No games that involve handling real firearms with live ammo and gambling.

The curious question though is "Why?". Why censor video games from kids? The only answer seems to be [fear] that it will affect their minds; but there are quite a lot of folks with vested interests that would refute that claim and call all video games harmless fun. :shrug:

I don't have any kids, but if I did there are plenty of games I wouldn't let them play. I played quite a few violent games as a kid, but back then, the violence was usually quite cartoonish. Now it's a lot more violent, and a lot more realistic. It would really be the other mature content that would bother me though. I definitely wouldn't let my kid(s) play any of the Rockstar games, including GTA or Red Dead Redemption, or the Fallout games. I don't seen anything wrong with The Elder Scrolls though. I would consider the Fallout games if my kid were in the mid teens or so.

Under the age of 14 I'd restrict them from all games, since in modern times games for under 14 are rubbish and for over 14 they are full of violence*.
Above the magical 14, I would have little restrictions. Just avoiding total nonsense like Manhunt and other 100% mindless murder games.


*sixual content has never been a problem for me. In fact, I'd encourage my kids to play RPGs with love and hokers.

There were mass murderers before there were video games. :shrug:

I think that if video games were to instill violence in an individual, it wouldn't be just because they played a violent video game. Rather, there would probably have been an underlying cause that was merely triggered by the game, not because the game caused it.

Play GTA IV: Lost & Damned.

It has nothing to do with murder :shrug:

This is the problem. You cannot sell games to a sorted consumer base with that level of sorting (enough sorting to weed that person out). You can gamble that their age generally reflects their perception, but that's never 100% the case, and there will always be individuals that react horrifically to the game's stimulus. Most won't and I'm not pro censorship. I just find it odd that its sometimes a case of double standard. Its considered harmless to one's personality, but that it might adversely affect one's personality. :shrug:

I was completely unprepared for that when I first played it.

I knew about it beforehand. Badly rendered if you ask me.

I was thinking this as well.

Like someone said earlier, I'd only stop them from playing games with monthly fees, or some other kind of payment other than the purchasing of the game. I suppose if the experience of playing a game becomes too realistic in the near future, when I'd have children, then I might prohibit them from playing certain games, but currently that's not the case.

In truth it all depends on the kid.

But in my opinion (when i have children) i'll start my kids off on some of the good stuff i grew up playing as a kid (Mario,Zelda and Donkey kong.) About 8 years old i'll let them play some m-rated games under my supervision at around 12-13 i'll them completely let them soak into mature games and have free reign BUT i want them have some manners and not be beating up hokers on gta with the volume turned up loud when i'm around i'd hope my children will know when and when not to play certain games.I'm 14 and my parents won't let me or my 18 yo brother play gta (we're not crazy or stupid or anything they just don't like the morales of that game) Truth is i'd probably let my children play gta, as long as they don't play it like hardcoe violence monkeys. I've secretly owned Gta vice city and Liberty City (thank god for psn) and i do admit to going on a rampage on the game and having a laugh but nothing to serious just goofing around.

Wait, why did I even post in this thread? I'm gay, so I won't have kids. :facepalm:

I would do exactly what my father did with me. Around the age of 10, let him play anything that he wants to play, but if it has a higher rating to it, then I must be there to play it with him. I'd also only pay for half of a console, just as my parents did.

I turned out fine and have yet to have a single piece of gaming equipment I own break (at my hands). My friend who's parents bought him his consoles has gone through more equipment than I'd like to say, just because his parents will buy him another if it breaks.

I don't have any kids, though hopefully I will one day. I'd be happy if I could share my hobbies with them, but I would not let them play Red Dead Redemption. I am completely fine with children being exposed to sixual content a la Mass Effect/Dragon Age/ The Witcher. After all it's the most natural thing in the world, right there with breathing, sleeping and eating, I have never seen any reason to hide that part of life from them like it is some horrible taboo. However, (implied) [censored] is very serious. I'd wait for them to be more mature before I would expose them to such content.

For the most part I am fine with violence in videogames, as I think it is not all too difficult to explain the difference between using violence in games and in the real world.

Damned censor. I meant forced six, in case anyone missed that.

As long as they aren't getting some imported Japanese pervert game I think they will be fine.

