Game Ratings

[Arytom]

Game Ratings

When it comes to playing video games do you care what rating the game has that your child will be playing or do you think they will learn it on there own eventually because growing up i've seen so much of this controversy where the child lets say 13 years old can't play a rated m game, but then a 12 year old is allowed to do parents not care anymore or is the world simply just letting there child explore on his or her own?

 

[Vincentdante]

I played Duke Nukem 3D when I was 8. I'll let that answer it

Serious answer it's down to the parents. Don't let anyone tell you how to be a parent that's my opinion.

 

[Arytom]

I played Duke Nukem 3D when I was 8. I'll let that answer it

Serious answer it's down to the parents. Don't let anyone tell you how to be a parent that's my opinion.

Well in my opinion there going to know that stuff eventually do you might as well prepare them huh>? I would of voted the 3 one but can't revote. I have never played that game is did you like it because i think i saw mixed reviews?

 

[Vincentdante]

I love it. It's actually my go to game when I think of what I want in a game regarding level design.

I recommend it if you like the old school shooters and it's pretty easy to get a hold of thanks to GOG.
http://www.gog.com/game/duke_nukem_3d_atomic_edition

 

[Arytom]

If i remember correctly aren't they making a new duke nukem i though i saw that mentioned in a magazine thats coming out probably next year?

 

[Vincentdante]

I feel Reptile staring at me from across the forums so I'll leave it after this post. The license is in legal limbo right now but games are being worked on as far as we know.

 

[Sardukhar]

I...I would let parents give you some tips on how to be a parent. And do some research. Read some books. talk to your spouse about her ideas if any.

In fact, let everyone tell you how to be a parent - it's a skill and you're going to need data.

Then, filter for best effect, like any other skill.

But for Nurgle's sake do not go it alone. Including on the subject of videogames. See how it's worked for others, see how your kid handles it.

Ratings are a very good indicator of when a parent needs to pay attention to what his kid is doing.

 

[Suhiira]

No kids of my own so my vote (if I'd done so) would be purely theoretical.

But, kids are people too, each is different. I know some 6-year-olds who's opinion I pay attention to, and good many 16-year-olds I dismiss out of hand.

 

[Vincentdante]

I...I would let parents give you some tips on how to be a parent. And do some research. Read some books. talk to your spouse about her ideas if any.

In fact, let everyone tell you how to be a parent - it's a skill and you're going to need data.

Then, filter for best effect, like any other skill.

But for Nurgle's sake do not go it alone. Including on the subject of videogames. See how it's worked for others, see how your kid handles it.

Ratings are a very good indicator of when a parent needs to pay attention to what his kid is doing.

As I am not a parent I just went by my gut on that one and I'll accept your authority over the subject. My response came from my dislike on social conventions regarding having others step in and make all your decisions for you (like yeah the ratings board) rather than finding out the content and seeing if you would be happy for your child to be exposed to it.

I once had an interesting discussion that revolves around this and it was over Dr Who. Apparently (at the time I was having this discussion so it may have changed since) in the US it's aired past midnight and is considered an adult show. I was seriously surprised to hear that! Here in the UK it's on Saturday evenings and is a family show between Cartoons. Not only that but there is a toddler equivalent on CBBC, and frankly that's fine by me as Dr Who doesn't have anything inappropriate for kids.

My expanded thoughts.

 

[dragonbird]

I approve of the concept of ratings boards. It doesn't really matter if one ratings board does something different to another, to reflect cultural differences in its area of responsibility. What's important is that it gives accurate and consistent ratings according to its own guidelines. That provides a reliable source to parents to make their own decisions, which can be anything from "Don't care" to "Total ban" - it's up to the family itself.

The alternatives to ratings are much worse, either you get censorship or a free-for-all, where parents need to rely on information sourced from websites that may have their own agenda, or check everything themselves.

(And of course Doctor Who is safe for kids. Having to spend 50 minutes hiding behind the sofa in the early evening on Saturdays is a tradition for every six-year-old in the UK going back to the '60s).

