to not let my 12yr old play GTA?

[Knitjob]

I can’t find any recent threads in this, is it not really an issue any more?
I remember an outcry when it first came out, with it being full of violence, sexual violence, offensive language etc. But I haven’t heard much said about it for a while.
My 12 yr old wants to play it and my instinct says no.
He tells me everyone else plays it, the language is not so bad, you can avoid the bad bits, etc etc.
It’s hard to read reviews online because some of the seem to have been written by kids parented get t9 be adults, it’s hard to be sure they are genuine reviews.

So am I the worst mother ever to say no to this game?

I wouldn't let a 12 year old play GTA. I think the age should be 16+ (too many games are 18+ for no good reason...I don't own a single xbox game that isn't an 18+ and I would consider most of them suitable for 16+).

GTA is one series I think deserves its 18+ rating purely because of its content even though I would hypocritically agree that I would be fine with a mature 16 year old playing it. The ones that don’t contain “realistic” violence could get away with being 16+, God of War for example.

One particular bit is the amount of violence towards sex workers that has become pretty accepted as an integral part of the game. There’s pretty much a whole subculture of “killing hookers” within the game that everyone seems to gratuitously engage in.

Very different to say straight up shooting games like battlefield etc. where it can almost be thought of as historical and vaguely educational like a war movie. There really needs to be a difference in classifications as both are currently 18s.

Nope. It's horrible

There’s pretty much a whole subculture of “killing hookers” within the game that everyone seems to gratuitously engage in

That is simply untrue and an argument I have seen levelled at this series. You can kill any single adult person walking around, hooker or not but everyone seems to focus on the fact that you can kill a sex worker. “Everyone” does not gratuitously engage in killing prostitutes when playing this game

Mine can play it when they're old enough to buy it and have their own place to play it in. And I'd still be disappointed in them if they did.

I'm sure there are lots of artful, well-crafted, exciting games that don't involve violent and misogynistic content, and if there aren't (I am not a gamer at all, so don't know), there are certainly people with the capability and imagination to create them.

My kids already know that GTA will never come under our roof. The subject came up when my 10yo mentioned that some of his classmates at his former primary school had played it I'm guessing that may not be true - playground talk and looking over older siblings' shoulders - but any exposure to it at that age is bad enough.

@MuttsNutts

Fair enough. Those are indeed my words!

I’ll explain why I regard GTA V as a sublime piece of art, despite containing some really quite unsavoury content.

It came out when my wife was pregnant with our first. I bought it very much in the knowledge that it would be my last big bash of gaming before I became a dad and wouldn’t have time any more. It was a real “victory lap” for my 30-odd years of being a gamer.

I threw myself in. The funny dialogue. The varied gameplay. The vivid, huge, meticulously constructed world of the game. The pitch-perfect satire of American popular culture. The social commentary on the capitalism and economics. The ability to just abandon my morals and ethics and engage in utter harmless hedonism. The incredible soundtrack.

I barely play games now. I’ve got three young kids. But in rare occasions, if I have the house to myself, I’ll load up GTA V. And I’m back in the sun-kissed dystopic clockwork world. I can just drive up the coast listening to tunes. Or take part in a car race. Or nick a helicopter and fly through the mountains. Or just go totally postal and kill lots of pedestrians until the police finally overpower me. On these rare bouts of gaming I’m back in my pre-dad years. Life is simple again.

It’s an amazing piece of art, problematic or not. To a 12 year old they’re not going to see the satire. Or the fact that it’s protaganaists are pathetic man-children. Or the hundreds of references to popular culture. They’ll just see “kill the hooker” or “shoot the cop”.

It’s more than that. It’s a satire on the excesses of popular culture, particularly American popular culture. And, yes, also a chance to engage in utter virtual amorality.

It’s vile in the same way that a lot of art is vile. But it’s also so much more than that.

Mansplained like a pro.

I did let my then underaged son play all the GTA games,after a neighbor who was looking after him let him play first without asking. The vast at his primary school played, usually because of older family members. This was maybe twelve years ago. I let him play,but commented on the sexism. It made him really uncomfortable. I walked in on the cut scene in one of them about papping a movie star having anal sex over a picnic table. Not just sex,anal sex. He was mortified. I gave him a chat about how I wouldn't have minded outdoor sex, the point was to humiliate her. It opened a few doors I think he would have preferred stayed shut. But I'm glad I got to get him to question the way women are represented in games and porn. He gave up games of his own accord at about 15.

