Do parents really care about game ratings? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

FngKestrel · 08-15-2005, 09:41 AM

From joystiq, linking to the BBC site they reference.

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000807054464/

Quote:

Posted Aug 15, 2005, 10:00 AM ET by Conrad Quilty-Harper
Related entries: Culture, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox

gta san andreas

The BBC has released an article on the subject of parent’s views of game ratings, with the summary that a majority of parents don’t care about game ratings. The article brings evidence that the ratings system isn’t the problem, it’s the awareness of the games purchaser that needs to be addressed. You could have a ratings system that requires fingerprint identification, voice print id and a 30 second lecture by the nearest concerned game shop attendent, but it still wouldn’t stop a parent that doesn’t care or doesn’t know why a game is rated above their child’s age. The article even suggests that rating games 18+ can make the game more appealing, and therefore more children ask mom or dad to go and buy it for them. The study that the article is based upon won’t be light reading for anyone involved in the creation or marketing of violent games.

Obviously the question now is; what does the game industry do about it? My opinion is that the solution lies in moving gaming (in particular violent gaming) into a more mainstream arena so adults have some idea of what their kids are drawn to. The ironic solution may be to get more adults to play violent games!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4118270.stm

Quote:

Parents 'ignore game age ratings'
By Alfred Hermida
Technology editor, BBC News website

Screenshot from Manhunt
The Rockstar game Manhunt made the headlines last year
Parents tend to ignore warnings on games that say they are unsuitable for children, research shows.

A study commissioned by the UK games industry found that parents let children play games for adults, even though they knew they were 18-rated.

"Most parents think their child is mature enough so that these games will not influence them," Modulum researcher Jurgen Freund told a games conference.

The report reflects concerns about children playing violent video games.

Gore and carnage

The issue rose to prominence last year when the parents of a 14-year-old blamed the game Manhunt for his death.

Police investigating the murder dismissed its influence and Manhunt was not part of its legal case.

Parents perceive age ratings as a guide but not as a definite prohibition
Jurgen Freund, Modulum
But the case rekindled the debate over 18-rated games that appeared to relish in gore and carnage.

Like movies, all games receive an age classification. This works through a two-tier system involved the British Board of Film Classification and a voluntary European setup known as Pegi.

But the research presented at the Elspa (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) summit in London suggests that few parents pay much attention to the age ratings.

Magic number

Ironically, most people knew that games had age ratings, the study by the Swiss research firm Modulum showed.

US parent looking at video games
Video games have to carry labels with age ratings
However, parents were still letting their children play 18-rated games.

"Parents perceive age ratings as a guide but not as a definite prohibition," said Jurgen Freund, Modulum chief executive.

"Some may have not liked the content but they did not prohibit the game."

The research showed that parents were more concerned about children spending too many hours playing games, rather than about what type of title they were playing.

And to a certain degree, sticking an 18-rating on a game made that title more desirable.

"We called it Magic 18," said Mr Freund. "The 18+ label was seen as promoting the content, promising adult content rather then saying 'my parents will stop me playing this.'"

Leisure disconnect

Mr Freund suggested that the problem was that parents felt disconnected from the world of video games and so showed little interest in this aspect of their children's lives.

Screenshot from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was last year's best-selling game
"Parents are too divorced from what teenagers play," he said.

The study has not yet been finalised but it makes for uncomfortable reading for the games industry.

"It raises more questions than answers," commented Nintendo's UK boss David Yarnton.

"We need to look at solutions and as an industry we are quite united on this."

Ways of making parents more aware about the age ratings of games were discussed last December at a meeting between UK government officials, industry representatives and the British Board of Film Classification.

The number of games aimed at adults has increased in recent years, as the average age of gamers has risen.

Games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, last year's best-selling title, tend to receive most of the media attention.

But 18-rated games only make up a small number of software released each year.

Between January 2003 and July 2004, just 16 out of the 1,208 games on sale in the UK were given a 18+ certificate.

Around 1,000 UK adults were interviewed by phone for the Modulum study. A further 100 people who questioned after buying a video game and in-depth interviews were held with 18 teenagers.

