do you pay attention to game ratings?

lord of the mark · December 9, 2003, 16:50

ESA, whenever someone takes issue with violence in games, points to the game rating system (E,T,M).

If you have kids, do you pay attention to the rating when buying games for them, deciding what theyre allowed to buy, or deciding which of the games you own theyre allowed to play or watch? If you played games (PC or console) when you were under 18, did your parents pay attention to the rating?

Princess of the Mark has never requested a game that was not "E" - she has shown some interest in watching me play AOE and Baldurs Gate, both of which are "T" - however, bless her heart, shes mainly interested in the peaceful side of AOE

and in the story aspects of BG. BG (thank you Black isle, Bioware, and Interplay) includes an option to turn off the gorier death graphics, and if POTM chooses to play BG, I'll suggest she use that option.

Asmodean · December 9, 2003, 17:26

Interesting subject, LOTM. Good thread idea.

My child is not yet old enough to want video games. At 18 months his interests in the computer (or puter as he calls it) are limited to laughing when something on the screen is animated, and requesting that I open WinAmp and play some music for him.

But I guess that I, when the time comes, will pay big attention to the rating. I don't particularly believe that a child will become violent by playing violent games and watching violent videos. I believe that other circumstances such as neglect and bad parenthood have to be present for such games to have an impact on the childs' behavior. But I also believe that there is no reason to introduce the concept of violence to early in a childs' life.

I guess my tolerance for this will become greate, the older he gets, but as a rule of thumb, he will not be allowed to watch violent movies or play violent games before the age of 9. Some might think that is too early, but in my family we tend to be quite intelligent (no bragging - it's just a fact) and I trust in my ability to impose the right values on him, so that when he reaches that age, he will be able to tell what is fact and what is fiction. And to distinguish between what you can do in a fantasy world and the real world.

Asmodean

Nubclear · December 9, 2003, 17:32

All of my children are allowed to play any game lest it include pornography.
This means they could be watching someone being killed to death with a chainsaw if they wanted to, because I trust that they can handle it.
However if a neighbor comes over, then they are restricted to anything that's above the agegroup of the neighbor. For example, if a 10 year old comes...Nothing above E. Or a 13 year old...Nothing above T.
Because while they have entered MY house, I do not believe that I should be interfering with their parents parenting.

lord of the mark · December 9, 2003, 18:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
All of my children are allowed to play any game lest it include pornography.
This means they could be watching someone being killed to death with a chainsaw if they wanted to, because I trust that they can handle it.
However if a neighbor comes over, then they are restricted to anything that's above the agegroup of the neighbor. For example, if a 10 year old comes...Nothing above E. Or a 13 year old...Nothing above T.
Because while they have entered MY house, I do not believe that I should be interfering with their parents parenting.

Well im glad you respect the other parents' rights. Thats a real issue.

lord of the mark · December 9, 2003, 18:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Asmodean
Interesting subject, LOTM. Good thread idea.

My child is not yet old enough to want video games. At 18 months his interests in the computer (or puter as he calls it) are limited to laughing when something on the screen is animated, and requesting that I open WinAmp and play some music for him.

But I guess that I, when the time comes, will pay big attention to the rating. I don't particularly believe that a child will become violent by playing violent games and watching violent videos. I believe that other circumstances such as neglect and bad parenthood have to be present for such games to have an impact on the childs' behavior. But I also believe that there is no reason to introduce the concept of violence to early in a childs' life.

I agree with that - people tend to focus on the issue of copycat violence - as a parent im less concerned with that unlikely event as I am with the general impact on mental health, mood, etc of excessive exposure to constant violence. Even at 11 we have tended to avoid violent films and so forth - we dont usually let POTM see PG-13 movies (though I of course have made an exception for Lord of the Rings - weve read the books together, and they have plenty of redeeming material)

BTW, do you have different ratings systems in the EU? (enough americo-centrism

)

Traianvs · December 9, 2003, 18:22

I don't know what the ratings mean, I've never bothered looking at them..

In my opinion the Sims is a far more evil game than a regular first person shooter like SoF where you can slice of limbs and the like.

haven't really given it much thought, but the violence in games is no big deal, unless it really goes extreme, but I don't know much games that overdo it. I mean they see thousands of people killed on TV, or they fight at school with other kids etc..

humans have a tendency to fight and to kill, violent games or not

Skanky Burns · December 9, 2003, 20:28

I pay no attention to ratings - as a matter of fact I couldn't even tell you what the Australian rating system is. But then, I don't have children. I let my 3yo neice play the Sims though.

Dis · December 10, 2003, 00:48

I prefer games rated M

but seriously, no.

lord of the mark · December 10, 2003, 15:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Trajanus
I mean they see thousands of people killed on TV,

well my kid doesnt

Sava · December 10, 2003, 16:12

ratings are for pussies! I started out with Doom and Wolfenstein around age 12 and I turned out okay...

lord of the mark · December 10, 2003, 16:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava
ratings are for pussies! I started out with Doom and Wolfenstein around age 12 and I turned out okay...

