do you pay attention to game ratings?

[lord of the mark]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I prefer games rated M

but seriously, no.

[lord of the mark]

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

well my kid doesnt

[Sava]

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

[lord of the mark]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.