to think games have 18 certs for a reason?

[princelypurpleparrot]

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?

I agree that it does depend a bit on the child. Not sure some people are responsible enough or knowledgeable enough to distinguish whether their child will be at risk.

Would still argue there's a heap of difference between games we played and video games - the very things that make video games enjoyable and addictive are things that young brains are susceptible too.

Films are another thing - in films you watch the action. You may be invited to feel happy when a baddy is killed, but at least you aren't the one doing the killing.

Titty - none of what I'm talking about is conscious decision making "ooh that looks fun I want to go out and kill". We are talking about unconscious pychological and physiological processes.

psychological

Duck Hunt......Grand Theft Auto.

Bit like comparing a catapult with a machine gun.

Not sure some people are responsible enough or knowledgeable enough to distinguish whether their child will be at risk.

But you can argue that for anything.

I just haven't came across any clear cut unbiased evidence that playing video games is at the root of the problems that this thread seems to be suggesting such asmore prone to being violent. I can only go by what I enounter in my everyday life, and that is children/people that i know who have rough/aggressiveness/violent tendencies are that way because of many things, mostly an unstable and neglectful childhood. Perhaps some of them did play video games, but had they not, id be very doubtful whether this would have had any impact. I know a whole generation of children who have played/are playing these video games (bearing in mind that gta came out about 98) that are now just ordinary young adults making their way in the world. No different from anyone else.

Then perhaps you should read some of the very large number of scientific studies that prove you wrong, since they know a lot more about it than you.

Or use common sense, that surely suggests that 10 year olds don't need to shoot and rob hookers for fun, in a very realistic game play.

I am a gamer. I pay attention to game ratings.

There's a lot of difference between Duck Hunt (which I liked) and a modern first person shooter.

Same as there's a big difference between shooting plates, and actual fox hunting.

Oh, it's a bit like there's a huge difference between "and then the dragon ate the naughty princess up", and a long set of paragraphs detailing the agony of being eaten alive.

10 year olds don't need to shoot and rob hookers for fun

no i suppose they dont, but they have been playing versions of goodies and baddies since time immortal.

in a very realistic game play

but its not realistic is it. Its a cartoon made of pixels on a screen. If a child can't distinguish this then fair play, they shouldn't be playing computer games full stop.

There are heaps of scientific studies out there, and im know i could find plenty that equally discounts that playing video games makes children more violent.

Wasn't it music that used to be the focus of this attention, and now its video games.

If its an unconscious psychological thing, then it wouldn't make a difference what that person was killing, be it a cute furry animal or a very well drawn character, the implication would surely be on the killing?

It is very realistic, now, are you kidding? They are totally lifelike. You couldn't find heaps more studies, because the weight of evidence points one way, not the other.

Music? Now I know you haven't a notion what you are talking about.

If you can't tell the difference between boys playing cowboys and indians with sticks, and playing first person, blood and gore filled, with violent, sexual, homophobic, racist and illegal activity filled imagery in incredibly realistic imagery then you shouldn't be in charge of small children at all.

I am astounded that this is completely obvious to all. This is why they need to put the age ratings on, because moronic parents can't work this out for themselves.

Titty have you actually seen/played a game on a console recently as a cartoon they certainly aren't....

Books are made of print and paper. The content can still give us nightmares.

Anyone played the computer game version of Dante's Inferno? Yes, there really is a computer game. it's an 18, naturally. Quite disturbing at times, it was...

that this isn't completely obvious. (babies causing typos)

I'm going to find a screen shot from a game manufactured for a modern graphics card...

yes, i have a 360 and a ps3. Yet to play a game that i confused with reality, because the graphics were that good.

Grand Theft Auto V. These are promotional screenshots of it, before it's released.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/gta-v-does-the-business-in-latest-batch-of-screenshots-8081066.html?action=gallery&ino=3

I give up, I leave you to your wilful obtuseness. Go rob some pimps online with your toddlers, what do I care?

Titty, have you ever seen a black and white horror film as a child?

I have. Had nightmares about ghouls for ages. Yet it was quite clear it wasn't real. Ghouls aren't real, and the tv was in black and white. Still was scared.

Breivik claims that he 'trained' for his massacre using Call of Duty. Apparently armies use it for training too. I'm guessing that they consider it to be fairly realistic.

Article here

My 11 year old ds plays CoD. I am not thrilled about it, and personally I would never have let it in the house. Unfortunately, my DH says it is OK - and that seriously weakens my ability to police this. However, I would NEVER allow his to play Grand Theft Auto.

BUT I have softened towards CoD because I can't actually see the difference between playing at guns and armies (a usual part of boyhood) and shooting figures on the screen. This research seems to bear it out
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1383256/Playing-football-games-computers-makes-aggressive.html

One technical point regarding GTA games and "just doing the driving bits".

You can actually do that. I just think it's unlikely that many young people want it just for the "driving bits"!

GTA games are worlds where you have lots of options, but you don't have to use them. You can drive your car carefully, obeying all traffic laws. Or you can repeatedly crash into other cars. In which case you will be chased for miles by police officers.

You can get into a car with a sex worker, and make it rock about. Or you can choose not to approach the character.

On a lighter note, you could use your copy of GTA (WITH SUPERVISION!) to allow a vehicle-mad five-year-old to drive a big yellow truck or a police car up and down. Or you could go around on a bicycle, and repeatedly carjack SUV drivers. (That example stolen from a former MNer.)

I think if you start buying your 10 year old 18 games where do you draw the line? They want to watch an 18 film or porn? How can they not then be "mature" enough for that? Or smoke and drink? They are mature enough to make an informed choice about playing an 18 game so surely they are able to choose to do those.

Or maybe they are not mature at all, they are 10 yo's who shouldn't be playing gruesome and sexist games.

Starlady is your son playing call of duty in the single-player storyline, or online with random people?

If the former, check the settings. I think yoou can adjust them for the more grisly cut scenes.

If the latter, be aware that he could be hearing very nasty terms from the other players.

Just because they're called 'games' doesn't mean they're all suitable for children. Think of them like movies, you wouldn't want your children to see films with sex and violence in presumably?