And there's the crux of the problem. Parents just don't care about the letter on the box. Video games are still regarded as froo-froo entertainment by many individuals and not treated as a serious medium. I mean, it's like the way people perceived anime back in the 90's. Most people thought it was a cute little cartoon sent overseas by those quaint little japanese folk. Then they saw Akira.

Bill O'Rights · 08-15-2005, 10:48 AM

Well, the Akira reference withstanding, 'cause I have no idea what that is, or the draw of anime, really...I do pay attention to that little number on the box. And I have since the Playschool days (ages 6-12 months). Not so much for gospel, as in "You can't play, watch, listen to that until next month, because it clearly states that you're too young for it until then." No, I'm not that ignorant. I use it as a guideline more than anything else. I know better that the "raters" what my children can, or cannot, handle. But, I do appreciate the heads up that ratings provide.

guthmund · 08-15-2005, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FngKestrel

And there's the crux of the problem. Parents just don't care about the letter on the box. Video games are still regarded as froo-froo entertainment by many individuals and not treated as a serious medium. I mean, it's like the way people perceived anime back in the 90's. Most people thought it was a cute little cartoon sent overseas by those quaint little japanese folk. Then they saw Akira.

I totally agree, but it isn't just video games that parents are ignoring. It's everything. I think that most parents just don't care, period. They let their kids read what they want to read, watch whatever they want to watch and play whatever they want to play. Every once in a great while it's brought to the parents' attention, but it never lasts for very long.

mystmarimatt · 08-15-2005, 10:57 AM

Quote:

The article even suggests that rating games 18+ can make the game more appealing, and therefore more children ask mom or dad to go and buy it for them.

What?

That's a load of balderdash, I say! If an adolescent of 17 reads on a videogame box that that game is intended only for people 18+, He'll just put it back and go find something more suitable!

Complete Ballyhoo!

Bill O'Rights · 08-15-2005, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guthmund

I think that most parents just don't care, period. They let their kids read what they want to read, watch whatever they want to watch and play whatever they want to play.

At the risk of sounding like an ass (but, what else is new)...what are you basing your thoughts/opinions on? Seriously. I mean, I'm a parent, and while I'm not stalinistic about it, I do monitor, quite closely, what my kids...ingest. Most parents that I know either do as I do, and use the ratings/age recommendation (for toys) as a guideline, or rigidly adhere to the label. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to identify any parent that expreses such a laissez-faire attitude as you're describing. Not to say that they do not exist...I know that they're out there...I just question the use of the word "most" parents.

Janey · 08-15-2005, 12:08 PM

the fact that most minors can and do get their hands on these mature rated or adult rated (let's just say age inappropriately rated) games & Movies, is because the parents have given up the fight.

Either it is lazy parenting, or lack of vigilance or understanding of what is occuring in their own homes. I bet these kids even have game systems, computers and of course TVs in their bedrooms! And further, if they are doing homework (big if!) I bet it is in these very same rooms, with messenger running at the same time. One of the reasons that it can take several hours to do a small amount of homework...

I have found that a lot of parents are intimidated by the technology, and the kids know how to take advantage of the situation.

Xazy · 08-15-2005, 01:31 PM

I think a lot of it depends on the parents. When I used to play atari, or even on the old Apple pc, I had to use it in the living room (where people can come in and see at any point).

A lot of my friends do not have this issue with their kids, so it really does vary in my book.

Siege · 08-15-2005, 05:03 PM

My dad never cared what games I picked up. But then again, I never even bothered to pick up any of the GTA games or anything like it.

I think it's pretty reasonable to say that if a kid wants a game, they're going to get it. Especially if it's a computer game. The internet is full of full copies of games and the cd-keys to go with them.

snowy · 08-15-2005, 05:40 PM

This is why the only games I was allowed to play as a child were "educational" games on a Macintosh. Heck, I even had a special console called the "Socrates" for playing educational games.

You bet your bottom I'll do the same to my children. No games, period--until they're of an age to appreciate gaming for what it is. I've seen too many products of the so-called "Nintendo Generation" to approve of gaming for youngsters wholeheartedly.

