Would you stop your children playing violent video games?

Guy32

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Jan 4, 2009
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I started playing the less-violent 'T' games by the time I was 10-ish and I owned my first 'M' game at 14. Of course I'll keep track of the content of the games, but I don't think those guidelines are unfair; There are plenty of good 'T' games.

But honestly, I'll probably play video games my whole life and I don't think I'll ever run into a problem where I'm unsure if a game is suitable.
 

klaynexas3

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Dec 30, 2009
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i'd let them play. when i have kids, my idea is to bring them into the real world as soon as possible without scarring them. so when they're like 9 they should be up to playing games as violent as deadrising or other violent games. then around 11 they can play sexual games because i know by then they would have learned it in school. hell, even i knew about sex back in like the 4th grade, they should know this shit by the 6th. i'd make damn well sure they weren't going to be violent or anything just because they saw it in a video game. mainly because i'll raise my kids to use common sense, and to understand the value of life.
 

Phoenix Arrow

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Sep 3, 2008
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If s/he was 16 I wouldn't care much. I guess my rule would be if they're old enough to get served in the shop then they're old enough to do whatever with a hard cap of 12 as the youngest for realisticy violent things, 13 for horror stuffs and 14 for stuff to do with sex.
That roughly corresponds with how things were for me and I turned out alright. If they IDed me for something then I'd put it back.
 

MykFreelava

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Aug 12, 2010
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I have a friend who has a younger brother (like 1-5 I won't pretend to have a clue, but too young for those games IMO) and he plays semi-violent video games and goes around with a toy sword and gun screaming "die die die" and attacking people.

Seeing that has basically convinced me I won't let my kids play video games until they're in Jr. High.

Also and this is just my personal opinion/plan but I want to raise my kid off of a mix of history channel documentaries (from when it was about History) and sports so he'll be smart and I'll be able to live my high-school dreams through his exploits!!!
 
Mar 9, 2010
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Beach_Sided said:
The Unworthy Gentleman said:
Beach_Sided said:
ICanBreakTheseCuffs said:
wait how did his son get a banned game in the first place?
It was banned last year but that ban was lifted a few months ago
So there's actually nothing wrong with the game and your friend is acting purely on media spin? Or is there more to it?

Yeah I'll let my kids play violent games. They shouldn't be hidden away and it's a game, it's not as if they're going to kill someone based on what they did in a game. If they do kill someone I know I've gone wrong somewhere because it won't be a game.
I've not played it myself - when he told me he'd taken it away I thought about asking to borrow it..... but thought better of it..... ;)

The game was banned for being too violent, then after an appeal the ban was lifted. And I'm sure everyone will know that a game involving the monsters from the Aliens and Predators will be violent. So my friend has based his decision on that information.
I haven't played the full game but the demo wasn't too violent. No more violent than any other game. But then again, my idea of too violent will be different to his. Still a tad much taking the entire console away.
 

Tdc2182

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I would say something along the lines of, "You're not 17 you little bastard, sucks to be you, don' it?"

And then give him a copy of Mario on the Wii.
 

CloggedDonkey

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When they are little (like five or six) no, once they get older (eight or nine) and if they are able to determine reality from fiction, yes, but there will be a few games I will say no to (the GTA series, anything with a lot swearing, things like that, but things like Halo and the Mech-assault/worrier serires are okay), but at about 11-up, I think I will get them anything (except the GTA series, I just have a few things against it in the way it, and I know I'll get hate for this, glamorizes crime), but at about fourteen up they could be playing H-games for all I care. It's not like it will hurt them or anything, as they'll be seeing titties already thanks to a little something called the internet, and they'll probably know what violence looks like, along with drugs.
 

u4527646

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Jul 20, 2010
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Surely this is a very simple concept, we have a ratings system for this kind of thing... G is for any age, PG is roughly the same (but parents use your discretion), 13 is when they can start play M games and watching M movies, then once their 15+ (as the child in this story is) let them play MA games (especially since this teen bought it himself), and once we finally get an R rating here, don't buy the game for kids! That's exactly what the people who are against an R rating say we'll do! If R games are only played by people over 18 then there should be no fear of a child getting exposed to it... Of course, even if it was impossible for people under 18 to get R games, people would still be opposed to it... SIGH :(
 

Phoenix Arrow

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Michael Geer said:
Also and this is just my personal opinion/plan but I want to raise my kid off of a mix of history channel documentaries (from when it was about History) and sports so he'll be smart and I'll be able to live my high-school dreams through his exploits!!!
Your dream of being teased? I kid! It's a nobel sentiment. I'd like to raise any children I had bilingual because I wished I'd learnt my second and third languages that way.

