to feel scared for our girls when kicking prostitutes in a video game

[Duckierub]

gets you more points.

Did anyone see the program about women's roles in video games? I was utterly horrified when I saw the imagery of how women are portrayed as sexual objects and kicking female prostitutes to get your money back earned you points. I was also shocked that the teen girls interviewed said it was normal for them to be molested by boys.



AIBU to think that we should be campaigning against some of this stuff?

[britbat]

LOL, are we really now onto a campaign for equal opportunities prostitute fucking and beating... why isn't LGBTQ* psycopathy properly represented in GTA!?

[JCDenton]

Everyone knkws that Saints Row is the true bastion of transgender gaming ;-) Be whatever, wear whatever, shag whoever. Except the Vice President. He doesn't want to make things weird.

Glad of the New Vegas mention, it's my favourite game ever. The sex bot (F.I.S.T.O) mission is one of the funniest moments in gaming. It's a slice of wacky as hell in a pretty bleak game.

[DrFunkesFamilyBandSolution]

I love fallout! Biggest complaint about 3/nV is you can't continue the game after completing the final misson! Never tried the final misson on NV because of it. How can they make Elder Scrolls so perfect yadda yadda.

Forgot my point earlier; there are many adult games on the market with 'controversial' themes or scenes yet the only ones ever discussed by non gamers are COD & GTA.
There are some terrifying/depressing games out there (dead space, bio shock, last of us, dark souls etc) but no non-gamer ever seems concerned with their child playing something freaky, really hard or with sad story lines (wells up at Red Dead again, sob)!

[JCDenton]

The final mission is ace, do it but keep a save just before.

I do feel sad, in a way, that as soon as games aimed at adults are mentioned, it's straight onto GTA and prostitutes. Other great, less controversial games like the ones you mentioned (I'd add Spec Ops, Deus Ex, Metal Gear, Mass Effect...) never really get recognised for their greatness. I feel like on here it's never really recognised what a game can offer, it's just a sliding scale from less objectionable to more objectionable.

[unrealhousewife]

I find it strange that you can have real life sex at the age of 16 legally but you can't look at pictures of it until you're 18.

[Ludoole]

Unrealhousewife, I find it strange too....

[unrealhousewife]

This is poignant because I've just been stomping up and down stairs all evening while dd is in her room with her boyfriend, both 16. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right and doesn't mean it's happening under my roof - but it's probably better than either of them going online and getting involved in random fantasy weird stuff. It's an interesting dilemma to be in. I feel like some kind of bodyguard but I'm not quite sure what I'm trying to protect.

[SpamTroll]

I'm ok with my teens having sex in real life as long as it's within a long term relationship. I wouldn't be ok if they asked to watch some porn.

I think porn is disgusting but I don't think sex is. I don't think that's weird.

[TillyTellTale]

Dragon Age, Mass Effect. Everything created by Bioware is brilliant.

The point of playing those, for the uninitiated, is quite similar to that of reading a good book. They were like Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novels, with huge amounts of depth to the characters, and the ability to strategise for battles, and participate in and influence the outcome of the battles.

[Isabeller]

What?!!

[EggsFlorentine]

After reading the thread, I think the big conclusion is parents need to be better educated about games. An 18+ game really should be only for adults, and if parents aren't aware of that then some kind of education needs to happen.

I would say thought that it's a little frustrating to see people talk about video games and immediately only think of Grand Theft Auto. I don't play GTA, but I do play many other games, and I feel sad having a hobby of mine reduced to one non-representative example.

[mindthegap79]

I'd back a campaign - gta is appalling and many parents are woefully blasé about 18 certificates.

[Morloth]

I judge parents who allow their children to access violent video games harshly, very harshly.

When DS1 has a bitch that he isn't allowed to play COD or GTA I tell him I won't let him because I love him and when he whines that someone elses' mum will I tell him that maybe their parents don't love him as much as we do.

If he repeats that, good because it is the truth.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this stuff is bad for kids, so people must just not give a damn.

