DC Could Ban 'Mature' Video Game Sales to Minors

Gandhi

Gandhi

New Member
Slashdot

I just saw this on slashdot, it seems interesting, but I don't think its going to work.

I don't think violent games cause kids to do violent things. I think kids with a few screws loose cause kids to do violent things. Also with the internet can u really stop kids from buying certain games. I think most of us grew up playing games like wolfinstine, and doom, and I don't think there are alot of violent guys on the forum.

If it goes through come to your friends up north and get any games u like.
 
mechboy said:
Slashdot

I just saw this on slashdot, it seems interesting, but I don't think its going to work.

I don't think violent games cause kids to do violent things. I think kids with a few screws loose cause kids to do violent things. Also with the internet can u really stop kids from buying certain games. I think most of us grew up playing games like wolfinstine, and doom, and I don't think there are alot of violent guys on the forum.

If it goes through come to your friends up north and get any games u like.
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I completly agree with you mechboy. I've been playing games since I was three and Doom was the very first one I played.
 
I agree with anyone who says that video games don't cause people to be violent.

However, I am 100% supportive of these kinds of laws. Not because I believe youngin's shouldn't be allowed to play M rated games (I've been playing them for who knows how long). But because I think it will force parents to take more notice of what their kids are playing.

If a 12 year old wants Grand Theft Auto (though why anyone would want it is beyond me), then I think it makes perfect sense that their mum or pop should know that they're buying it, and what they're playing.

This will also benefit the industry, and retail outlets, as it helps to prevent parents from claiming stupid stuff like, "I had no idea what my child was playing!" (Even though there are about a million resources that inform people of the content of games...)

Will it reduce crime? Probably not. But overall I still think it's a good law.
 
U make a good point, but I think most new parents grew up playing these games, and I know alot of guys who play these games with their kids. Not GTA, I think that game is ok for kids 13 and up but not yonger. But they play cs and halo ( i think its mature, I might be wrong) together and I think thats great. I think before parents didn't know since these kind of games are new to them. But most parents now grew up playin video games and they know what is appropriate and whats not.

But i think parents should pay attention, if little jimmy is playin with matches and is chasing the dog with a knife, maybe GTA or cs is not a good game for them, maybe they should be playin pacman.
 
I agree and disagree.

I agree cause, yes, violent games does not make violent people.

However, I disagree cause, some in europe & asia, do violent acts cause of violent games:

Some guy was trying to copy from Duke Nukem, he had a gun and wanted to kill people in a theatre, like in the game Duke Nukem 3D, good thing tho, the police evacuated the people from the theatre before that guy had gotten in the theatre.

Its in one of my gaming magazines, I dont know which, I got over 50 of them!

Its odd though, older people admit their violent acts cause of violent games, not younger people. :eek:
 
but u look at the amount of people that have done violent acts because of games, compared to gamers that are good people. People like to blame everyone except taking responsobility for their own actions.
 
I think that violent games should not be purchased my minors, but ultimately it is up to the parent. DC has a lot bigger problems to deal with beyond regulating video game sales. Plus, any minor who wants the game will find a way to get it. I did not see anything about online purchases mentioned.

It looks like they are trying to band-aid a problem instead of look at the root cause. The overall percentage of minors who commit horrible acts based on a video game is probably small. Focusing on strengthening the family would probably provide a greater return of investment.

Gen
 
I agree with Genesis here. Its a bandaid for a problem the Goverment cannot fix. Parents need to take more responsibility of what their kids watch, play, listen to, and who they are around.

But I guess that why I'm not in politics.

Cory

Genesis1315 said:
I think that violent games should not be purchased my minors, but ultimately it is up to the parent. DC has a lot bigger problems to deal with beyond regulating video game sales. Plus, any minor who wants the game will find a way to get it. I did not see anything about online purchases mentioned.

It looks like they are trying to band-aid a problem instead of look at the root cause. The overall percentage of minors who commit horrible acts based on a video game is probably small. Focusing on strengthening the family would probably provide a greater return of investment.

Gen
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Question then.

you all seem to be in agreement that vedio games do not make a person violent.

Why is it a proven fact in case studies than that a child who watches more violent TV/ plays violent vedio games is more likely to be violent.

Why is it many of the most herandous and nortious murders in US history all owned a copy or more of Catcher in the Rye.
 
The government banning all violent games and movies tv shows, heck take away all pornography off market, do away with anything and everything.. the problem lies in this... Freedom....... while I dont agree with games like GTA, its a parents right to decide to allow thier children to play, and also their right to teach them how to seperate right from wrong... i play violent video games, have for a while..... but I know the difference....

I recently attended a meeting for my job, and in a room of about 500 people, a guy stood up to ask our v.p. of operations if he knew this or that... and his response was "theres no good subsitute for proper training" the same here.... theres nothing that will fix parents ignoring their children like it is so common to do so know.. the problem isnt the games, its the games replacing the parents...
 
