Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think games have 18 certs for a reason?

192 replies

princelypurpleparrot · 26/08/2012 22:37

Can someone please explain why a video game has an 18 cert? We're not a gaming household (our DC's are only tiny) so I have no experience. Earlier BIL came over with DN who's 10, and he'd just bought him COD which I saw was an 18.

I pointed at the cert and said "that's there for a reason, you know", and BIL just said "ooooh!" to which I just shrugged.

Like I said, I know nothing about games, but I do know that there's usually quite a big jump between a 15 and an 18 film, and I assume it's the level of violence in a game that gives it an 18 certificate?

So, AIBU to think that a 10yo shouldn't be bought an 18 cert game?

OP posts:
Somebloke · 26/08/2012 22:44

Speaking as a bloke who rather rates playing games, YANBU at all...

squeakytoy · 26/08/2012 22:45

I think with games it all depends on the maturity of the child involved. I would allow a 10yo to play it under supervision of an adult.

LindyHemming · 26/08/2012 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OneMoreChap · 26/08/2012 22:49

YANBU at all.
Female relative buys her DS all the CO/slasher games. [Moderately realistic vilence, headshots, killiing civilians, body parts & so on]
Lets him get all the 18 horror/violence DVDs

"I'm not letting him see that sex stuff". I did try and show her DS's internet history, which involved some of the searches you'd expect from a 14 year old boy (or I would anyway) but she didn't believe her baby would look at that smut.

I don't know what she thinks she washes off his sheets.

AgentZigzag · 26/08/2012 22:50

It would certainly be inappropriate for her, and I say that even though I haven't seen much of the game.

But the difference between a 12 rated film and and 18 is huge, 10 YOs just haven't had the development you need to be able to rationalise the violence and 'mature themes'.

Did she ask for it do you know? Or did he buy it for her but really for himself, it does seem an odd game to get a 10 YO girl.

Original poster
princelypurpleparrot · 26/08/2012 22:50

Some that's interesting, are they bad then?
squeaky I wouldn't consider DN to be a very mature 10yo. But surely 18 means 18 for a reason? I don't think I'd let any 10yo watch a violent 18 film even if I was there to supervise, is it not the same thing? Or am I being naive?

OP posts:
froggies · 26/08/2012 22:50

I have a 16yr old DS. I will not let him play 18+ games, or let him watch 18 films. I am sure he does at some of his friends houses, but I cannot stop that. They are 18 for a reason and I try to comply with the guidelines. He hates me for it, but the he is 16 and all restrictions are unfair as far as he is concerned.

Original poster
princelypurpleparrot · 26/08/2012 22:52

DN's choice (newphew, not niece, btw), he's played it before and knows what it's like, as does his dad (and mum).

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 26/08/2012 22:54

'I would allow a 10yo to play it under supervision of an adult. '

What things are you thinking about where 'adult supervision' would make it less distressing for a child to see squeaky?

For the adult to explain that people don't really behave that violently in real life?

For them to reassure the child that it's not real, even though it looks like it is?

To comfort them when they're frightened afterwards?

(just out of interest squeaky, how old are your children, if you have any?)

mercibucket · 26/08/2012 22:58

Almost all boys aged 9+ at our school play COD

Original poster
princelypurpleparrot · 26/08/2012 23:07

merci I'm sure they do at DN's school too, and that's probably why BIL thinks I'm being snotty by thinking that it's wrong. But that doesn't change the fact that it's an 18, so it's not meant for 9-10yo's.

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 27/08/2012 00:24

It is amazing how many children are 'more mature' because it seems that 90% of parents think their children fall into that category. A mature 9 yo is not an 18 yo.

AgentZigzag · 27/08/2012 00:59

I wonder how many parents think 'well it hasn't done them any harm, they like playing it and I can't see any effects'.

It can take a long time to see the harm that's done.

Thinking of the decision making process I had when DD1 wanted to read Twilight and The End Games, it was a case of better safe than sorry because they can't unlearn what they read.

I was happy in thinking she was ready to be able to deal with things she might find a bit scarey.

And that makes me wonder how your BIL took that decision OP, because it could never be described as an incremental scale going from 'mild peril' to 'a bit of random danger'.

Or has she been introduced to stuff like this at an inappropriate age before now?