Main_Brain · December 10, 2003, 16:24

Germany:

-All Ages
-Age 6
-Age 12
-Age 16
-Age 18
-On Index = Forbidden

The Terms which puts a Game into a certain Category are too much Work to translate now ;=)

Sava · December 10, 2003, 16:51

lotm: violent games... people claiming they mess people up... and me, whom most people consider to be messed up claiming they didn't mess me up...

lord of the mark · December 10, 2003, 17:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava
lotm: violent games... people claiming they mess people up... and me, whom most people consider to be messed up claiming they didn't mess me up...

lord of the mark · December 10, 2003, 17:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Main_Brain
Germany:

-All Ages
-Age 6
-Age 12
-Age 16
-Age 18
-On Index = Forbidden

The Terms which puts a Game into a certain Category are too much Work to translate now ;=)

basically matches ours - EC, E, T, M, A - dont think we have a forbidden though.

also i find the distinction between M and A pretty silly - what, there are some games ok for 18 but not 16 or 17 year olds? Basically in nobody makes mainstream games with an A rating, but plenty with an M. I think they were trying to copy the movie code with its R and X. Also I suppose A ratings go to games with sex while M go to games with excess violence and horror.

rah · December 10, 2003, 17:34

I used to glance at them when my daughter was younger. I only do now when my nephews visit, since one of them is younger.

Asmodean · December 10, 2003, 18:13

One thing though, about ratings: They're too general. I think I'll approach it different. If there is a game or video that my son wants to watch/play, I'll review it myself and decide from that.

I think I can be the better judge about what is appropriate for my son at any given age than any government rating system

Asmodean

rah · December 10, 2003, 18:36

I used to do that, when she was younger, but I stopped being able to keep up with the volume as she got older.

Asmodean · December 10, 2003, 18:43

Yeah....you're probably right

But it does seem the better method, though.

Asmodean

lord of the mark · December 11, 2003, 11:36

Quote:

Originally posted by rah
I used to do that, when she was younger, but I stopped being able to keep up with the volume as she got older.

just how many games did you get your kid? Mine spends most of her time reading, or doing freeform non-electronic roleplaying with her friends (geez, so when we played cowboys and indians we were really roleplaying?

) (her favorite "worlds" are Animorphs and Hogwarts). No console in our house. She occasionally gets a PC game, thats it.

lord of the mark · December 11, 2003, 13:39

Quote:

Originally posted by rah
I used to do that, when she was younger, but I stopped being able to keep up with the volume as she got older.

well thats the point of ratings, isnt it? to help busy parents. I get so tired of smartasses saying in response to every issue like this "its all the parents responsibility - they should monitor everything their kids sees, hears and plays at home, in public, at other kids houses, - so that no one should in any way limit MY precious right to read, hear or play any trash I want" Now im not advocating censorship (which by its nature tends to be abused) but i dont think theres anything wrong with a little help for parents in the cultural jungle.

I would note that the US rating system was, IIUC, implemented after the lobbying of Sen. Joe Leiberman, who is (IIUC)still widely detested in much of the gaming community for his stand.

Traianvs · December 11, 2003, 14:22

you can never start gaming too early

for all non-english speaking kids it's an amazing way to learn english... I could speak english before I had even had 1 lesson at school

rah · December 11, 2003, 15:51

Quote:

Originally posted by lord of the mark
just how many games did you get your kid? Mine spends most of her time reading, or doing freeform non-electronic roleplaying with her friends

Not that many games, so they are easier to monitor. (I usually play most of them with her

)

But its the videos and books. She reads a lot, and gets a lot of movies. I can't possibly prescreen everything. And she's only a few years from going to college so it's time to let her make her some of her own decisions on this stuff. Man, it was so much easier when she was younger and just wanted to read or watch the "little mermaid"

Now she's into horror flics and chick flics. Niether one is my favorite genre.

Main_Brain · December 11, 2003, 16:24

Re: Difference 16-18 Year Games.
16 Years: Go kill something -Project IGI
18 Years: Go kill something to get some Chicks -Duke Nukem 3D

Quote:

Now she's into horror flics and chick flics.

What a Dangerous Combination...
Watch out for Signs that Say 'Stop me before i kill again'
jk

rah · December 11, 2003, 16:58

Yes, but it is disturbing to watch them watching a scene of someone's gruesome death, and they're laughing.........................
Sometimes I don't sleep very well.

Traianvs · December 11, 2003, 18:42

well horror movies usually are supposed to make you laugh in some way or another

I mean the texas chainsaw massacre is just so .... you know

rah · December 15, 2003, 14:52

I don't remember laughing during Alien or the Birds.

I think there's a big difference between true horror flics and campy horror ones.