Violent Video Games for Children

[PurpleRain]

Is there even such a thing?

This morning on TV, I awoke to the news debating if violent games affect the children who play them. That got me thinking, is there even such a game, marketed and made for children, that's violent in the least? Fable 1 and 2 you can cut heads off and kill innocents, and while looking like it should be made for children, it still carries a M or MA cencore on it making the gae unsuitable for minors.

Sure Viva Pinata you whack animals on the head with a shovel and Mario crushes his enemies with his own body weight, but I mean real violence, the stuff they're talking about. Maiming bodies, cutting off heads, blood and gore. There's no such goddamn thing made for children?! Then why is there even an argument about how children are affected by the content of these things?!

 

[Corven]

becuase these people can't grasp the idea that games can be made for people over the age of 10, and the child gamers of the '80s and early '90s have become the adult gamers of today who want something more than spongebobs level creator.

 

[Rankao]

Because Society can't control their parents so they have to control the content.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

You fail at common sense.

Kids don't give two fucks about the ratings given on games, they all whine for violent games from their parents because they don't know better.

 

[stompy]

Ratchet & Clank features frequent instances of assault with a deadly weapon. Ratchet regularly bludgeons other living beings with a wrench. Sometimes he hits them when they're defenceless or even when their back is turned.

Doesn't that still get a Teen/PG rating?

I suppose I'll have to agree with the others; there aren't many, if any, violent video games marketed to children. Parents need to start paying attention to rating...

 

[skakashijutsu]

Videogames don't kill people. Dumbasses who think they're in a videogame kill people. Remember that; politicians need to stop trying to blame things that they don't like and face the fact that being influenced by a virtual fictional character is NOT, I repeat, NOT an excuse for homocide. Also, the ESRB has already put the rating system in place, and all the stores have cracked down on checking IDs for M rated games. It ultimately falls upon the parents, whoever buys the games, and/or the responsibility of the player.

 

[skakashijutsu]

harhol:
Ratchet & Clank features frequent instances of assault with a deadly weapon. Ratchet regularly bludgeons other living beings with a wrench. Sometimes he hits them when they're defenceless or even when their back is turned.

Doesn't that still get a Teen/PG rating?

I suppose I'll have to agree with the others; there aren't many, if any, violent video games marketed to children. Parents need to start paying attention to rating...


But the difference between the cartoon violence of Ratchet & Clank and chainsawing humanoids in half if Gears of War is a dark contrast, and that's what people are trying to use as an example as to how games affect children. Not trying to shut down your opinion, but I somehow feel that I need to say this; I'm 15 years old, and I've always played violent games my whole life, because, truth be told, I like the violence. It's a great stress reliever, and its fun to explore the different choices you have. That doesn't mean I'm going to go to school with a chainsaw and start chopping off limbs. It's not hard to resist doing those things, and the fact that people blame games for violence insults me as a gamer. Additionally, the fact that my parents cared enough to teach me the blatant black & white of right & wrong (it isn't hard to figure out people) may have something to do with it. You do something bad in real life, something bad tends to happen to you. Finally, does anyone know where to find a good niggeria in Boston, because I can't find one.

 

[foolishnun]

The fact remains that all kids have to do to be exposed to violence is turn on the TV of an evening. And I'm not convinced that violent games breed violence. The fact that violent kids play violent games doesn't mean anything. Of course violent kids would enjoy playing violent games, it doesn't mean one caused the other.

 

[Raven28256]

Because when most non-gamers think of video games, they think "lol video games, aren't those for kids?" Most people can't grasp the fact that, like modern graphic novels (Comic books), the average video game isn't aimed at children anymore. In any given year, the T rating is the rating that is most common among games. The typical game is aimed at teens and adults. But these people still have this idea that video games are made exclusively for children.

Another issue is that these people often can't grasp the fact that games have ratings. There is an astonishing number of people who don't realize that the ESRB exists, and just assume that all games are okay for children. This clearly isn't the case; not only are games not just for kids, they are not mostly for kids. I remember some polls that said that the average gamer in America is between 19 and 36, if I remember right. The content of games reflect that. The fact is that children are actually a small minority of consumers in the game industry. I remember reading that something like less than 6% of yearly game sales in the US are children under 10. In any case, older teens are the game industry's bread and butter.

Finally, the debate on how an M rated game effects a developing child shouldn't even be a debate because if the parents would actually pay attention to what their children are playing then they wouldn't have any M rated games. God forbid American parents actually have to parent their children, they rather the US government play Big Brother and do the parenting for them. It isn't rocket science. It isn't some complex code you need to crack. Just monitor what your children are doing in their spare time and you shouldn't have to worry about the potential effects of violent games on their developing mind.

 

[skakashijutsu]

I also have to say (my last post, I promise.......sort of) that I gotta agree with Purple Rain, b/c he's got the type of sense that a LOT of people need to get. And Purple Rain is my favorite Prince song!

 

[indyfan]

In all honesty to say a certain song, or video game, or even movie caused some kid to shoot up his school or kill his friend is a half-witted arguement...

It's like that quote

"Guns don't kill people. PEOPLE kill people"

We have a decision and so do parents

I would say that probably 50 percent of kids play M games because their parents buy them the game without thinking or even asking about it

There is always a base to a problem, Death cause by Cancer caused by Cigarette smoking and in this case, part of it is the Parents fault.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

becuase these people can't grasp the idea that games can be made for people over the age of 10, and the child gamers of the '80s and early '90s have become the adult gamers of today who want something more than spongebobs level creator.