And yes, I pay attention to the ratings on the box, even when selecting games for myself.

guthmund · 08-15-2005, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

At the risk of sounding like an ass (but, what else is new)...what are you basing your thoughts/opinions on? Seriously. I mean, I'm a parent, and while I'm not stalinistic about it, I do monitor, quite closely, what my kids...ingest. Most parents that I know either do as I do, and use the ratings/age recommendation (for toys) as a guideline, or rigidly adhere to the label. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to identify any parent that expreses such a laissez-faire attitude as you're describing. Not to say that they do not exist...I know that they're out there...I just question the use of the word "most" parents.

My thoughts/opinions are formed the same way that you form your thoughts/opinions, on the information I've got my hands on and personal experience. The word 'most' was a judgement call. Sure it was a generalization, but all things considered I think I used it appropriately.

GTA: San Andreas has sold nearly 12 million copies since it's release late last year. That number, however, is from before Rockstar released it for the X-box and the PC, so it's no doubt a little low. This is only one of the 5 'mature' games that made the 2004 top 20 best selling games list. Not to mention all the countless clones, copies and spinoffs the success of the GTA franchise has spawned in the last couple of years. That's just the 'mature' video game numbers. What about the sale of 'mature' movies? Late night television viewership numbers? Sales of 'mature' music? etc, etc.... How many copies of all this 'mature' material do you think are actually in 'mature' hands?

In my experience, parents (like you and your friends) seem to be exceptions to the rule. You seem like an educated fellow and it appears you take an interest in what your kids are..'ingesting' (from what I've divined from what you've chosen to share on the forum) as do a lot of other folks here, but, sadly, that just hasn't been my experience in real life. Parents for the most part, again... in my opinion, are all too happy to plunk down their kids in front of the television, let them get on the internet unsupervised, or blindly take their children's advice when it comes to purchasing/renting video games, movies and the like because it's quick and convenient - deftly shifting the blame to others when those same kids get into trouble. "Well, he shot that cop because the GTA franchise rewards you for killing cops" or "He beat the crap out of that little girl because 'rasslin made him do it."

Far be it for me to judge... I just get upset when I see lawmakers and the like cry out for stricter control on 'mature' material and blame the game-makers, the music distributors and the 'Hollywood' boogyman when clearly, and again, in my opinion, they aren't the weak links in the chain.

I applaud you for monitoring what your kids...ingest. I applaud your friends for being involved as well. I just can't believe that you and your friends are accurate representations of the general public when nearly everything I've 'ingested' says otherwise.

Catdaddy33 · 08-16-2005, 05:16 AM

Ratings are a good guideline, but I've seen some movies that are PG that I wouldn't show to my 11 year old and there are PG-13 movies that I would.

I'm a parent and I'm a avid gamer, we monitor what she plays and what she watches. Our biggest problem is her friends, she goes to spend a night with a friend and luckily (she's a good kid or has a very guilty conscience) she'll call and ask if she can play M-rated games or watch movies that we would let her see here. We refuse to let her watch MTV, but she has admitted to watching it at her friends, she says she protested but they all wanted to watch it and the parent was OK with that.

As for what we let her play and see, its all based on the kid. What we judge to be ok for our child isn't for someone elses and we have the courtesy to call the other parent and ask if its OK. It takes all of a minute to do..

RubenBaraja · 08-16-2005, 02:24 PM

Dont think they do.

The local news had a case of a boy aged between 12-14 who was attacked as part of the "Happy Slapping" craze. The camera were inside the house interviewing the parents whilst the victim was seen on his PS2 - playing GTA San Andreas, a good five years before the legal age.

tenchi069 · 08-16-2005, 05:57 PM

Do I care? No. Ratings just let me know ahead of time what the content is. I will play the game, or watch the game be played, and if I think the content isn't too much for my stepson, then I will let him play it. If I think the game may scare him or be too "real" for him to distinguish right from wrong, then I have no problem with it.

Ex. Doom3 is out because of the nightmare issue, GTA(any series) is out because the game wasn't played proper. Battlefield 1942 is okay tho.

FngKestrel · 08-16-2005, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenchi069

Ex. GTA(any series) is out because the game wasn't played proper.