But I think when people say stuff like "I'd let them play 18 games whenever" or when they're little it kind of goes against the idea of letitng your kids rebel. I remember when I was little, my friends uncle or something got him the first GTA game. He didn't want his parents to know he had it so we used to have sleepovers and play it in the small hours. That experience was so much more enjoyable because it felt like we were breaking the law or something exciting rather than staying up late playing video games. I'm sure everyone here has a story of rebelling, I certainly have plenty, and maybe you let your son rebel against you in that way he won't dye his hair blonde and cheat on his girlfriend or whatever's fashionable now.
 

stabnex

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Jun 30, 2009
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Yes. I know just how horrific and sanity-warping some video games are. I've played most of them. And I am not an all-together emotionally secure individual. I know that some things I've seen/done in video games don't belong in the hands of children. Especially my own theoretical future spawn.

God forbid I actually breed. But if I do, and one ends up male, I'll probably lock him up in a sewer for the first 15 years of his life then toss him some blonde hair dye, hair wax, a gigantic sword and then flee to parts unknown while his mother frees him and he accidentally kills her because I've been feeding him neighbors his whole life.

After he's killed me in a climactic showdown with a dragon god, THEN he can play all the Call of Duty he wants.
 

yankeefan19

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Mar 20, 2009
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I will allow my child to play games. However, I will wait until they are at least 10 to let them start playing mature games. Before that it is only less violent Nintendo games and RTS's for them. As he/she gets older, I will let them have different games.
 

Mcupobob

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Jun 29, 2009
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Well depends on their age. I mean I think 16 is mature enough to handle M rated games. I mean I was watching nightmare on elm street at 8, played my first M rated game around 12 and I'm not going around killing people or am a socialy stunted or unintellegent. I guess it also have to go as far as how much you trust your kid.

If he/she is smart and can distunghish between reality then sure go for. No sense in hiding stuff their ready for.
 

Ertol

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Jul 8, 2010
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My parents have let me play violent video games since I was about 13 or so. Before that I played games like Age of Empires, Mario, ect. I really don't see why there is a problem with letting them play games where you kill people. Unless they can't seperate a game from real life, there is no real issue. Now if they pick up a steak knife and try to knife you, then you have a problem.
 
Sep 14, 2009
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Haunted Serenity said:
My children will be allowed to play any sort of violent games if they can prove that it doesn't make them violent in the actual world. They can get angry in the game and murder pixels all they want. If they want a 18 plus game or something they have to ask me to get it and I'll be cool with it.
basically this. i'd play through with them on a few games, make sure they know the difference and see how they react.

if they react chill and understand its JUST a game, then im cool with it and whatever they request, ill prolly give it a look just to double check otherwise ill buy it for them.

really its not the AGE of the child, its the MATURITY and UNDERSTANDING of a child. you hear about that ONE IN A MILLION child who actually murdered someone and somehow they connect it to video games (which is a whole different controversy) but 99% of the time its because the parents WEREN"T DOING THEIR JOBS

so yeah, my kids will be all up on the cutting edge stuff in games =] hell most of the time ill probably be right there playing with them so i doubt anything will sneak by that i wouldn't approve of..even then i doubt i wouldn't approve of anything..
 

Harkonnen64

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Jul 14, 2010
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Tdc2182 said:
I would say something along the lines of, "You're not 17 you little bastard, sucks to be you, don' it?"

And then give him a copy of Mario on the Wii.
Says the guy with the avatar of a baby smoking...
 

Ultra_Caboose

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Aug 25, 2008
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I would control the games my (hypothetical) child would play.

I remember being in gamestop a few weeks ago when a kid who was 7 at most started griping at his mom about which versions of GTA he did and didn't have. It really bugged me.

I would wean my kid into the violent games. I'd probably ban mature rated games outright unless I approve them, and I would still play with or at least keep an eye on the little snot while s/he's playing them.


I wouldn't say that I wouldn't trust my kid with violent games, but I still want to wait until they're old enough to at least appreciate it.