parallel between the two games, he enjoys Just Cause 2, which has the same level of cartoon gun play as Mercs 2, however, once he discovered you could beat up people with the grapple, then it became about aggression and that level of violence made me very uncomfortable. Which is a shame because the game affords lots of opportunities for lateral thinking and problem solving.

Do you think the rating system accurately represents the content in the games you play with your son?

Unless it's a very obvious BBFC 18, then not really. I do find games get unfairly certified compared to film and that the content in a game seems to be almost vilified compared to the same content in a film. But some games rated a BBFC 15 or ERSB equivalent seem to be afforded them for reasons I don't really understand. A super hero tie in being a 12? It's usually for mild language or maybe some perceived scary content.
That said, the ERSB ratings are a lot easier to follow for less informed parents, but then I find those less informed are indifferent to the content regardless.

 

[Reallynojustno]

I agree it depends on the circumstances and also phobias (I wouldn't let a child with a fear of drowning/water play Bioshock).
It also depends on why they want to play a "mature" game, if it is just to feel "grown up" they arn't playing it, but if they want to play it out of genuine interest I would be more open to letting them play it.
I do believe some games are unfairly rated, Oblivion seems like Harvest Moon compared to Silent Hill or Gears of War.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I think 16-17yo is "enough" for a child to play a violent video game.At that age I might buy games for him/her.