Can you elaborate what you mean by not played proper? The game is open-ended, encouraging varied gameplay.

tenchi069 · 08-16-2005, 06:42 PM

Lack of doing missions. Just running around killing and destroying vehicles until the cops show up and rinsing and repeating. Once in awhile would be okay, but doing it every day during the full hour of play on the game was where we drew the line.

El Pollo · 08-17-2005, 12:07 AM

Some parents actually do use the ratings. A while ago, I was in an EB Games store and there was a mother in there with her 13 or 14 year old son to buy a game. She specifically told him that anything above a T rating was out of the question, and whenever he'd pick out a game, she'd ask the clerk about the title. So yeah, some parents do care about that kind of stuff. Although instead of having overly protective parents everywhere, I'd rather the world were full of well-adjusted kids who could separate fantasy from reality, but that's too much to hope for.

Stompy · 08-17-2005, 07:04 AM

Parents shouldn't worry about video game ratings.

If kids were raised properly then none of this would be an issue.

I've watched rated R movies since I can remember - why didn't I grow up to be a murderer? Because I was taught right away that it's make believe, and to use common sense (ie not repeating things you see on tv).

Same applies with games. Kids don't go out and shoot each other over video games, music, or movies - they do it because they're idiots.

There's kind of a backwards mentality when it comes to this stuff...

The parent of the 13-14 year old can try all she wants to not buy her son that horrible "T" game, but what she SHOULD be concerned about is what he's subjected to by his peers while at school. That is infinitely worse than any video game, as it will continue to shape his personality throughout the years.

What about kids that go out and play with toy guns? Typical boys go out with toy guns and play with their friends, pretending to shoot/kill them. Why is that acceptable? Because the media hasn't made a spectacle out of it yet. In reality, it's not that big of a deal - as long as your kids aren't stupid, they'll know the difference.

I've found that ratings are more-or-less meaningless, especially for video games - after all, they're just video games.

FngKestrel · 08-17-2005, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stompy

Parents shouldn't worry about video game ratings.

If kids were raised properly then none of this would be an issue.

I've watched rated R movies since I can remember - why didn't I grow up to be a murderer? Because I was taught right away that it's make believe, and to use common sense (ie not repeating things you see on tv).

Same applies with games. Kids don't go out and shoot each other over video games, music, or movies - they do it because they're idiots.

There's kind of a backwards mentality when it comes to this stuff...

The parent of the 13-14 year old can try all she wants to not buy her son that horrible "T" game, but what she SHOULD be concerned about is what he's subjected to by his peers while at school. That is infinitely worse than any video game, as it will continue to shape his personality throughout the years.

What about kids that go out and play with toy guns? Typical boys go out with toy guns and play with their friends, pretending to shoot/kill them. Why is that acceptable? Because the media hasn't made a spectacle out of it yet. In reality, it's not that big of a deal - as long as your kids aren't stupid, they'll know the difference.

I've found that ratings are more-or-less meaningless, especially for video games - after all, they're just video games.

I agree with you that if kids were raised properly, then this would be a non-issue.

However, I don't find it appropriate to denounce video games as "just video games." They're an effective form of self-induced repetition learning. People have aced flight schools just by playing Microsoft Flight before taking the school course. Studies have shown that aggression levels do rise in people playing violent games. Cognitive skills are increased in people who play games. The list goes on about how video games affect people.

tenchi069 · 08-17-2005, 10:14 AM

I don't remember the name of the Army Officer that studied one of the school shootings. His professional opinion was that the games the shooters played just made them better aim, not more violent.

Slavakion · 08-17-2005, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenchi069

Ex. Doom3 is out because of the nightmare issue, GTA(any series) is out because the game wasn't played proper. Battlefield 1942 is okay tho.

Shooting demons is bad because it might cause nightmares, but shooting fellow human beings is fine? (I won't touch the GTA statement)

Destrox · 08-20-2005, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slavakion

Shooting demons is bad because it might cause nightmares, but shooting fellow human beings is fine? (I won't touch the GTA statement)

Not to put words in his mouth, but I highly doubt he ment shooting demons causes the nightmares.

