[lolumadd_]

Reading this article really inspired me to write this post. http://kotaku.com/i-sold-too-many-co...t-g-1371011511

This really is quite depressing and annoying to me. Having played GTA V as well every other GTA, children should definitely not be playing these games. Parents should be ashamed in buying GTA V for their 8-10 years old, etc. This is not a kids game, its an adult game with with adult depictions, scenarios and humor. Children will only grow up to be desensitized by this shit. Take the gruesome torture seen for example. I can picture a kid laughing and having fun ripping out someone's teeth in a video game.

I think the rating systems need to be heavily adjusted. Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row SHOULD NOT be compared to another rated M game like Skyrim, Halo, or Mass Effect. There is a difference between murder of alien species and a torture of a man.

Now, I am not one of these activist who believe "violent games are destroying society" but I think games should differentiate on ratings so parents don't think Skyrim is on the same level as GTA. I know that when I have kids, they won't be allowed to play certain games until they are at least 13. I played some mature games when I was younger, like San Andreas, but not many. And San Andreas wasn't nearly as bad as GTAV.

I grew up playing Nintendo Games like Pokemon, Luigi, Mario (Kart), Sly Cooper, Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet and Clank, Crazy Taxi, Star Wars and they are still to this date the best games. It also kind of saddens me that children will never experience those great games and classics. Instead they will be playing shit games like Call of Duty running around shooting.

On a side note, GTAV was a great game.

[markuss99]

Agreed. Parents should consider their decision before buying GTA V for approximately 8-10 year old children, it will not affect them only in a moral(verbal) way but also in a physical way, I believe. Some of them are that deep in a game that they even have brought some of the taught stuff from games to a school and even not refraining, nor hesitated to show that they are addicted, lol. It's all fine, as long as you can keep your virtual stuff in that monitor and keep your real-life stuff elsewhere.

[lolumadd_]

I have a feeling some 8-10 year olds will start down-repping me Go play some other games you kiddies.

And thanks ^

[Mauzen]

My favourite point why most users here shouldnt be here. Though, I (AND my parents) also gave a fuck about age ratings when I was in that age, cause violence and stuff in these early day games was rather funny than influencing, and compared to today the rates mostly look like jokes. Dont know how kids react to modern video games, but seems like some get serious problems with their "gangster personality" after playing san andreas. Some even tend to perform illegal dos attacks. To be honest, I never thought about commiting crimes after playing diablo or fallout.

[lolumadd_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mauzen My favourite point why most users here shouldnt be here. Though, I (AND my parents) also gave a fuck about age ratings when I was in that age, cause violence and stuff in these early day games was rather funny than influencing, and compared to today the rates mostly look like jokes. Dont know how kids react to modern video games, but seems like some get serious problems with their "gangster personality" after playing san andreas. Some even tend to perform illegal dos attacks. To be honest, I never thought about commiting crimes after playing diablo or fallout.

Diablo and Fallout would be on my list of "Mature" games that shouldn't be rated "Mature". There really needs to be a overhaul with the ESRB rating.

[Mauzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolumadd_ Diablo and Fallout would be on my list of "Mature" games that shouldn't be rated "Mature". There really needs to be a overhaul with the ESRB rating.

Thinking about this again, Its somehow alerting how kids grow up with computer game violence in a way that games once rated as "illegally violent" now even make preschool kids laugh. This is just a proof that the age ratings are a big fail and noone really cares about them.

Fallout has never been a "dangerous" game, there was even a massive cut version here in germany that cuts all splatter and blocking big parts of gameplay (e.g. by removing all kids from the game so you couldnt kill them). Sounds stupid, but even modern fallout blocks hurting children in any way (though fallout 1/2 != fallout 3/new vegas)
Diablo also had some splatter and a (for its time) quite scary atmosphere. I guess the reason for the rating was all the sprite blood splatting around.

[lolumadd_]

My parents clearly defined the difference between reality and fantasy in video games. They told me that games are not like real life and I was able to play maturerer games at a younger age. I'm not mentally fucked up or anything but the fact of the matter is that most parents these days are shit and DON'T make these distinctions to their children.

[Danny]

While I fully agree with your point I think the influence of games on kids is exaggerated, both by the media and society. Sure, there are SOME kids that get influenced by games and copy the behaviour they see in there, but that doesn't mean you (talking to society as a whole) should generalize all of them! SOME people like to run over others with their car. Does that mean ALL people like to do that and we should ban cars? No. What happened is that the 'older' generation which didn't understand what the hell those teenagers were doing back in the days, formulated their own conclusions. 'It's the violence! That makes them so rebellious!'. And since the media's controlled by them and people like to hear what they want to hear from them ... oh well.

My main point is that good parents should be able to judge by themselves if their kid is ready for such games. If they see certain sings their kid is not, they shouldn't allow them to play those games. Otherwise they're just bad parents.
There shouldn't be a need for a government intervention connected to the rating system, parents should do their bloody jobs.

On a sidenote, I know this sounds pretty clichй by now but I first played GTA:SA at the age of 7 and everything turned out fine. I have never been in a clash with the law and I'm planning to go to university. I think it's safe to say violent games didn't affect ME, ofcourse this is a personal thing.

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolumadd_ My parents clearly defined the difference between reality and fantasy in video games. They told me that games are not like real life and I was able to play maturerer games at a younger age. I'm not mentally fucked up or anything but the fact of the matter is that most parents these days are shit and DON'T make these distinctions to their children.

They also told me that when they allowed me to play GTA:SA at my age. I picked it up and it never came to my mind to perform an action I 'learned' from GTA:SA. Good parents should have this talk with their children before allowing them to play violent games, I couldn't agree more with you on that.

[CJ101]

back in my day, we all played tomb raider on ps1's. no silly kids played M rated games. tis a shame what gaming has become mang

[Potassium]

Lol I have to write an essay on the effects of violent media on human behaviour for my psychology class. Can't be bothered to go into it yet but I will just say that I've been playing video games with my dad since before I could talk, and I have never done anything really bad, never been in legal trouble, didn't turn into a violent person, have never been in a physical fight etc.

I guess it just depends on the person really. If you're psychologically susceptible to being easily influenced and to violent behavior then I guess violent media (not just games) might affect you, but it's down to each individual's mental health, in my opinion.

I'm sure I will have more to say once I've done my research for my essay.