Advice needed please about Call of Duty black Ops

[shelsco]

My 12 year old son has asked for Call of duty Black ops for christmas because most of his friends are getting it and have the latest CoD already. I know its an 18 rating and because of this I don't want him to have it. He's already apparently played it at some friends houses and my DH has watched a video of it online and thinks its probably okay as with the killing akin to cowboys and indians on the telly when he was younger. I feel uncomfortable as it must be 18 for a reason but if most of his friends have it, is it just me? Can anyone give me any details which could help me make a decision?
Thanks

My sons who are 12 and 18,play these games.THs is the new one coming out isnt it,my son who is 18 said,its probably because it involves guns,like the other gameand one game involves shooting in an airport,but other than this,he doesnt think its much more violent than any of the other shoot and kill games.

It is hard when all theri friends have these games and all play online together..hope this helps.

Yeah someone at school today said something about an airport scene which involves deciding whether to shoot civilians or not. I've also heard something about not just guns but knives and axes being used on victims. Is this true? I know its a bit of a boy thing but the whole idea just fills me with horror!

I wouldn't get an 18 for a 12yr old, same as I wouldn't send a 12 yr old to an 18 film.

I've played quite a few of the Call of Duty games myself (we have an Xbox in the mess, we're all big kids you see) and I would say a 12 year old playing it is maybe a bit too young, but I think I would allow maybe a 14/15 year old to play it.

If we talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which a few of you have mentioned...There is an airport scene where you're basically part of a rogue team who slaughter a load of civilians in an airport. That scene alone was the reason it received an 18 rating, as you can join in (but you don't have to). The rest is basic shooting the enemy; shelsco, you can stab an enemy if they come close enough, but there's no axes in any of the game.

I can't comment on Black Ops, the new version out soon, but I can guess it'll be along the same lines. THe designers got a bit of unwanted press about the above mentioned airport scene so I think they won't put any so 'harrowing' in the new version; but of course I can't reliably comment.

I can be difficult when their friends are getting it too, but nothing's stopping them playing it a bit when they're round there.

It's just a clever shoot-'em-up really, so that's why I say maybe suitable for at least 14 years, despite the 18 rating.

I hope this helps :)

I have 14/15 yr old who got CoD when it came out last November, and is saving up for Black Ops. The airport scene is an opt-out - you don't need to play it in order to complete the game. I think 12 is perhaps a little young, but if they can play it at someone else's house, I wouldn't worry too much either about that.

Something like Red Dead Redemption is a lot better as it is still a shoot-em-up game but there's a lot of riding around on a horse, taking shots at coyotes.

I showed my boy this video/advert. It's by the charity St Dunstan's. Don't worry, it's not gory or anything. But it captures the moment a young soldier is wounded and his brave recovery. It's wonderful when he meets his little baby boy for the first time!

It really shows what war is actually about.

www.helpblindheroes.org.uk

We've had a lot of trouble with our now 12yo son playing 18+ games for a year or two now at friends' houses, it's a right pain because the parents of the other kids don't seem to know or care and of course he's exasperated that we won't let him have them at home. Discussion about Black Ops is already rife in the playground apparently so I expect the nagging to continue. Hey-ho. Fortunately we have managed to generate him an interest in Guitar Hero / Rock Band which are much more suitable and something we can all play together.

I need your help. I have a 13 year old son who wants to play call of duty 2 on multiplayer. He says this is not an 18 certificate on multiplayer but a 15 or 16. Does anyone know if this true?? We won't let him play an 18 game but may consider 15/16 certificates. Lots of pressure as all his friends at school are on it!

COD 2 is a 15 or 16 depending on platform and it's not too awful. If you are htinking of moving to CoD Black Ops I would suggest that you watch the trailers on youtube, then search for 'CoD Black Ops gameplay footage' on youtube. The level of violence is sickening, don't let them tell you they can restrict levels either, the standard play is sick & shocking. My 14 year old wants it, he will not get it (he has played the cer 15/16 older version), Black Ops is rated 18 for a good reason, & that's not to spoil younger teenagers fun. My sone tells me everyone has this game, but that can't be true, surely others are shocked by it?

I gather that you can play it with other friends over the net, but does anybody know how this works - will my son end up playing with anybody who wants to join in (and they can talk to each other)?

I gather that you can play it with other friends over the net, but does anybody know how this works - will my son end up playing with anybody who wants to join in (and they can talk to each other)?

Antsham,

You can play with your friends over the internet if the console (xBox, PS3 etc) is connected to the internet. The game will connect a user to a random room with up to 15 strangers. It is possible to talk to, and hear, these strangers if the child has a microphone headset. It is also possible for these strangers and your child to "friend" each other and thus make it possible to see when the other one is playing and join their game.

There is no inherent danger to this beyond any other aspect of the internet. Just apply normal internet common sense (no names, contact details etc) and the child should be fine.

Regarding age - search youtube for "black ops" and watch some of the videos. Then make the decision yourself. Mass media cause hysterical reactions to video games (see here for a comdey take on this) and as such the age ratings of games are unable to follow the progression of public morals and what is generally considered acceptable (remember homosexuality was illegal not too long ago) in the same way that the rest of the real world does.

HOWEVER I think there are far more constructive things to be doing at the age of 12 than playing computer games. Like having real friends and going to school and generally having a future.

Resurrecting this to ask whether Black Ops also has sexual content, in addition to the violence. Can any one tell me?

I am just about willing to tolerate the violence for my 15yo son. We let him watch 18 films if they are ones we judge ok, and I think I trust him to have an inelligent take on the violence, BUT I don't want him watching or interacting with ANY sexual content in a videogame.

