Some say no and some say yes, should parents buy there children 18 rated games? I'd like to hear your views on this topic because its a very sensitive subject. Loads of kids play Black Ops and I've even heard of some playing Fallout.

Didn't screw me up none.

Define "children".

"Child" as in the traditional definition of under 13, certainly not. However for say, 15+, it depends on the content in the game, not the just the classification it is given. For example, 'Risen' was banned (although would be considered R18+ in Australia), however the 'advlt' content in it is extremely mild (limited to a fade-to-black six scene and the ability to smoke a weed), so I wouldn't have any problems with a teenager playing it. However a game like Grand Theft Auto, that featured explicit six, violence, language, torture, drug use and every other god-forsaken activity that Rockstar thinks is "for the cool kids" I wouldn't let anyone under 18 play whatsoever.

I think games are obviously rated for a reason regarding censorship and some content is certainly not appropriate for impressionable children. So no I don't think children should be playing 18 rated games such as GTA.

I suppose my issue is that unlike movies, games aren't timeless. Technology advances, new games come out, old games get forgotten. If I hadn't played Doom or Quake or Resident Evil when I was a kid, I'd have missed out on playing those games in context, in their prime. Let's face it, if I took one of the kids in this school and told them to try out Doom, they'd completely fail to see the beauty in it, because compared to what they play, it's archaic. Games have to be played during their initial lifecycle to get the most enjoyment out of them.

So, if I had waited until I was old enough to play M-rated games, I would've likely missed out on some of my favorite games. Doom, Quake, Duke, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, I would have come to these games years later and failed to enjoy them nearly as much as I do now. I think the best way to handle it is to play a game with them, explaining the advlt aspects of the game without romanticizing them. If I know anything about kids, if you outright ban something they'll find a way to circumvent that ban, but my way doesn't make the game feel like forbidden fruit, and it doesn't mean that the kid misses out, but still exercises some control over the experience the kid has with the game.

I think a slasher film would have a higher impact on a child than an m rated game... though the fewer kids playing an M rated game, the better... Give them a book, I didn't really get heavily into gaming until I was 14.... Though I was exposed to movies with the likes of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Charles Lee Ray, at about age 5 so it wouldn't have mattered much if I played M rated games at a much younger age because what ever damage could have been done, would have been achieved by the violent movies already. Though an argument could be made that each child is different and circumstances are subjective... but you can't treat each child as capable of handling things with extreme themes... Parents should be the judges of that, though most typically have lesser understanding of the subject matter than most children do. Perhaps that is why the rating system is set in place and is the way it is..

It is up to the parent to judge if their child is mature enough to handle the content. Problem is a lot of parents are [censored] judges of character.

I have 3 children who are grown up now, when they were younger I certainly wouldn't have sat down with them and played something like GTA V depicting scenes of torture, gratuitous violence, six and drug taking. I guess people view parenting differently but for me this sort of content is definitely inappropriate for children and should be seriously considered before allowing them to be exposed to it.

It depends on the Maturity of the Child in question as judged by Mature and Responsible Parents. I have Family that will hide advlt Games They play from Thier Children, yet will allow the Children to watch a Film that is far worse than the Video Game.

SHOULD they? Not entirely. COULD they? Sure. Not all M games are as bad as people make them out to be, but I also wouldn't let an 8 year old play games like CoD or GTA or Manhunt. But then again, I'm not a person who'd be a mediocre parent who relies on giving my child whatever game to babysit them.

What's defined as kids?

I think it depends on the game in all honesty, sometimes it's just some blood and stuff that does it. I mean, if I had kids I would let them play Skyrim.

I would probably not let them play Amnesia: The Dark Descent (not even sure what rating it has) for a while, I mean, when I think kids, I think people around 10-12 years old.

On the other hand rating doesn't mean the same as target audience, Railroad Tycoon 3 had a 3+ as it's rating. There is no way an average 3-year old would succeed in such a game.

If they have the informed consent of their parents, than certainly.

Absolutely. Children will get their hands on just about anything without you knowing. I played GTA back in 1998 and I'm a 1993 model. It was fine for me to play the game as a 5 year old because my older brothers and my parents (my brothers mostly) took the time to teach me what was right and wrong and the difference between fiction and reality. Being mean to kids in the neighborhood = bad, rolling over people in tanks and setting them on fire in GTA = okay.