Speak for yourself, I would love a spongebob level creator.

I'm sure there are a few games with the option to turn stuff like gore and swearing off. I think there should probably be an age limit for online playing though, the later on in life a child is subjected to the horrors of xbox live the better off the child will be.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

The thing is there ARE age limits on all of these things. But they get ignored by parents.

It's all a matter of parenting, knowing your individual children WELL. There is no hard and fast rule for any demographic, children included.

 

[mr mcshiznit]

Grand Theft Childhood is a book relating to this stuff. They defend games and thier effects on children.

 

[PurpleRain]

Ratchet & Clank features frequent instances of assault with a deadly weapon. Ratchet regularly bludgeons other living beings with a wrench. Sometimes he hits them when they're defenceless or even when their back is turned.

Comedy violence (aka Looney Tunes) is something else aside from blood-splatter death.

I was just joking, by the way.

Still brought about a good arguement commonly used.

I also have to say (my last post, I promise.......sort of) that I gotta agree with Purple Rain, b/c he's got the type of sense that a LOT of people need to get.

Damn straight! I'm trying to show that the old arguement "Child plays game, mutalates family" isn't a valid (or is that invalid?) argument. There are no games marketed towards children with any amount of violence or blood/gore in it so how can the blame rest on the game?! Parents obviously are to blame allowing children to purchase M, MA games. I would never in the 9 hells allow my children to watch Hostel, so why is it suddenly backwards in games?!

Also, to the Mods: This isn't so much a retread of the 'Parents are to blame' arguement, moreso, I'm trying to give a fresh view on the topic.

 

[skakashijutsu]

Ratchet & Clank features frequent instances of assault with a deadly weapon. Ratchet regularly bludgeons other living beings with a wrench. Sometimes he hits them when they're defenceless or even when their back is turned.

Comedy violence (aka Looney Tunes) is something else aside from blood-splatter death.

I was just joking, by the way.

Still brought about a good arguement commonly used.

I also have to say (my last post, I promise.......sort of) that I gotta agree with Purple Rain, b/c he's got the type of sense that a LOT of people need to get.

Damn straight! I'm trying to show that the old arguement "Child plays game, mutalates family" isn't a valid (or is that invalid?) argument. There are no games marketed towards children with any amount of violence or blood/gore in it so how can the blame rest on the game?! Parents obviously are to blame allowing children to purchase M, MA games. I would never in the 9 hells allow my children to watch Hostel, so why is it suddenly backwards in games?!

Also, to the Mods: This isn't so much a retread of the 'Parents are to blame' arguement, moreso, I'm trying to give a fresh view on the topic.

Thank you so very much for renewing what little faith I have left in humanity. The rest of you can burn in those 9 hells.

 

[Gestapo Hunter]

all these controversy over game will blow over in a couple of years. Its like when Rock and roll first came out.

 

[K_Dub]

Hey, we need some reason as to why someone loses their shit. Why not blame games? They seem violent enough. In fact, lets all just stop taking responsibility for fat or crazy kids! Blame the games! They've been there since the beginning! You remember!

 

[LadyZephyr]

Ugh. I have no sympathy for people who complain about violence in video games. I grew up in the era of increasingly violent games. My mother took interest in my hobby and made sure I didn't play anything too severe. It was really easy to do- the internet and word of mouth about content is potent. I don't think parents have an excuse here. If you don't have the time to make sure your kid is not being chased by Pyramid Head or killing hookers, don't let them play games.

 

[Raven28256]

Hey, we need some reason as to why someone loses their shit. Why not blame games? They seem violent enough. In fact, lets all just stop taking responsibility for fat or crazy kids! Blame the games! They've been there since the beginning! You remember!

Of course! I mean, don't you guys know? Terrorists get their ideas from playing Counterstrike. That is why they wear black masks! They are copying Counterstrike!* It all makes sense! Games are evil! It was video games that caused the downfall of the Roman Empire. Read your history books, it's there.

*Jack Thompson actually used an argument like this. After one of the more recent school shootings, he said that the shooter got the idea to wear a mask and black clothing from Counterstrike, and by extension, his shooting was because he was obsessed with the game. Of course, then we went on to learn that the guy had mental problems and was rejected from the Army because he was labeled "psychologically unstable," and there was no proof that he even touched games, but dammit, that doesn't mean a thing! It was ALL because of Counterstrike, that other stuff had NOTHING to do with it!

Codgo reminds me of when this woman at Wal-Mart tried to buy her ten year old son God of War. I was looking at the games and he pointed to God of War. She asked the guy working to get it without a second glance. The guy working said "If this game is for him, I suggest you don't get it. It is really violent." She said "It is just a video game, it can't be worse than a Saturday morning cartoon." The guy working pointed out the rating and talked about the game. Her son start pitching an enormous fit in the middle of Wal-Mart. The woman just said "Give me the game, I don't care what you say, it is just a VIDEO GAME. It is a toy for kids. It can't be bad, now sell me the game or I'm getting a manager."

I left before it was over because I couldn't stand listening to Mr. Spoiled McCrybaby, Jr. anymore. I imagine this is one of the same shitty parents who then proceed to attack the game industry after they walk in on Little Timmy playing the three-way mini-game in God of War because they rather blame the industry than admit they failed at parenting.