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....

I don't even like DP playing it, and I'm the least prudish person ever. It's just horribly unnecessary violence and misogyny.

Thanks for the comments. Sorry, should have mentioned that DH doesn't play computer games of any description, he read some online reviews (massively out of date ones and questionable IMO) that suggested the rating was a little harsh. Clearly not!
I think as a PP suggested, it has come about as friends of DS have older brothers who play GTA, hence the request. Well, request denied.

It depends on your child. I was given GTA at 13 and I've turned out alright, but my mum knew I was mature enough to handle it, and it was given to me on the understanding that if my behaivour were to decline, it would be taken away from me.

GTA is a big game with a lot more to it than just the horror stories, but violence is definitely a part of it to take into account.

Although I was playing it quite a few years ago now, before online gaming was really a thing. If the specific game is GTAV, which has a big online component, I would definitely steer your 11yo away, unless you are going to monitor his behaivour every time he plays. 11yo's in games with online chat never ends well.

User, I played GTA as a child too but it is worlds away from the game it is now. Yes the basics are the same but it's so much more interactive now. It's not okay for kids.

GTAV is very different in terms of violence from some of the earlier ones. I couldn't bring myself to play the torture scene.

It is absolutely not suitable for children for many many reasons

If he has a PS4, my DS has really enjoyed Star Wars Battle Front and Uncharted 4. Both of which are rated 16 but maybe do deserve the idea that the ratings are a little OTT, unlike GTA. Battlefront is a shooting game which, like it or not, they want to do at this age of they've already played a lot of games, but very abstract, no gore, just like being in the star wars movies and no sex. Uncharted 4 is a great adventure game with no sex and little violence, the only reason I can see that it has a 16 rating is for swearing. We've played it all the way through and it's rarely more than oh shit and no c words or anything. If he's ready to move up from children's games I'd start with those, if any.

He spends most of his time playing FIFA of course .....

User, I played GTA as a child too but it is worlds away from the game it is now. Yes the basics are the same but it's so much more interactive now. It's not okay for kids.

The 18 certificate is a bit harsh but a 15 certificate would be too lenient. But 11, seriously? If you wouldn't allow your 11-year-old to watch A Serbian Film or The Human Centipede or Shortbus then there is no way you should allow him to play GTA.

(If you've never seen any of those films, keep it that way... they're all shit.)

I've played it. Certainly wouldnt let 10 year old DD play it.

I have played gta since the beginning. This one is not in the same league as the earlier versions. There wasn't the same amount of violence as in this one. The torture scene really is graphic and it's part of the game play. Unlike an earlier scene with the same character and he kicked someone's head in which has the option of skipping.
Some parents delude themselves and say oh but my child just drives around listening to the radio, which is an option. But it's not just music, the other day one of the radio stations were talking about pussy and not the four legged type.

I have the game in the house and an 11 year old. He doesn't play nor is he in the room or indeed have access as it's on a different console to what he has access to.

GTA is violent albeit silly at times. You don't actually have to do as much as people think but in terms of language and content it's not appropriate for youngsters. I also wouldn't advise Uncharted as it's still shooting lots of people and blowing them up! It might not have some of the bad language but still not wholly appropriate. Yes you can hire a prostitute and shoot her to get your money back but you don't HAVE to. I've played GTA 3, 4 and 5 as well as San Andreas and Vice city and I have never done that. They're kind of anti heros and it's quite funny in places - but not for youngsters. I also don't find it misogynistic, you can kill as many men as you can women. In fact more of them.

I also wouldn't put it on a par with A Serbian Film ever. I used to play GTA for ages where I did taxi missions or fire truck ones!

A no from me too.

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

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.