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

[bettymoody]

or is it really not that bad?

So people like me who watched really violent films as a child (I used to stay up watching action films with my dad - robocop well loved by me at 5) feel a bit like they have no sense of shock in entertainment?

I'm totally desensitized to films/games. Not to real life, the news makes me cry regularly. But my sense of empathy about violence in fiction is just totally non-existant.

Can't decide if that's good or terrible!

I'm similar LaWeaselMys, I can watch a horror film now and it doesn't bother me but I don't actually like them much anymore. I find them predictable and a bit daft. I really hate the "saw" variety which seems to have no storyline other than "lets see how messed up a person can get before they die".

I love drama films now, strong story lines, emotional stuff, stuff that makes you think.

I do get emotional at the news, NSPCA/RSPCA/RedCross adverts though - because they're real.

NSPCC even!

"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!"

A poster up thread asked the boys that were playing it, what was going on. The boys replies that the prostitute was being raped. I agree it does show the mindset of the player, and I'm not surprised that poster then took the game off them.

It's an absolute disgrace that parents allow this, IMO. My DH has one of these games and I can safely say my children will go nowhere near them until old enough. Children of 13/14 and younger should not be subjected to the violence and gore depicted in some of these games. Sure, they might not go on to kill someone, but doesn't the fact that will become even slightly desensitized to such extreme violence worry you?

I'm a little bit that some mners have come on to defend GTA, and to say there's no rape, the prostitute has been paid for.
Does that make it ok? Are you still not shocked that young children play this game?
I would never buy Ds any game that had realistic murder, crime etc in it at all, as he would be the one doing the shooting. How can that teach him anything, and I really don't get why so many think it's ok.

And for the record, even when he's 18, Ds will not have any of these games in the house, as he has younger siblings, and it's my house and therefore my choice that these games are not played!

The 'pester power' thing is bollocks too. Who is the parent? Perhaps if more of said no they would be no more 'so and so's got it'?!

Especially at such a young age LeninGrad.

It effects my DH's mood when he's been playing on it too much. He's 34.

Same. I still watch Scream and Supernatural etc because I love all the jokes, but apart from that I am horror'd out. Too obvious.

If something has an 18 certificate, then any parent who buys it for their child is an idiot (putting it mildly) as far as I'm concerned.

Both myself and DH are gamers, and aren't daft enough to think all computer games are for kids. In fact there are more games for adults nowadays, it's bigger business. It's a long time since computer games were the sole domain of children.

I'm not defending GTA, I don't let my kids on it either - I'm simply saying that there is no RAPE in the game and yes, raping a prostitute is obviously worse than paying her for what she is offering!! Prostitution is totally legal in some countries, it should be here too then maybe less of them would be drugged up, raped and murdered - in REAL life.

It's all very hideous and it's all very odd. I don't know what to think because I have never had any interest in game playing (and am too old) and barely even watch tv. It's possibly all too new for us to really know what the long term effects will be, I seem to remember lots of fears about psychos when videos started appearing (shows age).

My ds loves playing cod6, but he also plays music, is all round academic, plays rugby, does athletics, is a devoted reader and has lots of friends, and he is a really sweet and kind boy.

What does it all mean?

But absolutely agree re any violence against women, sexual or otherwise, unless they are equal enemies, and then still not sexual.

That is not a sentence I ever imagined typing

Fructus - I know rape and prostitution are different, but what I'm not understanding is how parents of young dc think it's ok for them to play games which involve prostitution.
I've certainly never spoken to Ds about prostitutes, and won't until he's old enough to understand the INS and outs (if you'll pardon the pun :o)
(or maybe I'll wait for Babette Cole to write a book about it, she'll explain it far better than I ever could)

Should also have said that I don't understand why parents of young dc would let them watch gratuitous violence either!

KerryMumbles - I have to say I saw the other (more positive) thread about this game, and your comment about getting it for your DS 'to toughen him up' made me feel a bit sick. I meant to comment on it but got distracted.

Oh FFS it's not a shoot em up, you want a shoot em up look up Deathsmile, it's an FPS first person shooter.

The main reason why you shouldn't be buying it isn't because it's 18 rated and you're kid isn't old enough it's because you're kid is a brat who needs to learn he/she can't get everything he/she wants by shouting about it, that leads to them being right little shits in later life.

And never buy a game now for christmas they get cheaper fast you wanna save money not give it to Activision, every time you line Bobby Kotick s pocket a independent developer dies, do you want that? do you want a world of COD and Guitar Hero 764, instead of Deadly Premonitions, No More Heroes and ICO well do you?.

Some people make weird decisions.

I might be desensitized to fictional violence, because of exposure to violent films at a young age. But not to RL, or to have turned into a super-violent thug.

I know I will be more strict than my parents were because tbh, i'd rather not be desensitized. But for example with 18s I might let a 16yo play it, but everyone else in the room would have to be 16 also (which with only 1 tv in the house might be tricky) and it would depend on the game. GTA would be a strict 18 because I'm not keen on it.

I don't think I was saying any of the GTA series were wonderful games. I was correcting a factual inaccuracy.

Frankly, if there was more factual knowledge about games out there, maybe many people wouldn't have been letting their children play GTA games. Ya know?

At the moment the attitudes among parents seem to be either "all games are harmless fun" or "all games are evil, mysogynistic threats to my child's psyche".

Different games are... different. Bit like books and films, actually. I wouldn't let a eight year old read The Story of O, or The Russian Decameron. But I'd let him or her read Watership Down. See where I'm going with this?

I don't like GTA. But GTA is a sight better than an actual rape game. And a couple exist. Although you won't find them licensed for sale in Game or any other British games store.

Sod GTA, Red Dead Redemption FTW.