Doom3 is a scare tactic game, it pops things out at your in complete darkness. Its purpose is to scare you, set eerie surroundings, etc. Its not because you're shooting a demon.

While Battlefield2 is set in a more normal setting, with a war perspective. What you see on the daily 6'o'clock news has more war violence then Battlefield2 does any day.

sinjien · 08-21-2005, 12:59 AM

First I applaud Bill O'Rights. You are the parent that I would have hated as a child but honored as man for how you raised me. Sadly, my parents werent like you. Loving they were but I wish that they tried to be more a part of my life than on the sidelines.

I also agree that Bill is the minority in a sea of neglectful parents. I know that most of them mean well but need a swift kick in the ass to see that they hold the keys to their childs future.

And lastly, video games arent just video games. Studies are being conducted right now in the UK to establish the learning potential of incorporating video games into the curriculum. By 2007 schools could start using software from the leading developers in the game industry for math, english, history, science, and many other courses.

FngKestrel · 08-21-2005, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjien

And lastly, video games arent just video games. Studies are being conducted right now in the UK to establish the learning potential of incorporating video games into the curriculum. By 2007 schools could start using software from the leading developers in the game industry for math, english, history, science, and many other courses.

Thank you for bringing this up. I'm involved with a group called Serious Games which is striving to do exactly what you mention here. People's attitudes towards games need to change in order for the general populace to understand that while it's commonly viewed as anti-productivity software (my term), it has great potential to help education and learning.

Stompy · 08-22-2005, 08:25 AM

Well, a game is a game.

You are a character that has to achieve a goal.

If playing a game makes you angrier, then there are problems elsewhere. The game didn't cause that. Perhaps an angry person losing at a game needs to learn to not be a sore loser.

As for something like Flight Sim 2004 - you're right, it's not a game: it's a simulation. Someone who plays that will be more familiar with the inside of a 747's cockpit than your average joe, but the sensitivity of a keyboard doesn't accurately reflect the real controls of the plane. It doesn't give you experience in what you need to know in the event of severe weather or a blown out tire. Point being: they know how to fly the actual plane from a simulation; they'll just be more familiar with the real thing. There's no substitute for real experience.

FPS games, with all the frantic action and aiming, won't make someone better at shooting a gun. Those games to a great job of improving hand/eye coordination (well, most games do). Shooting/aiming a real life gun is different from clicking a mouse for obvious reasons (recoil, etc). Lining up your target, shooting and KEEPING the aim is a different story.

The games in question are things that the media latches onto, for example, GTA. Games really are just games - like I said, you're a character and you have to achieve a goal. Choosing to make them more or less important than that is up to the individual, especially depending on the level of interactivity.

To me, and most others, GTA is just a game. Doom 3 is just a game. Once the game is turned off, I don't feel like I can fight demons with a BFG, and I don't feel like I can kill hundreds of gang members and shoot rocket launchers at helicopters without consequences. I don't see how anyone could think or feel otherwise, and that's what I mean by "just a game".

Derwood · 08-22-2005, 04:26 PM

I would hope that starting with my generation (I'm 30 and a parent of 2) would be more informed about choosing games for their kids since we're the first generation to grow up with them ourselves. Parents who never played games often are ignorant about their content. I still play video games and know what I would/wouldn't let my kids play.

08-15-2005, 10:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	Well, the Akira reference withstanding, 'cause I have no idea what that is, or the draw of anime, really...I do pay attention to that little number on the box. And I have since the Playschool days (ages 6-12 months). Not so much for gospel, as in "You can't play, watch, listen to that until next month, because it clearly states that you're too young for it until then." No, I'm not that ignorant. I use it as a guideline more than anything else. I know better that the "raters" what my children can, or cannot, handle. But, I do appreciate the heads up that ratings provide. __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

08-15-2005, 05:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
Siege is a tiger Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada	My dad never cared what games I picked up. But then again, I never even bothered to pick up any of the GTA games or anything like it. I think it's pretty reasonable to say that if a kid wants a game, they're going to get it. Especially if it's a computer game. The internet is full of full copies of games and the cd-keys to go with them. __________________ "Your name's Geek? Do you know the origin of the term? A geek is someone who bites the heads off chickens at a circus. I would never let you suck my dick with a name like Geek" --Kevin Smith This part just makes my posts easier to find

