The Needles: The Easiest Buyer's Guide Ever

[MrSnugglesworth]

I'm glad my parents didn't get me anything "Violent" until I was older than 11.



and "Violent" means Rise of Nations.

 

[Mirrored Jigsaw]

One of the biggest pieces of advice I want to give to people buying games for nieces and nephews is to ignore the familiar. Last year, I was fifteen, and I got Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (for the Wii) from my aunt. I have been playing video games since I can remember, and I'm not that impressed by Spiderman.

Rule #1 for non-gamers buying video games for gamers:
Licensed games suck.

The rating is important, yes, but this pisses me off far more. Quit buying games based on movies for $40. They aren't worth $4.

 

[matrix3509]

I actually lost my job at my local movie theater because I insulted a parent that was taking their young kid to see one of the Hostel movies. I had decided I had had enough of shitty parents doing the exact same thing and then getting myself yelled at by said parents for letting their children be exposed to such things. I hated that job.

 

[Smudge91]

The parents would read the ratings for a film (although by matrix post i doubt some parents have common sense) so why don't they do the same with games. Then when they give the game to their little darlings at christmas they get all shocked when they see blood. The article was also brilliantly funny

 

[AvsJoe]

So true. So very true. I definitely enjoyed this article but unfortunately the people that it's directed towards probably won't get the message. Alas.

 

[Catfoot]

I tottally agree with this whole article.
Although i think that if parents are that worried they could always give the game a play themselves. GameStation (Uk game retailer) has a ten day guarantee so you can take games back within ten days even if you've opened and played them (great way to rent games for free) but then again im 16 and use parents credit card so i dont really have to worry

 

[Donrad]

it really gets on your tits?
too much information, but very informative (for the report)

 

[Wilbot666]

But the thing is, you can't simply put the blame on individual parents when it's such a widespread problem. Now, I don't know myself what the problem is, but a few potshots of mine would be that gaming is still considered a kids thing, all the other parents buy the big new game, creating pressure on other parents to do the same because of the "all my friends have got it" excuse and/or it could simply be that not enough is being done to tell parents that they shouldn't buy 18 games for little Timmy for the same reasons why they won't let them watch American Psycho.

I agree that most so-called adults (ie. anyone over 30 since the average gamer is now aged 30) wouldn't have a clue about games, but does that excuse their ignorance? The same people who would buy a game like GTA4 or the un-edited Dark Sector for their kids wouldn't necessarily buy an R-rated movie like Fight Club or Kill Bill for them as well.

Could it be that we just need more public education on the topic?

I come from Australia, the hub of (inconsistent) game censorship worldwide, and it often seems to me that media furore is the key figure in getting a game banned. "Oh it's bad for the children." "But it clearly says that it's not meant for children on the cover!" "Oh I didn't realise that. They should advertise it more clearly!"

For god's sake, it's clear there on the cover (parents), stop contributing to the debate!
Be responsible parents and actually peruse the media your children have access to! And don't try and tell me that your kiddy is a good little boy, if you have the internet then he's probably seen porn that would make my elderly relatives have a goddamn heart-attack!

I guess my (overly long and vitriol-filled) point is that parents need to have some control over their children's media, at least when it's at home and they can control it because this is the point where they can either show approval or dis-approval!
Children take their cues on morality/ethics from their parents more than anyone else, so the home is the first bastion of right and wrong!

And I'm truly sorry Dudeakoff, because your post was intelligently written and I'm honestly not picking on you but a parent can and should be able to resist little Johnny's plea of "Everybody else has it!" with the age-old saying of "If everyone else walked off a cliff would you do it too?"