It comes down to good parenting. I grew up watching war movies, and violent action movies with my dad. I was not allowed to watch James Bond and anything with nudity or sexual scenes, but I watched people getting killed and stuff like that since I was 6 years maybe even younger. But I used to always watch them with my dad sitting besides me. And even though I wanted to join the army, well until I saw saving private ryan, I was never a violent guy. I've always walked away from most fights because I was afraid I'd hurt the guy.
I know there are some kids that want to reinact things they see in movies, but I think kids who go beat someone up or kill someone because they saw it on the tv were messed in the head to begin with.

And catcher in the rye wasn't that only found on guys who have commmited famous asasnations, kenedy, lennon, lincoln etc.

It comes down to parents spending more time at work and using the tv as a babysitter. Has anyone watched that show super nanny or something like that. If I had talked back to my parents the way those kids talk to theirs I'd get my butt kicked.
ANd yes I know I can't spell.

p.s. I just came back from Monster Trucks, can anyone say grave digger.

edit, sry for cursing, I forgot all about it, till I just read through it again.
 
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I think that the parents need to have more control over what games their children play or buy. My Aunt probably doesn't know that her children (14 and 12) are playing games like GTA:SA, Doom 3, etc. etc....and she probably doesn't care because she just doesn't know how "bad" these games might be for her children.

I think that there should be parental consent when buying 'M' rated games, anyway. The ESRB doesn't always do a good job on rating games. You know, they play through portions of the game and thus, the "You can't judge a book by it's cover" phrase come into play. This leads to games that could be inacurrately rated. One game, Super Smash Brothers Melee, comes to mind. The game is rated 'T' for violence. I do not consider the game all that violent...and I think it should have been rated 'E' for violence instead. Some games [such as GTA, Doom 3, Playboy: The Mansion, etc.) are properly rated 'M', while other games like Halo are not as bad in terms of content. There is some cussing, there are some blood splats, but not enough, in my opinion, to deem an 'M' rating. My 7 year old brother plays Halo with me all the time on multiplayer!

So, I think that some games might be inacurrately rated, and we should be enforcing the ban against minors buying games over their age range. But at the same time, I also think that some games are not 'worthy' of getting an 'M' rating.

My $0.02!
biggrin.gif
 
If I thought my kids were mature enough I would let them play games like doom and gta at a age of 12 and up. It all depends on the kid.
I've seen kids that were 6 that acted more mature than most 16 year olds. It depends on how they were raised.
But thats just me, and I'm a GTA fan.
 
Heh, you people should watch, Icons, on G4TV. It showed how ESRB was formed. Better yet, the show, Icons, shows how many companys made their games. Such as: Fighting Games, Tetris, Dead or Alive, etc.

Its very cool to see what they did 50 years ago and what they did now.

So, I think that some games might be inacurrately rated, and we should be enforcing the ban against minors buying games over their age range.
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But, you do realize, minors dont buy the games, their parents buy the games.
Now, if minors brought the game with their own money, they are responsible/mature enough. If they beg their parents to buy a game for them, then they are not responsible/mature.
 
I've seen that 'Icons' how before....I saw how Sega got around...cool show.

So what did they say about the ESRB?
 
Why is it a proven fact in case studies than that a child who watches more violent TV/ plays violent vedio games is more likely to be violent.
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mmmmm, case studies could be the culprit on this, but it also could just be the lack of parental involvement for those who are playing the games....

As a parent, I know I am responsible for the games, movies, etc that my daughter watches. I must be honest, playing Dora the Explorer was not really how I wanted to spend a Saturday afternoon, but how else am I going to know the circumstances that the game will present? I know that I will probably not catch everything. I am there with my daughter while she plays a game for the first couple weeks. I want to know what she is going to take away from the games.

To the youth: how many of your parents have a clear understanding of the games you play?

Gen
 
Atleast we can agree on something Gen.
:)
I just want to say Dora isn't as bad as playing barbie. Have u ever been quized on the names of all your daughters dolls :confused: .
 
To the youth: how many of your parents have a clear understanding of the games you play?
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To answer that, none of my 'parents' have a clear understanding of the games I play.

My mom isnt the type to play games, I cant blame her.

My dad is the type to play games, I cant blame him.

So, they have no idea if violent games affect me in any way.

I've played so many 'Mature' games, I dont think my 'parents' even knew it was bad. Like my full of cd racks shows, Mature: M Content rated by ESRB, except about 5% that isnt 'Mature' games.

Funny, I never gave it much thought about the ESRB when I have all those 'Mature' games.

So what did they say about the ESRB?
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www.g4tv.com

The website of the many, many video/computer game shows on 1 channel. :eek:

http://www.g4techtv.com/icons/episodes/1274/ESRB.html
 
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I love it when parents blame their terrible parenting on the media. If you don't want it to affect your child, try this: DON'T LET THEM SEE/HEAR/PLAY IT.

Case in point; my parents never let me watch television without their supervision when I was a kid, and now I have a strong distaste for the shallowness and corruption of it all; whereas most of my friends wonder how I can "live without it".
 
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