I am an old school gamer, we play online all the time on MMOs. I have never encountered any negativity for being a female gamer, if anything they get a bit excited that there is a 'girl' and now a bit of a 'mumsy' type playing with them. In MY guild if your mum asks you to put out the bins you bloody well go and do it and we wait for you.

I don't play with twats though, I have a one strike and you are out deal with twats online, much the same as real life come to think of it, except real life doesn't come with an 'ignore' option.

[BertieBotts]

Porn isn't exactly "pictures of sex" though is it? Most porn that you easily find for free on google (which is where most teenagers are looking for it) is degrading, extreme and violent. Not really the same as your average experience of losing your virginity.

Plus the age of consent doesn't mean that you're not allowed to have sex before that age. It just means the law doesn't deem you capable of making an informed and able choice before that age.

I'd be happy to talk about other games. It's just the thread was started about GTA.

[SpamTroll]

As an aside the other reason that 18 rated games are unsuitable for younger kids is the style of play. Regardless of the content the games can be to intense, difficult and 'addictive' for younger teens. I suspect that is what makes some teens so agitated after playing them rather than the violent content.

[Fleta]

Actually as well I find the comparison to porn unhelpful because of my fundamental issues with the porn industry in terms of subjugating women.

I still find it baffling that because SOME parents aren't willing to do the right thing and make sure their children are playing age appropriate games, then entire games that many adults enjoy should be banned?

[BubbleButt79]

I've had an argument with friends, about their 8 year old playing COD and GTA, because I refused to let my 8 year old play it when he was visiting.
These games have an age rating for a reason - GTA is an 18 because of the content, being very sweary and graphic.
Kids can't be blamed for playing them, the parents can be blamed for getting them for the kids in the first place.

I enjoy games like GTA, Batman etc, but make sure that these are well out of the way when my son wants to go on the xbox, then he can crack on with his Lego games etc.

[jellybeans]

'When DS1 has a bitch that he isn't allowed to play COD or GTA I tell him I won't let him because I love him and when he whines that someone elses' mum will I tell him that maybe their parents don't love him as much as we do.'

Wow, I would never say that about anyone regardless of my beliefs!!

All depends on your concept of childhood really, is it a time of innocence where children need protecting from 'adult issues' or is it a time of preparation for adulthood and trusting children/young people to make their own judgements? The same thing applies to 'teen books' such as Melvin Burgess's Junk or books about sex/drugs etc as there are plenty for teens.

Saying that, I agree in general that games (and most media) is far too sexist and violent. I think page 3 and lads mags and strip joints are partly to blame. Porn has seeped into the mainstream. How the hell can women be equal when they are still paraded as sex objects and have it drummed into them that the only thing that matters is how sexually attractive you are to men? Women will never be truly equal while this kind of thing exists.

We have been given many games by a relative and that includes GTA5 and other such games. Some have 'extra strip/sex scenes avaliable' according to the box! Those have never been played by any of us, I just haven't had time to get rid of. I don't let my 11 year old boys play GTA etc. They are happy with Minecraft luckily. But almost all their friends play these games and when they were 10 they went to a sleepover and the mother let them play GTA and COD etc.

My 14 year old daughter plays it at a friends and that doesn't really bother me too much (I would rather they played something else). Same friend watches 'game of Thrones' but luckily DD doesn't.

I don't think much can be done to stop these games as they are 18 although am sure the company know full well kids will play it.

I don't think badly of people that let older kids play it because it is their choice and probably most their friends will play it. Also too many parents try to be 'friends'these days rather than strict. I know i watched 18 films well before that age. And also it is a game and not real life and I think most people understand that although i worry that disturbed young people may try act it out or something!!

[enderwoman]

Wasn't there a GTA game called something like The Ballad of Gay Tony where you work for a boss called Gay Tony?

[JCDenton]

I've seen films with much more graphic and bleak content than GTA and know of others that exist that are even worse. I don't buy that the content of games is worse than film.

[JCDenton]

Enderwoman Yes. None of the characters in that DLC were 'good guys' but he was probably the most sympathetic of the lot.

[jellybeans]

JCDenton what age would you let your kids play GTA?