 

[227]

Kids are like sociopathic snowflakes in that some need the outlet that face-shooter 6000 provides while others are best locked away in padded cells for the good of all humanity. Game ratings don't really do all that much either way, because despite being a total do-gooder growing up, even my brother and I went over to a friend's house to play Mortal Kombat. Kids have their ways of getting their hands on just about anything they want.

If I were a parent, I'd insist that my kid/s play through the old-school classics before they got to play anything remotely modern. I doubt they'd even want to play through violent games after that. Maybe they'd end up being crazy anyway, but at least all the reading that older games forced them to do would ensure that they wouldn't be language-butchering pricks like the modern shooter generation of gamers. If you're going to grow up to be completely out of your mind, you should really aim for Hans Gruber levels of sophistication. Vomiting out angry text-speak and typo-filled epithets just doesn't have the same allure.

 

[Sardukhar]

"If you're going to grow up to be completely out of your mind, you should really aim for Hans Gruber levels of sophistication. Vomiting out angry text-speak and typo-filled epithets just doesn't have the same allure."

Genius. Gruber reference no less. Give your parents my regards.

 

[Arytom]

I will miss Robin William's he just passed away yesterday they say he comities suicide but i don't think so..

 

[Decatonkeil]

I've played some games inappropriate for my age at some moments in my life. Played Duke Nukem when I was 12 and my first GTA when I was 15 or so. Still I think I tried to have a healthy balance of inappropriate and appropriate things to play, read, watch... It may sound bad but some kids should have what they consume more controlled by their parents than others. That's just what it is. I've been a well educated, well behaved hard working kid all my childhood. Never been into drugs, never part-taken in misogyny, racism, violence, gangs... I knew what was the place of these games and I could use them in a healthy way. Other kind of kids though, that do fantasize about what all the gangsta rap paraphernalia or similar that is supposedly being sold to them as the best thing, the way to success though they are the ones that should be controlled by their parents. Ironically enough those are probably the ones with parents who just couldn't care less or that just can't reach them no matter what. I've been playing DN3D lately though and I think the misogyny annoys me even more than it did at the time, when it just made me uncomfortable... now I actively disapprove of it and I don't see what it even does there. Would I let one of my hypothetical kids play a game that is not appropriate for their age? That depends. They would have the advantage, in my opinion, of a parent that knows games and that takes them seriously and one that won't see it as a waste to do some pedagogy through games. I'd sit with them, ask them if they know what they're playing, ask what they think of it, what they find appealing, what makes them think, what they find disturbing... I'm quite sure that just approaching them in a friendly manner, showing genuine interest they would lower their defences and try to make an educated argument about it instead of trying to protect that piece of media from possible scrutiny.

I think it's also sad that there are not all that many good games for all ages as there used to be.

 

[Vincentdante]

"If you're going to grow up to be completely out of your mind, you should really aim for Hans Gruber levels of sophistication. Vomiting out angry text-speak and typo-filled epithets just doesn't have the same allure."

Genius. Gruber reference no less. Give your parents my regards.

I can't tell but I think this was aimed at me

Hey I like to think I came out alright

:huh:

 

[Arytom]

I've played some games inappropriate for my age at some moments in my life. Played Duke Nukem when I was 12 and my first GTA when I was 15 or so. Still I think I tried to have a healthy balance of inappropriate and appropriate things to play, read, watch... It may sound bad but some kids should have what they consume more controlled by their parents than others. That's just what it is. I've been a well educated, well behaved hard working kid all my childhood. Never been into drugs, never part-taken in misogyny, racism, violence, gangs... I knew what was the place of these games and I could use them in a healthy way. Other kind of kids though, that do fantasize about what all the gangsta rap paraphernalia or similar that is supposedly being sold to them as the best thing, the way to success though they are the ones that should be controlled by their parents. Ironically enough those are probably the ones with parents who just couldn't care less or that just can't reach them no matter what. I've been playing DN3D lately though and I think the misogyny annoys me even more than it did at the time, when it just made me uncomfortable... now I actively disapprove of it and I don't see what it even does there. Would I let one of my hypothetical kids play a game that is not appropriate for their age? That depends. They would have the advantage, in my opinion, of a parent that knows games and that takes them seriously and one that won't see it as a waste to do some pedagogy through games. I'd sit with them, ask them if they know what they're playing, ask what they think of it, what they find appealing, what makes them think, what they find disturbing... I'm quite sure that just approaching them in a friendly manner, showing genuine interest they would lower their defences and try to make an educated argument about it instead of trying to protect that piece of media from possible scrutiny.

I think it's also sad that there are not all that many good games for all ages as there used to be.

Well in my opinion i think a games not fun without all the content, its like you leaving out key details and emotions that gamers want to experience as well depending on what is going on, for example halo is rated m for mature, but when i played it it felt like a t for teenager game violence is not an issue all i mean just turn on the news you can get some there if your hungry enough. Not only that, but it all depends on your childs maturity level some kids are more advanced and some are a bit slow at times.

 

[Decatonkeil]

Well in my opinion i think a games not fun without all the content, its like you leaving out key details and emotions that gamers want to experience as well depending on what is going on, for example halo is rated m for mature, but when i played it it felt like a t for teenager game violence is not an issue all i mean just turn on the news you can get some there if your hungry enough. Not only that, but it all depends on your childs maturity level some kids are more advanced and some are a bit slow at times.

I think that's directed to the part where I talk about the misogyny in Duke Nukem 3D. Let me explain: I don't disapprove of the game depicting prostitution or strip tease... I don't even disapprove of cheerleaders being crushed by a giant alien. But the game also forces you to blow up alien infested "babes" who also beg you to mercy kill them if you want to advance in the game. A lot are optional but others are right there in front of a crack you have to blow up and there's no way to do it without getting them in the radius. Why are there even naked "babes" NPCs asking you to mercy kill them in DN3D? Even sex as a reward from "damsels" in distress would be miles more acceptable than that and it would fit the tone better, and it would still be very demeaning.

 

[Calistarius]

I agree with the people who think that it compleatly depends on the kid. Some kids can handle it, others can not.

I am pretty certain my parents felt I could handle playing some messed up games during the 90's, because they let me buy, or bought me, what ever game I wanted... I got Mortal Kombat 1 when I was about 13 I think.

It might be that they saw early that I was not negativly effected by stuff like that, since I was watching V (the original series from the mid 80's) when I was about 5-6, and a year or two later I saw the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" movie and "Friday the 13th", and other movies of that nature. Either that... or my parents did not give a shit (which might actually be closer to the truth XD ), and I just got lucky that I was never adversly effected by seeing stuff like that. XD

I grew pretty tired of horror movies by the mid 90's... so during the last 20 or so years I have felt that horror movies are extreamly boring. XD The only kinds I like are sci-fi horror stuff, and usually outerspace stuff... like Pandorum and simmilar movies... but I like those more due to that they are sci-fi then horror. XD

As far as I can remember I have never had a single nightmare in my life... heck even in dreams which feels like they are real, where I have been hunted by animals like bears or tigers, which I knew would eat me if they cought me, I was not scared. Heck I remember in the tiger one I flicked it on the nose one time to make it flinch, and then made my escape befor it took up the hunt again. XD

Not even after a dog bit me, in real life, on the inside of my right thigh (Waaaay to close to my junk, for comfort, like 2-3 cm below it) when I was about 6-7... not a single nightmare due to it. I was scared of dogs for a few years after, and the movie "Cujo" was a lot more scary to me then the other things i mentioned above that I saw back then. But that eventually went away and just turned into me having some respect for dogs and their capabilities, and knowing how you should and should not act around dogs.

 

[Suhiira]

"Jaws" was released just before the ship I was on at the time made it's way from the west coast to the east via the Panama Canal. We had a little time to kill when we got to the canal (always pays to arrive early just in case you run into a storm or mechanical problems) so the Captain let us have a "Swim Call" (I.e. jump off the ship). Given that the area was prime shark waters we had three "Shark Watches" (Jarheads with an M-14s) out, but the turn out for the swim was still somewhat then then enthusiastic.

 

[Žymantūnas]

I let my sister watch Cowboy Bebop and she is 9 (soon to be 10), I don't let her watch any sexual content in that cartoon, well she looks away from that anyway.