Parenting (or lack thereof) and gaming.

[tsd16]

I am trying to understand why there are groups of parents that crusade against games that feature violence/sexual situations/language.

First we have a rating system in place. A kid cant buy a game unless his/her parents buy it for them, or they give a bum a 10 spot to pick it up.

What is the problem? Dont want your kid to play a game? dont buy it. Its as simple as that.

But no they cant accept that, they want the TV/video game console/PC to raise their children instead of themselves and ruin it for the rest of us. I grew up in an era without video game ratings, I turned 17 in 1999, before that point I dont recall ratings being featured on games. I played plenty of crap that had a ton of killing in it and I turned out fine, I mean I joined the Army in 2001, that obviously must have been in an effort to satisfy my bloodlust I gained while playing violent video games.

Anyway its ironic seeing as any R rated movie is most likely worse than most video games out there. Yet you dont see news stories like the one fox news had on mass effect, with the latest r-rated films.

Whats worse is bioware obviously caved into the complaints, in terms of its sexual content in mass effect 2. Mind you its not that I think I need to see half naked cgi chicks, but thats how bioware chose to represent the scenes, it was their artistic choice. Obviously with dragon age and ME2, they didnt want to deal with the *** storm again so they toned them down.

Game companies should not feel pressured to not represent something the way they want to because a bunch of coked up soccer mom's dont want to properly raise their own kids.

Its not that I think they will ever get their way, but with some politicians, especially when you start getting more of these micromanagement, play date, yuppie , overprotective, moms/dads start getting into office, I can see them crusading for content restrictions on video games.

 

[SpinachEater]

Do you feel better now?

 

[Dane Bouwer]

thats exactly how i feel, just because some children can't be responsible and buy games that are in their age region, it spoils it for the rest of us older gamers.

i mean, it really isn't that bad if you come to think of it, and production companies can actually kick up the violence/sexual content/language/drug adduse... all these genre's set the mood, emotion, fear, anger, frustration, anxiety/ etc..

if you're too young to play a game and your mommy won't allow the swearing and blood, don't be a naughty boy/girl and play those games, you'll all get your turn when you're old enough....see.... listen to uncle Dane now!

and for the mommies out there that complain about this in general, go read a book, or knit your son a sweater, don't spoil it for the rest of us!

wow, SPINACH EATER, now I feel better too!!!

Dane

 

[sideral sunrise]

I actually did a college term paper on this very subject. It was a persuasion essay. I mad a 96%!!! But reading this made me feel a little better too!!

 

[Dane Bouwer]

well congrats sideral sunrise

even though it made you feel better, do you at least agree? refer to your term paper, I wanna know what you got 96 % for!

Dane (south Africa)

 

[cajun_duck]

I agree 100%. They can kiss my ass too!!!

 

[djbenny1]

My mum bought me GTA and GTA London when i was like 9, and GTA 3 when it came out (I was 11)

And yea they can kiss my ass too!

Wow, it really does make you feel better!

 

[jamus34]

It's not just with games. Two of the last movies I saw in the theatre were Watchmen and Kick-ass; I can't tell you how many obviously under 18 people were in the theatre with both of those movies. Of course the parents were crying out about the language, nudity and whatnot in both of those movies...Well guess what, they are rated R for a reason. It means don't take you damn kids to them.

Games are the same. Parents who aren't games seem to have this naivette that games don't have anything "bad" in them (even though there's been a rating system for the better part of 15 years I think) and then when they come home and see Jr. slicing people up or hearing language that would make a sailor blush they condemn the designers, publishers and industry in general for creating such filth.

Needless to say this is kind of a hot botton issue with me. However I think any legislation besides age restrictions will lose to 1st amendmant laws.

 

[sneaky jedi]

Yeah, this is all on the parents, I have a young (8) year old cousin and i recently found out at a family party that he is one of those annoying, screaming prepubescents on xbox live. parents that let children this age play and communicate halo and CoD have some real problems. Games should be treated exactly the same as movies: mature content can give games a great feel and its entirely on the parents to not let their younger children play/ watch

 

[hooray4boobies]

I haven't had any kids, and from what i can tell neither have you. So take a moment to look at it from their point of view.

Video games differ from movies, in that it's your actions and decisions that influence what happens in the game...i.e. shooting someone etc. and "studies" (and i say studies loosely because most of them are bullshit) have shown that games can be used to translate anger/depression into real life. They can also breed anti-social interpersonal behaviour. <-- watch the nerds arc up at this one ;-) "but i chat online with my friends all day" haha

For parents to want to protect their kids from everything bad in the world for as long as they can...well you can't blame them for that. It's easy to blow up and have a bitch...but they don't just do it to be pains.