08-15-2005, 05:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	This is why the only games I was allowed to play as a child were "educational" games on a Macintosh. Heck, I even had a special console called the "Socrates" for playing educational games. You bet your bottom I'll do the same to my children. No games, period--until they're of an age to appreciate gaming for what it is. I've seen too many products of the so-called "Nintendo Generation" to approve of gaming for youngsters wholeheartedly. And yes, I pay attention to the ratings on the box, even when selecting games for myself. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

08-16-2005, 05:57 PM	#13 (permalink)
tenchi069 Lost Location: One step closer to the padded cell...	Do I care? No. Ratings just let me know ahead of time what the content is. I will play the game, or watch the game be played, and if I think the content isn't too much for my stepson, then I will let him play it. If I think the game may scare him or be too "real" for him to distinguish right from wrong, then I have no problem with it. Ex. Doom3 is out because of the nightmare issue, GTA(any series) is out because the game wasn't played proper. Battlefield 1942 is okay tho. __________________ ERROR- PLBSAK Problem Lies Between Seat and Keyboard.

08-16-2005, 06:42 PM	#15 (permalink)
tenchi069 Lost Location: One step closer to the padded cell...	Lack of doing missions. Just running around killing and destroying vehicles until the cops show up and rinsing and repeating. Once in awhile would be okay, but doing it every day during the full hour of play on the game was where we drew the line. __________________ ERROR- PLBSAK Problem Lies Between Seat and Keyboard.

08-15-2005, 12:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	the fact that most minors can and do get their hands on these mature rated or adult rated (let's just say age inappropriately rated) games & Movies, is because the parents have given up the fight. Either it is lazy parenting, or lack of vigilance or understanding of what is occuring in their own homes. I bet these kids even have game systems, computers and of course TVs in their bedrooms! And further, if they are doing homework (big if!) I bet it is in these very same rooms, with messenger running at the same time. One of the reasons that it can take several hours to do a small amount of homework... I have found that a lot of parents are intimidated by the technology, and the kids know how to take advantage of the situation.

08-15-2005, 01:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
Xazy People in masks cannot be trusted Location: NYC	I think a lot of it depends on the parents. When I used to play atari, or even on the old Apple pc, I had to use it in the living room (where people can come in and see at any point). A lot of my friends do not have this issue with their kids, so it really does vary in my book.

08-16-2005, 05:16 AM	#11 (permalink)
Catdaddy33 Psycho Location: TN	Ratings are a good guideline, but I've seen some movies that are PG that I wouldn't show to my 11 year old and there are PG-13 movies that I would. I'm a parent and I'm a avid gamer, we monitor what she plays and what she watches. Our biggest problem is her friends, she goes to spend a night with a friend and luckily (she's a good kid or has a very guilty conscience) she'll call and ask if she can play M-rated games or watch movies that we would let her see here. We refuse to let her watch MTV, but she has admitted to watching it at her friends, she says she protested but they all wanted to watch it and the parent was OK with that. As for what we let her play and see, its all based on the kid. What we judge to be ok for our child isn't for someone elses and we have the courtesy to call the other parent and ask if its OK. It takes all of a minute to do..

08-16-2005, 02:24 PM	#12 (permalink)
RubenBaraja Insane Location: Gaming Thread, and the UK	Dont think they do. The local news had a case of a boy aged between 12-14 who was attacked as part of the "Happy Slapping" craze. The camera were inside the house interviewing the parents whilst the victim was seen on his PS2 - playing GTA San Andreas, a good five years before the legal age.

08-17-2005, 12:07 AM	#16 (permalink)
El Pollo Insane Location: Austin, TX	Some parents actually do use the ratings. A while ago, I was in an EB Games store and there was a mother in there with her 13 or 14 year old son to buy a game. She specifically told him that anything above a T rating was out of the question, and whenever he'd pick out a game, she'd ask the clerk about the title. So yeah, some parents do care about that kind of stuff. Although instead of having overly protective parents everywhere, I'd rather the world were full of well-adjusted kids who could separate fantasy from reality, but that's too much to hope for.

