to not allow my 8yo DS to play call of duty

[mydoorisalwaysopen]

He thinks I am the most evil mother in the world. A lot of his friends are allowed to play it but I will not give in. So, AIBU?

ds is 14 and is not allowed it, although I do not kid myself he hasn't played it at friends houses.

8 is definitely too young.

I think we solved the problem for the Op anyway and her son has accepted NO now anyway.

yes we did I am just ranting now blue

I do agree totally its not a game for 8 year olds, very glad my son decided it was not for him in the end. I think the thing is they start to live it and he just sees it as a game and cant understand what the fuss is about. He has one (very intelligent) friend who cries over it regularly and they are 12!

Yes mrsjay. Rant way. A general comment was made, not just about children which is why I made the comment I did. And each time it was qualified by the comment that 8 was too young.

Chill out.

YANBU - it has violent scenes/plots.

I remember when I was younger my parents didn't let me play GTA, but when I went to my friends at 11 I played it. I was sensible luckily, but hardly think it's appropriate.

My aunt lets my 8 year old cousin play it and I think WTAF - but she's so stubborn she wouldn't listen to a word I said, so what's the point.

is there not prostitutes in GTA

Yup.

Prostitutes, gangsters, guns, arson, shooting people in the head--

Baring Manhunt, it's the worst for violence for the sake of violence I've played.

Grand Theft Auto is a disgusting game and I won't ever allow it in my house. You get extra points for pissing on dead policemen, killing prostitues - I could go on.

My DC's can't stand it either and wont play it.

There are so any great games to play you don't need to play GTA

Oh and carjacking of course, one of the most fun parts of the game the only bit I could do well.

I agree now I am an adult and don't see violence as a right of passage as it often was seen then (in a game that is, I'd never have hurt someone in RL) I find it despicable - Manhunt too.

COD isn't half as bad as that, but still not appropriate.

Now Spyro, there is a game I will always adore! :)

I don't know i'm an airy fairy person but I enjoyed being someone who wasn't me in GTA. No desire to beat up a policeman in real life, but running about stealing cars and fighting virtually is good fun (for adults).

"You get extra points for pissing on dead policemen, killing prostitues - I could go on."

Neither of these things are true, though.

There's no 'points' in the 3D GTAs at all. Nor is there a pissing mechanic.

YANBU, I wouldn't let my son play it when he's a teenager either. It's a recruitment game and the last thing I want is for him is to associate civic duty with shooting up similar young men in foreign lands.

Not a chance in hell.

We are a gaming family, lots of games here but we won't play any violent ones while the kids are around.

It isn't hard and I don't give a damn what everyone else is doing.

Minecraft is fantastic as we play it together, is like lego.

mrsjay, it isn't specifically "against the law to let them play it", is it? I know the Video Recordings Act 1984 has an exemption for supply that is neither for reward nor related to a business, but perhaps there's other legislation I'm overlooking.

Problem is, my 10 yr has been excluded to a degree as he doesn't play COD. So now his friends get together without him, his invites to their homes have dried up, he feels left out in the playground when they stand around chatting about it and gets made fun off for having the weirdo strict mum. I've stuck to my principles on COD but at his price and loads of tears. Hope it was worth it. I have relaxed recently on other more fantasy games recently (age 15). Still not too happy but hard to be a total killjoy.

No not unreasonable at all.

My son's dad lets him play a lot of older games and at his review meeting at school last week his teacher told his dad that certain games (call of duty being one of them) is a child prorection issue and if they hear of any children playing this game they have to refer the child to social servises.

You are definately NBU.

I do let the kids play Age of Empires though ... and Doom... and Castle Wolfenstein so perhaps being a total hypocrite about Call of Duty. Just something about the name irks me and it's pretty graphic. Castle Wolfenstein has a big fantasy aspect to it so feel a little less that it's a game about learning how to kill people .....

I am OK with Age of Empires as well, and DS has seen us play Skyrim.

My two favs at the moment are Skyrim and the latest Tombraider. Skyrim fine, Tombraider not fine.

DS1 doesn't seem to have been excluded because of this, they mostly all appear to play Minecraft and Pokemon.

Yeah, Minecraft is what both of mine would prefer to play too .. only on weekend though. I don't get it. A game with 80s style graphics when they have all these dazzling high resolution options in front of them that we would have salivated over.

YANBU - I don't neccessarily stick to the age ratings of games for my DC but my 8 yr old (now 10) was not allowed to play COD and still isn't - I've seen it and it's nasty.

His older brother wanted to play it when he was about 14 and I said no - that went down well . Now he's older I would let him, but he's completely lost interest in video games anyway.

That's awful Smiteyou, did you say something to the mum that let your DS play?

I love Minecraft!

It is just so calming, I build glass palaces with lots of light.

The music is hypnotic as well.