I can't remember a single incident of me doing something dumb in real life in an effort to imitate things I did in games or saw on TV, at worst when I was just 4 years old I dressed up like Hercules from the Disney movie.

It depends on the maturity of the child, but I generally I think they should be at least 12. Some kids are quite impressionable.

But then again I played plenty of violent games when I was 7/8 and I turned out ok.

Ive already had this arguement with a family member with 8 year children who are let sit with older children while they play games rated for them, while the advlts ignore their children and help finance a vineyard, the children told me they had played COD the airport version, and i told them it was inappropriate for them at their age to be playing those games, needless to say the parents dont care care as long as it keeps the children away from them so they can socialise and empty a few wine barrels.

I'll just say thie:

You know there is a problem when Activision has to stick a pamphlet on Child Online Safety in copies of Call of Duty, a 17/18+ game.

Define children, and define 18+.

six, drugs and unnecessary real bloody violence for kids under the age of 16? Yeah, no. But some random shooter that barely classifies as 18+? Seems silly to limit it to 18+, when it's real rating might as well be 15+.

Looking at past ages though, when all of this was much more in-your-face and you got married at the age of 11, killed by pretty much anyone and any reason at any age, and learned to kill before you could count 1+1... We seem a little over-protective, don't we?

This. Of course, "informed consent" is the big issue, with so many parents either not giving a damn, or not having the time (since they're working 2+ jobs/similar circumstances).

(Whenever this topic comes up, I remember two things almost right away.. The first was seeing the original Total Recall in theaters..... two rows back from a guy & his two sub-10 kids. . The second was being in a nearly empty Gamestop while Clueless Mom stumbled through buying a copy of Duke Nukem Forever while her fat little 10? 11?-year old lurked two shelves away. )

...I suddenly realize that I don't have any practical experience with this issue because I went through my "young" years before the rating system (which means we also didn't have games that could really push the limits of violent/etc like the ones do now. I will say that I didn't really do many R-rated movies in those days, though. Was a simpler, more innocent time, trying to see early-80's cable porm through massive screen interference and sneaking looks at Victoria's Secret catalogs in the mail.

Depends on the game. I let my nephew play a decent amount of my M rated games with me, but I always make sure these games lack or don't focus on content he shouldn't be knowing about. I would not play Bayonetta around him, but the first three or four Devil May Cry games are fine. I don't play GTA style games around him because many are about things he shouldn't be exposed to at his age. If I wouldn't let a kid read, watch, or listen to something about that topic, I probably won't let them play a game about the same topic. Doom, for example, is completely fine for kids. It's just a shooter about killing demons and zombies. Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior are not due to the far more mature content.

If the game has side content that is quite inappropriate and easy to find, I'm not letting a kid play that game. Just Cause 2 is a game I'd consider fine for an 8 year old to play; it hardly has anything that can't be seen in a PG-13 rated movie. I read worse when I was in 6th grade for an essay, in fact. The Witcher 1 is a good example of a game with very easy to find side content you probably wouldn't want a kid finding.

I help my nephew's guardian determine if any M rated games are fine for him. Much to his disappointment, me researching a game if I don't have it means he will have to wait for an answer to confirm if the game is okay. I don't care if he already played the game at a friend's house, either. He probably sometimes wishes I wasn't so savvy with gaming because if he asks for the game, I most likely know if it's not worth the money for him(I do not want him playing any online multiplayer, so a game I heard has a very bad single player campaign is out the window for him) or will know if the content of the game is okay for him. Sometimes just the game's subject matter will result in an instant "No."

His guardians do not understand modern technology that well, so I am the one helping them out with a good amount of this stuff. I did get him a Call of Duty game, but it was Call of Duty 2. I would not get him anything after the 3rd game for now, though. Especially not World At War.

Depends on the child, and thus up to the parents. I don't believe video games leave that much of an impression on kids, but it might affect some with a mental disorder or something like that. I played GTA since I was like 5, among many other violent games, and the only things I harm are insects.

Speaking of 18+, I was working at a video game store and a mom asked about Watch Dogs. Now, her son, probably the age of 7-9, wanted it and I had to advice her against it. She really seemed to think it's just a car game, but anyone who's played it knows better.

Depends how the kids were raised i guess.

I'd personally say yes. No they shouldnt be able to buy them, but if their parents buy them or they otherwise get a hold of them, there's not much you can do about it.

If your kid knows that what happens in video games and entertainment media in general is completely different than real life and can understand the differences, I don't see any reason why not.

I mean i was like 10 years old playing grand theft auto 3 and spent most of my time picking up hokers and murdering them and going on mass murder rampages, but i've never done anything of the like in real life, so I don't see a problem with it.

Plus kids can find beheading videos and pormo all over the internet much easier than an 18+ game.

Like above, informed consent I think is the important thing.

My son is 3 1/2. Since I'm a big videogame nerd, it was only a matter of time before he started asking questions about all these video games cases I had stacked in shelves all over the house.

The vast majority of them are just obviously too mature for him to be exposed to right now (I've even had to sort through and stash some of the more violent covers somewhere out of sight.) He's really into the Lego games right now. He's been able to figure out how to move the characters around and get them to do things, and I have to help him figure out how to do the puzzles, or which character he needs at different things (but he picked up pretty quick on things like "We need Mr. Fantastic to stand on this spot, or Captain America's shield to open this switch.")

Before I'd picked up the newest Lego Batman and Marvel games (I didn't enjoy some of the older Lego games - Harry Potter I just found annoying, and Star Wars wasn't all that fun either, I thought - especially playing with a younger child,) I did have to struggle a bit with what we could play together. He's a big Batman fan (it was his second word,) and I've got all of the Arkham games. After weeks of him asking to play the Batman game, I did finally cave in. I still had an old save of Arkham Asylum where I'd beat the game but hadn't finished collecting all the trophies and such - without all the fighting it was still a bit scary for him, though - but he liked making Batman run around so much that he still insisted on playing it with me for a bit. (My wife wasn't terribly happy about that - hence me going out and buying more Lego games.)

It's going to be some years before I have to worry about when he's ready for M-rated games, though. I still have to get through deciding when he's ready for T-rated games, really.

I just think it's important that as a parent I know what he's playing. I like that there's a rating system to give you an idea of what to expect, but I still think the responsible thing is to actually see what the game is. And I don't use videogames as a babysitter, either - we still like to get out and play in the park or the back yard and stuff, but one of the things we enjoy doing as father and son is sitting down and playing videogames together.

So as far as when he's ready for more mature games, I think it's just going to be something to look at on a case-by-base basis. Luckily I've got at least something like a decade to figure that out...

Of course not. The rating is there for a reason.

I think that is up to the parent but in most cases, no.

If the child is mature enough, sure let them play their games. I had access to Doom before it was ever released to the public and I was like 9 years old? Probably a bit out of my age range at that point, but my uncle was proud of that game so I got a chance to play it often.

It really is a situational basis, there are some games out there that I don't think anyone under the age of 18 should play because they can involve six and sixual related topics with graphics. Then again, how mature is the individual? Parents need to make the decision there and base it off of "Is my child mature enough for this" and never ever ever consider "how much of a pain in the ass will my child be if I don't buy them this game?"

I did something similar but I was not working, I was just another customer who overheard her child wanting a particular game. I can't remember what it was, but it was a blood fest game with lots of sixual instances....kid was like 10 and the mother had NO IDEA what the game was really about. Actually, it might have been Duke Nukem 3D and she thought it was just a cartoony shooter (which it is, but it still has lots of blood and sixual references). But that was so long ago so I'm not sure...then again, I'm 31 now so maybe it was.

I just remember being in the store, overhead the kid say "Mom, let's get [insert game title]. I saw Bobby's brother playing it and it looked fun." The mom picked up the box and looked at the cover, shrugged and said "Ok". And I immediately just spoke up and "whoa whoa, do you even know what you're providing to your child there? That game has ridiculous amounts of violence and six and while I'm not the parent of your child, I think you need to learn a bit more about that game before actually buying it". To which she was a bit shocked someone actually said something to her because in this day and age it's a taboo to help a parent in parenting, which is a shame because I'm a firm believer in "it takes a village". So I explained to her the game, the gameplay, the plot, the instances...

She put it back and bought him some Pokemon something. And you know what? That kid was still elated to get a video game.