08-17-2005, 07:04 AM	#17 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Parents shouldn't worry about video game ratings. If kids were raised properly then none of this would be an issue. I've watched rated R movies since I can remember - why didn't I grow up to be a murderer? Because I was taught right away that it's make believe, and to use common sense (ie not repeating things you see on tv). Same applies with games. Kids don't go out and shoot each other over video games, music, or movies - they do it because they're idiots. There's kind of a backwards mentality when it comes to this stuff... The parent of the 13-14 year old can try all she wants to not buy her son that horrible "T" game, but what she SHOULD be concerned about is what he's subjected to by his peers while at school. That is infinitely worse than any video game, as it will continue to shape his personality throughout the years. What about kids that go out and play with toy guns? Typical boys go out with toy guns and play with their friends, pretending to shoot/kill them. Why is that acceptable? Because the media hasn't made a spectacle out of it yet. In reality, it's not that big of a deal - as long as your kids aren't stupid, they'll know the difference. I've found that ratings are more-or-less meaningless, especially for video games - after all, they're just video games. __________________ I love lamp.

08-17-2005, 10:14 AM	#19 (permalink)
tenchi069 Lost Location: One step closer to the padded cell...	I don't remember the name of the Army Officer that studied one of the school shootings. His professional opinion was that the games the shooters played just made them better aim, not more violent. __________________ ERROR- PLBSAK Problem Lies Between Seat and Keyboard.

08-21-2005, 12:59 AM	#22 (permalink)
sinjien Tilted Location: the back of a giant turtle	First I applaud Bill O'Rights. You are the parent that I would have hated as a child but honored as man for how you raised me. Sadly, my parents werent like you. Loving they were but I wish that they tried to be more a part of my life than on the sidelines. I also agree that Bill is the minority in a sea of neglectful parents. I know that most of them mean well but need a swift kick in the ass to see that they hold the keys to their childs future. And lastly, video games arent just video games. Studies are being conducted right now in the UK to establish the learning potential of incorporating video games into the curriculum. By 2007 schools could start using software from the leading developers in the game industry for math, english, history, science, and many other courses.

08-22-2005, 08:25 AM	#24 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Well, a game is a game. You are a character that has to achieve a goal. If playing a game makes you angrier, then there are problems elsewhere. The game didn't cause that. Perhaps an angry person losing at a game needs to learn to not be a sore loser. As for something like Flight Sim 2004 - you're right, it's not a game: it's a simulation. Someone who plays that will be more familiar with the inside of a 747's cockpit than your average joe, but the sensitivity of a keyboard doesn't accurately reflect the real controls of the plane. It doesn't give you experience in what you need to know in the event of severe weather or a blown out tire. Point being: they know how to fly the actual plane from a simulation; they'll just be more familiar with the real thing. There's no substitute for real experience. FPS games, with all the frantic action and aiming, won't make someone better at shooting a gun. Those games to a great job of improving hand/eye coordination (well, most games do). Shooting/aiming a real life gun is different from clicking a mouse for obvious reasons (recoil, etc). Lining up your target, shooting and KEEPING the aim is a different story. The games in question are things that the media latches onto, for example, GTA. Games really are just games - like I said, you're a character and you have to achieve a goal. Choosing to make them more or less important than that is up to the individual, especially depending on the level of interactivity. To me, and most others, GTA is just a game. Doom 3 is just a game. Once the game is turned off, I don't feel like I can fight demons with a BFG, and I don't feel like I can kill hundreds of gang members and shoot rocket launchers at helicopters without consequences. I don't see how anyone could think or feel otherwise, and that's what I mean by "just a game". __________________ I love lamp.

08-22-2005, 04:26 PM	#25 (permalink)
Derwood Who You Crappin? Location: Everywhere and Nowhere	I would hope that starting with my generation (I'm 30 and a parent of 2) would be more informed about choosing games for their kids since we're the first generation to grow up with them ourselves. Parents who never played games often are ignorant about their content. I still play video games and know what I would/wouldn't let my kids play. __________________ "You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel