Grandtheft Auto for 11 year old DS?

[Beachhairdontcare]

DH says the reviews suggest that it is age appropriate for much younger. I read mixed reviews.
Anybody have any experience or views on this? I imagine it's an 18 for a reason....

[Pineapple1]

It's 18 for a reason.

When I find young children playing these 18 rated games I have to legally report it as a safeguarding issue.

[gingerbiscuits]

Hell, no! 18 games are 18 for a reason & that one is particularly disturbing!!

[Vulpine]

Yes reignited by a zombified grand theft auto player most likely

[vivacian]

Zombie Thread

[DebraDebra123]

I know a kid who's been playing it since she was 8 and she's fine.

[fruityb]

It doesn't glamourise anything.

[fruityb]

It's adult themed. It's quite often a satirical look at things and is tongue in cheek at others. Yes it's violent but it's not graphic and it's not disturbing (torture bit in GTA v aside). I have always enjoyed playing them but it's also never left me disturbed. Manhunt is far far worse. That notwithstanding I still wouldn't let a kid play it.

[RebootYourEngine]

What reviews dis your dh read because gta is in no way suitable for anyone under 16 at the youngest. I know someone who lets their 8yr old play it in his room by himself. I mean seriously what kind of shit parenting is that.

[doublesnap]

It depends if you want your son thinking that prostitution, robbery and violence are acceptable or not.
It's 18 so it's not suitable.

[BazilGin]

Would you let your 11 year old watch an 18 rated film? Games are often more immersive than films, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love games, especially RPGs, but we don't play 18 rated games in front of children nor do we allow them to play. Some of the lower rating I'd treat as guidance, as it depends in the child, for example Little Big Planet is 8+ rated but we let our 5 year old play it whilst we watch and offline only. GTA is a game made for adults not young children.

[Bantanddec]

I'm sure in one of the GTAs one of the weapons is a double headed dildo.

[kurlique]

No. Just plain no. Worse than war based games... normalises criminal behaviour. I got a lot of pestering from DS when he was younger for GTA games but I stuck to my guns, explaining why, and now he is nearly 18 he's not interested!! One thing I did learn over his teen years is that some of the war type games have settings so that they don't have swearing etc which is useful for appropriately aged teens as opposed to the 20-30s "big kids" who play them.

[smallchanceofrain]

It's a drive some fast cars, shoot some 'ho's kind of game. Very graphic. I've just banned 11 DS1 from going to a friends house where he was allowed to play GTA. We have constant battles about how unreasonable I am because I won't let him have games that "everyone" is playing.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

DS really wanted this when he was about 13 but as a former player myself I deemed it unsuitable in a way that the war games are not - I don't mind him playing CoD etc as he's in cadets and goes shooting anyway - and banned GTA despite the whingeing of "but everyone else has it". He's nearly 17 now and I asked him if he still wanted it the other day as it was on offer in Game. He said he thought it was crap and he wasn't fussed about it, didn't want me to waste my money.

[harderandharder2breathe]

Yeah cause ratings are just for other people

Not appropriate for anyone imo, but certainly not anyone under 18. Adults can make their own choices

[Allthebestnamesareused]

No no no and no!

My son has asked for it every year since he was 13. It is now a family joke that he still asks for it every Christmas and I still won't buy it. He is 25 (and actually has bought his own copy) but as I said he waits for his annual NO!

[CaseyAtTheBat]

Minecraft is violent too as it mostly revolves around killing sprees and destruction
Maybe the way your kid plays it! Certainly not the case in this house.

[keeplooking]

Wait til he's sixteen at least so he can absorb the important political subtext being presented.

[Limitededition7inch]

DH and I are big gamers. It is a no from both of us I'm afraid. And I say that as a massive GTA fan.

[RainyDayBear]

Could your DH have read reviews of the original GTA? That one probably was just about okay for a mature 11 year old. The new one obviously isn't!

[ImCatbug]

I work in a gaming store and the number of parents who buy this for kids under 10 is shocking. I am an incredibly lenient person when it comes to ratings on games, I think a lot of ratings are excessive and I'm against censorship and I've been playing games my whole life (and I played the original GTA game when I was 6!) but GTAV is in a whole other league to 99% of games (including other 18 rated ones).
If people want to buy it for their kid, that's up to them, but I always ask them if they are aware of the content first and let them know it includes theft, violence, murder, sex, drugs and torture. I would never reccomend it for anyone under 15/16.

[SamanthaUnkim]

Have kept half an eye on DH playing GTA and defo 18+ or at least > 16

The torture scene was supposed to shock "adult" players into thinking about what is being done routinely ( on their behalf ) by the western governments in real life.

[dietcokeandwine]

I am generally guided by my DH (long term avid gaming fan and regular player of many games, board and computer based) on what games are suitable for our DS1, aged 12.

GTA is the one game DH is adamant will never cross the threshold of our house. Not ever.

Games he is happy for ds to play include Guild Wars II, Skyrim and Overwatch.

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Treat computer game ratings like you would film ratings. If you wouldn't let DC watch an 18 don't let them play it. Not seen the latest but in previous you could go to strip clubs/ hook up/ beat people to death and generally be a 'gangsta'.

[Railgunner1]

Not a good idea. Assassins Creed maybe? Skyrim? Fallout?