Please can any gamer tell me? Thanks

Ah, have just found this useful link.

Sexual content doesn't seem to be much of an issue. But am having second thoughts about theviolence now. It does sound extreme.

It really depends on how mature you think your child is.

My younger brother has been playing the Call of Duty franchise since he was 12, I presume my mother assumed he was mature enough to handle the content in the game.

Call of Duty does have some violence, it is a war game after all. Whether Black Ops is extreme depends on your definition but I wouldn't say the violence is senseless - in fact the game itself is quite educational in terms of it's representation of war.

There are some scenes which may not be neccessary and are quite extreme for children.

I've completed the game myself and it didn't contain anything you wouldn't find in a general horror (I'm a 20 year old female.)

Perhaps 14-15 would be a usual age to give a game like this to a child if you think they can handle it.

As for the online multiplayer, your child is able to play and chat with random strangers. There is no restriction on foul language (although there is supposed to be) so that may be a concern to a parent, but the majority of the time people choose to chat with their friends rather than random strangers.

In multiplayer, there is no storyline. There is different modes (such as Deathmatch) where you just have to shoot the opposition. So there is no sexual content there.

I can't remember the main game containing sexual content. There may be sexual references but I sincerely doubt it. I seem to remember some scantily clad females in there at some point, but nothing you wouldn't see in a music video.

Honestly, it depends on the kid. I'd give it to a 12 year old if I deem them mature enough, this isn't going to mentally disturb them and even though the violence is extreme it's presented in context. If that makes any sense.

And when he says all his friends have it - he won't be lying. It's one of the fastest/best-selling games of this year.

If he is mature then I think 12 is fine. as long as he knows the effect of war then it's perfectly suitable.

Hi, my son is 12 too and all his friends have this game. It is 18 for a very good reason - go on-line and check it out on gaming review sites and you tube. The graphics are very realistic and there is lots of stabbing/hacking/ killing with blood galore etc.

I have stuck to my guns and said 'No' . It is very unhealthy and I do believe it makes kids more aggressive and deadens their psyche to violence and has the potential to contribute towards depression and mental illness .

The other thing is I feel that by saying 'Yes', I am also sending the message that it is O.K to ignore rules and have and do what you want when you want.
I feel very frustrated by the fact the we are clearly in the minority with our
outlook. I feel bad that my son is left out because what is happening is the boys are all going on Xbox Live and playing this game day in, day out.
It also appears that 'coolness' is partly judged on what games you have these days. What appears to happening is that now the 18 barrier has been breached, the only games the Year 7 are interested in are 18s.

It's an 18 for a reason, but even so there's been absolutely no scientific evidence that proves that video games contribute towards depression and mental illness, and likewise there's been no proven link between them and increased aggression or anything like that. Obviously it's the parent's decision on whether or not a younger child should be playing a game with an 18 certificate, but let's be serious for a second - Black Ops wasn't anywhere as good as CoD4 or MW2 before it. Treyarch suck at CoD games, and should definitely leave it up for Infinity Ward in the future. But, we all know that Activision isn't going to let that happen, because all they care about is milking the franchise for all the money they can get. Sigh.

Research indicates that interactive violent games have a desensitising effect so violent/traumatic events in real life have a lower impact (eg dreams and nightmares become less scary). Some see this as a positive effect: try googling "US military video games" for research and commentary.

Only you can decide if this is what you want for this 12 year old.

Hey there gals'. Here to give some insight on CoD since I've played most of them. Hope it's not weird for me to be a guy on here.

I've been playing gun games since I was 11.

In the call of duty before Black Ops (Modern Warfare 2), in the mission you're supposed to kill civilians (acting as a terrorist to gain trust, despite being a high-ranking CIA officer).

Knifing is used for short range melee and tomahawks are meant to be thrown at enemies (Don't knock it till you try it).

There isn't ANY sexual content (If there was the game would be rated "A" for Adult by ESRB).

The game isn't as bad as you think. It's really fun to blow off steam and stress playing this game with friends online. The only thing remotely scary in the game is the "Zombies" mode, where all you do is kill an endless amount of zombies.

IMO, 13 is a good age to allow your kid to start playing games like this -- There's really no problem with it.

Oh, and with the tomahawk, there is one time when you use it in the campaign to kill a guard, but it's not really scarring or scary, as I've stated before.

I think Cod is the current best selling game for a reason. I personally let my 12 yr old son get cod black ops 2 for Christmas after my dh checked out the trailer. They may just seem like kids who just watch tv all day but they have brains and understand what they are watching. I think ESRB is not making these ratings for the best interest of children but so they cant get sued. These games don't at all glorify war but show the effects it can have on people. Mothers who don't let there children play COD have probably never seen the game

i didnt let my 8 year old play call of duty black ops zombies and i didnt find any other site that answers all my questions so what do you think everybody?

Listenni think you are a very good parent. My friends have black ops I have call of duty ghosts that is a 16 and I'm 15.

I think black ops is an 18 because of zombies. It is packed full of swearing because I have played it

My 10 year old son has just come back from a playdate with a school friend and apparently they have been playing Call of Duty. It was his first time at that boy's house and I am absolutely furious that he was allowed to play such a violent game with an 18 certificate. Surely the mother should have asked me if I was ok with that? Not entirely sure how to handle it. I think I am going to have to tell her - politely - that I am unhappy about it. Anyone have any views/been in this position?

Call Of Duty and games like it that include Multiplayer are ONLY 18 Moderated for the single player. The Multiplayer is NOT moderated as theirs no gore/blood. On some Call Of Dutys you can even change the bullet splatter to paint. Its a fun thing for kids. I grew up on CoD and other games like it and I haven't gone out and commited a serious offence due to it.