to think that Call of Duty:Black Ops is not a suitable present on a 12 YO's wishlist?

[DowagersHump]

Just that really. It's his 12th birthday so he's only 11.

He also has Aspergers so struggles with emotional intelligence at the best of times. I can't think this is going to help.

I am hoiking my judgy pants very high. Tell me I shouldn't

There is definitely full on swearing and violence - not suitable for a 12 year old, 15 maybe.

You have a point, i was only joking around. I know they're very different games. But really, i think mums worry too much about this stuff... listenning to Marilyn Manson and playing Call of Duty will not turn you into a serial killer. 12 years old is young but it depends on the child IMO.

There's a film quote i remember, "We train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write "f**k" on their airplanes because it's obscene!".

Has your kid seen worse in film, on TV, the News, etc? I was appalled when they showed Gaddafi being shot on TV, the actual moment he got shot dead... and they even showed Saddam hanging on the news. Compared to this, i think a computer game is not so bad.

Doom = demons

Wolfenstein = Nazis

Ah I realise now I am thinking of the online one my friends DH plays. There is a lot of f and c - I didn't realise the game was different.

I knew it.

On topic, i would not buy any Black Ops game for any child or teen. My little BIL tried to get my support (as someone who plays computer games) for a similar request to his parents, and I refused.

well its an 18 because its a war game.

it has a bit of language in it and you shoot people. when you shoot people they just spray a bit of red and ragdoll to the floor. its not graphic, you do not for example see the bullet wound fly through their skull in slow motion brain gore.

12 imo is fine to play it. but not online because people online are assholes and will be abusive to your child.

So for a normal child it will be fine. it is down to you whether your child with sn will know its fantasy though.

My son has these types of games (13), As long as you can tell the difference, There shouldn't be a problem.

saints row 3 is awesome you cant get better than naked dildo smacking

I played Doom years ago - in the days before Windows :o I'm sure it was called Doom - you were underground in a load of dungeons and had to shoot nazis and german shepherds. Maybe it has become Wolfenstein now? Anyway :o

He's not my child - if he were, I'd send his list back and tell him he was having a laugh and there was No Way I would buy it for him and I wouldn't let him ask any of his relatives to buy it either.

It isn't just the actual violence of some of these games, I am not that concerned about a bit of blood and gore, it more about the intensity, addictiveness and nastiness of the games. I just find them unpleasant. The argument that they don't cause kids to grow up to be mass murderers is a bit of a red herring. I know that, but I still think there are better games for younger teens to play such Zelda(s) Final Fantasies, FIFA, etc. These games are just as much fun but not as compelling as COD etc.

Why is it so difficult to say no to kids about things like this.
DS1 and DS2 ages 17 and 19 have a blast playing COD etc. I am not knocking the games, I just don't see the point of giving them to younger teens.

Pie, I found Final Fantasy much more addictive than COD, none are as addictive as Football Manager & that's a blardy stats game...no 'gaming' involved!
Although I think the fact that you can play online with mates all the time with COD & FIFA gives them a longer life, IYSWIM?
I think it should be every sort of game in moderation (like with films, it would be boring if you watched rom-coms everyday)...depending on the child, if that makes sense?

Dowagers, Wolfenstein was the original FPS. Doom is exactly the same but with demons/great big scary bastard scarythings lurking around the corner.

It's up to the parents tbh. If they are only playing the online play I personally think its fine for 13 years plus because you can block the blood and gore from appearing and you can mute the online chat so they can't hear what other players are saying. But hey, each to their own.

I am still playing Tetris on the N64. . Bloody fantastic.