I would be more concerned that they have enough time to finish their homework, finish all their numerous chores, get A++ on all their exams, practice piano 8hrs per day and get some exercise, at least 5 hours of cardio per week.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldg8o1zTcT1qakgigo1_500.jpg

I will likely never have children. Not for any reason but the fact that I can't stand children.

But hypothetically I'd probably let them play what they wanted, within reason. For example I wouldn't buy them every single brand new game that comes out. I'd make them work for it in some way. That way they learn the value of not only hard work but about thinking critically over purchases and making decisions between two or more things they may want. As to the type of game? There probably isn't a single game out there that I'd outright object to.

There are a few I'd totally make fun of them for playing though.

They won't get to play games until they're seven. And they start with the NES. When they're ten, they get the SNES. At thirteen they get a PS2. At 16 they get whatever as long as they can buy it and it's not stupid.

You could adopt.

The topic was more of just a hypothetical to get a gauge of what gamers think is appropriate when it comes to kids playing video games w/ mature content. Most of us here have been gaming since we were children, so in a way we have a fair amount of expertise when it comes to the impact of gaming on children.

My parent never had any limits on the games I would play. (this was the 80's and 90's so mortal kombat was about the most violent thing out.) And I learned a fair amount about computers trying to run games on P.C.

It is funny how one of the more popular responses is "I wouldn't let me kid play any MMORPG, cause people online are creeps."

The same goes for xbox live and PSN. I agree that the most dangerous thing for a kid playing video games is online interactions.
( I have no experience playing MMORPG, so I have no idea what kind of social interactions go on.)

I consider myself thick skinned, but at times even my stomach turns at some of the things said over these gaming networks.

I believe most parents who do not game think violence and six in games are the biggest problem in video games. If those same parents would actually put on a headset I'm sure they'd change there tune. Why these companies have not developed a "kids" areas for PSN or xbox live is ridiculous.

I don't have kids yet, but I've made plans.

First off...No computers. Absolutely no PCs, Macs etc. etc. I have a hard enough time maintaining my own one computer and I don't need some kid who can't spot a virus or malware downloading random free junk and not practicing any form of maintenance.

Second, no games on school days. Period. It's how I was raised and it worked for me. During schooldays, you can go outside and play. Snow, rain, wind..Whatever, it's all fun.

Third...Well...Wait....I don't care, really. I'm not going to put the system online unless I'm playing it personally (For updates and whatnot). I figure games that can cause nightmares are out of the question because that would be a bother to me, and I don't want bothered. Something that invokes some sort of thought will be beneficial, so maybe some Brain-Age while they're young. We'll move to pointless violence when they're older.

My kids are 6.5 and 4.5.

The elder would rather draw, read, do a project rather than play a video game.
The younger has his addictive spurts to it., although he'd rather shovel snow than play a video game because he wants spring to come. :chaos:

The video game being Wii Sports resort. We've done basic learning games on the computer, dance games on the Wii, etc. Nothing violent for many years yet.

Right now they're hooked on Crazy8's.

The kids need to earn "screen time" in order to watch TV or play a video game. Ways of earning include writing, reading, drawing, spelling, typing, math, etc. They seem to like it :shrug:

I'm way to young for children but I wouldn't let mine play horror games, IMO those are worse than GTAs and what not but even so wouldn't let GTAs either until maybe 13...since I got San Andreas when I was 11 and found it extremely tedious and only found it interesting when I was 13

none. anything goes for my kid. I wouldnt take a book from my kid because he isn't old enough. i wouldnt stop my kid from listening to a song because he may not be mature enough...if anything, i'd like my kid to be as exposed to art forms as I was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/raqeLay


DAMN YOU JAPAN

I'm not a parent yet either, but I would not let my child play GTA until I thought they were mature enough. I don't even like to play GTA.......

That's about all I can think of.

Haha! Is that how you get the poor kid to clear the driveway!?

Morrowindfan (I don't know how to quote two people without going through a big process): You could always adopt, or find a surrogate mum, which doesn't need to involve intimate relations. How's that, gay and lisbian couples still can't marry, yet they can have children. This world is stupid.

After a conversation with a friend the other day, I remembered two games which I would let my children play: Manhunt, because it sounds too disturbing for young children, and Postal. My ex used to play it and I don't know if it was just the way he played but there were certain elements in that game I probably wouldn't want to expose my children to. That seems hypocritical because I would let them play GTA, but meh. If I'm the mum, I call the shots, the end