to wonder why youd have COD black ops for kids way under 18?

[bettymoody]

or is it really not that bad?

loftylorrie - I hope you are not implying that I have made up a story?? Because I can assure you that YOU are wrong.

I did not witness the actual act of rape on screen in the game but the shaking of the car left me with no doubt as to what was happening and when I questioned the lads as to what was happening one of them piped up that the character was being raped. I take Waxalotti's point that it could have been paid for as I know that teen lads are prone to bragging!

Nevertheless my point remains the same that age ratings should be paid attention to. My ons IS now 18 so can play any game he likes and I still don't like most of the ones he plays.

It's a bloody noisy game that's all I say ....Have chosen to remove myself from front room when DH is playing it....and it defnitely doesn't go on until the kids are in bed!

Why does anyone over 18 play computer games?

Why does anyone over 18 watch telly, go out to the cinema or attend a footie match (dressed in team colours, forsooth)? These are all unproductive activities. What is the point of Sudoku? Why keep tropical fish? Why go round to the pub, paying too much for a (needless) glass of beer, and chat with a bunch of people you may or may not have much in common with?

Answer: because it's fun, and as long as your chores get done, why the hell shouldn't you?

Yes DH thinks its fun too....but he doesn't like the headset - so it's also too damn loud !

the shaking of the car left me with no doubt as to what was happening and when I questioned the lads as to what was happening one of them piped up that the character was being raped.

Then he was wrong and has a more than shaky grasp on basic economics by the sound of it. Does he think he's stolen something when he buys it from a shop too?

Anyway, yeah, like booze, films etc, if kids are having them bought for them it's not the fault of the product but the person supplying them to the kid.

Books have no certification at all and yet American Psycho makes GTA appear on a par with Super Mario Galaxy. Thank god our kids don't read, eh...?

I wish they would limit online games like COD to over 18s in full time employment. I can't compete against kids who spend 10 hours a day every day playing this game when I would spend about one hour everyother week if I get a chance and I wouldn't even waste my money on buying the game now even though I want to desperatley!

The big issue with the rise of online muti-player games is the amopunt of practice you need to put in before you enter the online version otherwise you'll just get your bum handed to you repeatedly by kids in Utah and Moscow who've been up three days solid playing it.

Being an unsociable sod I don't have that problem.

"Why does anyone over 18 play computer games?"

The assumption that if they are games they are intended for children is very outdated and uninformed.

Gaming is mainstream entertainment that over 30% of the UK population participates in. The average gamer is 23+.

If your child is interested in games you should take an interest in them and make sure you are making informed decisions as to whether or not they should be playing a particular game.

You might not agree with DamselInDisgrace's decision to let her DC play 18 rated games, but at least hers is an informed one.

I don't know what I think, but ds, 13, does play these games (online) but with rl friends.

YANBU, although it's not as bad as some and IMO it's not as gruesome as some of the "Shoot 'Em Up" games that you can see in arcades. The ones with the Zombies in the ten pin bowling place comes to my mind (don't know what it's called but it's quite frightening).

"Why would anyone over 18 want to play video games?"

You got me! Ask DH and all his saddo gang mates. He is 27!

I was watching horror films at 11. I actually think that the age should be lowered to 16. I would buy my 16 year old the game no problem. At that age they are old enough.
Correct me if I am wrong but can you not join the army at 16? If you can then why can't you play a game about it?

i think the army link is rather misleading.

Sorry but you can't "rape" anyone in GTA. Lots of people say this, to try and make the game sound worse than it is but it is impossible to rape anyone.

Yes you can pay a prostitute to get into your car and then see the car shaking around. The prostitute then automatically leaves afterwards. If the player is that way inclined, they can then get out of the car too and shoot the prostitute character (like they can any other character in the game). But to say you "raped and then killed" a prostitute in GTA is rather down to the mindset of the player than the game itself!

I allow my kids on some 18 games. My eldest is very academic, never been in a fight in his life (you can't really class being beaten up by the school bully as a "fight") and refused to join rugby because it was "too rough". I can't see him turning into a psycho anytime soon.

My youngest - bit of a live wire - doesn't have as much free rein as the eldest but yeah I let him play the odd 18. Black Ops is one he's after but I'll decide on that when I've seen the content.

My kids are 12 and 10.

Oh forgot to say, when I was 9 my favourite film was Nightmare on Elm Street. Infact - I was obsessed with it and collected the entire series.

I never did get the urge to run around stabbing people - quite suprising really

its the quiet nerdy ones you need to watch imo

'Yes you can pay a prostitute to get into your car and then see the car shaking around. The prostitute then automatically leaves afterwards. If the player is that way inclined, they can then get out of the car too and shoot the prostitute character (like they can any other character in the game). But to say you "raped and then killed" a prostitute in GTA is rather down to the mindset of the player than the game itself!'

Oooh how fabulous!

I never said I was a fan of the game - I find it quite boring and much prefer Fable 2/3. The over-exagurating of the prostitute stuff needs correcting though.

I am pretty lax with ratings. But since 18s are generally a big step up in terms of well, everything, I probably wouldn't be ok with dc playing/watching until they're 16 and worldly enough to have heard it all before anyway.

For me it's not that I think my children will suddenly think murder is ok if they play a violent game, it's just that I'd rather their introduction to murder etc was in a more balanced context, ie news, books, talking.

Will probably have a fight with DP about it though since he is even more casual than me.

Betty, I'll worry if he buys a trench coat.

Oh he listens to emo too - he's blantenly a closet serial killer.

I was watching horror films at 10.

It is not games or films that turn people into psychos. It is the person. A 16 year old who plays GTA isn't going to go out robbing and shooting people suddenly. If he does then he was always going to do it anyway.
There was a study done a few years back about it

I agree OliveRamsay

I mean, lets be honest - it must take a pretty messed up person to go and shoot someone because they saw it on a computer game.

Same with music Vs suicide. You cannot tell me that little Johnny Blogs committed suicide because he listened to My Chemical Romance. Surely logic must prevail and suggest that little Johnny Blogs had a serious mental problem BEFORE he started listening to some band?