No the DCs know it will never be allowed in our house. Eldest is 12, has asked in the past but knows it's non negotiable. I know a few of his friends have it bit certainly not all. My 19yo gamer nephew plays all sorts but won't entertain GTA.

@Tessliketrees

Was that directed at me?

If so, how do you mean?

Oh good god no, definitely not for anyone under 18.
That said, it's an awesome game, stunning attention to detail. I bought it for my son for Christmas when it came out, but he was 22 at the time!

San Andreas and Vice City aren't as bad as V and IV. So I'd possibly let someone younger than 18 play those ones.

As a gamer who has been gaming since the age of 5, and have 30 years of gaming under my belt, and as a teacher with many years experience in children playing guitar games, you'd be nuts to let a 12 year old play GTA.

A lot of games have high age ratings because of the online game play - people who play online can obviously use bad language, prey on children and be general arseholes. Some 18 games are suitable for younger children if the online aspect is policed.

Plus, GTA is a shit game. I've always said you have to be a little bit lacking to enjoy playing it, plus it's usually played by a certain "type" of person. Plenty of other amazing games they can play at 12.

No, I would not allow my son to play that game. I'm an experienced gamer and absolutely love playing on games.
But GTA is very violent and has scenes of sex in, strip clubs, prostitutes being picked up and performing services etc.
I absolutely would not let my son play it, as it can be disturbing.
My son and his friends play games that are in a much older age range than them. They play on line etc. If you know about games, you can use your discretion as to what games they play.
I judge each game as it comes, purely on the content of the game, not on the age range.
But GTA is a no, even for me.

I've played GTA5 and have not killed a prostitute nor have I attempted too. Sick of seeing that same argument when its not even true.

I guess some of us don't see the need for our 12 year old sons to play games where that is an optional extra Tali? I mean, obviously, what could be more healthy and natural for a young lad as he navigates his relationship to the opposite sex.... - but sone of us are just stick in the muds.

OP This would be a flat out no for me-the content is offensive, misogynistic, violent and glamourises absolutely everything I would hope and pray I am able to steer DC away from.

For me any satire that exists doesn't go anywhere near far enough to outweigh the criminality, bone-headed and bloody repetetive use of language I just do not want to hear in my home.

Soundtrack is pretty good though, I will give it that!

Nor do I barbarian. It's 18 for a good reason. I do resent the the implication that anyone who has played it, sits and kills prostitutes in game.

I did state earlier that I wouldnt recommend it under 18.

My 12 year old has played it, I’ll admit it.

His interest in it lasted about 2 weeks. All he was interested in was driving fast cars and competing missions. Which yes I know means delivering dodgy ‘packages’.

Now it’s all Fortnight...

MissionItsPossible yes you can kill anyone but it’s ridiculous to deny that the “hookers” are particularly focused on. There are whole YouTube videos dedicated to killing them in different ways.

Also just killing anybody is pretty common across most 18+ video games, a specific focus on murdering a margianilised group because it’s oh so funny is not.

It's a brilliant game. One of the best ever. Amazingly, nearly four and a half years after it was released, it is still near the top of the charts - number 2 in the UK the week ending 24th February.

www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fsoftware%2Fuk%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=110015&arch=t&lyr=2018&year=2018&week=8

It's not suitable for children at all, obviously.

@HappyStripper

The game doesn’t focus on killing hookers, or specifically reward for it. It provides an amoral sandbox, and players can do what they wish. There is no “specific focus” on killing hookers. You can just as equally go on a killing spree focussed on “people talking on the phone”, or “guys wearing shorts”.

Youtubers will do what they want. Just because there’s a bunch of clickbait hooker killing videos does not mean the game specifically encourages it.

Tessliketrees Let me help you, a man simply describing something is not mansplaining.

I just just womanslained that for you.

I'm pretty bemused at the large number of posters who say they wouldn't even allow it under their roof or allow their 18+ DC to play it at home.

I wonder a) how many of them are actually familiar with the game, and b) if they have a similar list of 18 cert. films that they have banned for containing adult content (as 18 films inevitably do).

My adult son played GTA in my house. His younger siblings didn't see it, and it didn't poison the water. And hey, my son still seems quite normal.