StuntGirl · 27/08/2012 01:00

Absolutely agree mrs pratchett. I worked for years in a video game shop and virtually every child in the country is more mature than their age it would seem Hmm

StuntGirl · 27/08/2012 01:06

I once explained the content of GTA 4 to a Dad buying it for his primary school age kid. I explained it contained violence, murder, crime, drugs, prostitutes and strong language. His response? "They see and hear worse in the playground". I have no faith in the abilities of some parents to judge what is suitable for their children.

Arseface · 27/08/2012 01:23

YADNBU!
As well as the 18 level of content being similar to films, a gamer is in the role of protagonist and, rather than watching an actor rape, torture and kill, you are the one being rewarded for doing it.

Games which come with higher age rating also come with far more hooks per hour.

In a nutshell, hooks are what make the gameplay completely addictive and lead you to play for longer than you intended.
We don't know what effect this has on the developing brain - some argue it teaches persistence and not giving up.

Those of us whose ds's have Xboxes know the effect it has on maternal stress levels though!

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/08/2012 01:29

StuntGirl I wouldn't want my DD to go to that school!

AgentZigzag · 27/08/2012 01:32

And that dad would let his DC go to a school where 'violence, murder, crime, drugs, prostitutes and strong language' are the order of the day StuntGirl?

He really is more twattish than he sounds at first.

(I'd be down on the headteacher before you could say 'only fruit and water allowed at playtime' Grin)

NovackNGood · 27/08/2012 01:38

12: Suitable for ages 12 and older. May contain violence in a fantasy setting, mild bad language, mild sexual references or innuendo, or gambling. Similar to BBFC's 12 rating and ESRB's Everyone 10+ (high end) and Teen (low end) ratings.
16: Suitable for ages 16 and older. May contain explicit violence, bad language, sexual references or content, gambling, or drug use (encouragement). Similar to BBFC's 15 rating and ESRB's Teen (high end) and the Mature (low end) ratings.
18: Suitable for ages 18 and older. May contain graphic violence, including "violence towards defenseless people" and "multiple, motiveless killing", vulgar language, strong sexual content, gambling, drug use (glamorisation), or discrimination. Similar to BBFC's 18 rating and the ESRB's Mature (high end) and Adults Only ratings.

NovackNGood · 27/08/2012 01:39

So really your daily newspaper should be a PEGI 18 too

AgentZigzag · 27/08/2012 01:41

'violence..."multiple, motiveless killing", vulgar language, strong sexual content, gambling, drug use...discrimination'

All valuable skills when you're ten in an 18 rated game/film

NovackNGood · 27/08/2012 01:44

But little difference between the 12 to 18 ratings when you consider all the game images are just drawings by CGI.

AgentZigzag · 27/08/2012 02:01

Hmmm, I don't know about there being little difference between 12 and 18 ratings.

I've been OK with DD1 watching 12 rated films for the last year and she's just coming up to 12, but there's a whole lot of difference between her hearing 'shit' and seeing it implied that it hasn't stopped at a couple kissing, to someone enjoying blowtorching someones nads whilst they tell them how they tortured and murdered their wife.

Empusa · 27/08/2012 02:07

Another gamer here who agrees that the ratings are there for a reason. I can understand there being some leeway for 16 year olds, depending on the child, but 10 year olds? Fuck that.

Loggie · 27/08/2012 02:34

As a bloke who enjoys playing video games when time permits it always amazes me when I hear about kids playing games that are designed for adults.
I enjoy the GTA series of games, I find it a good thing at the end of a stressfull day to vent some frustrations. The point is that as an adult I know that none of it is real.
It infuriates me when I hear about parents who have tried to sue games developers after their children have done something stupid or violent and the parents lay the blame on hours spent playing games such as GTA. The games are rated 18 for very good reason and it is they as parents who should be either kurbing their childs playing of them or not buying it for them in the first place.
Marketing doesn't help though, there's been quite a few times I've wandered around toy shops and seen action figures and toys for kids that are taken from films that I know are rated at either 15 or 18. It just seems a bit messed up to me that kids can have toys geared towards them from films that they shouldn't even have watched. But the toy manufacturers and marketers know that no matter what age a film or video game has been rated at there will be parents who will either not mind what their child sees or will be pressured intro it because "all the other kids have seen it"

Swipe left for the next trending thread