I Just Had a Video Game Debate With my Parents

[Samwise137]

Last night over dinner, my mum asked how I felt about the recent California vs. Video Games supreme court case. I NEVER like to debate video games with my parents because a) they never let me play them as a kid; if I wanted to I had to go to my buddy's house and b) because they know my standpoint almost as well as I do (considering they raised me) and it turns into an attack Zach's hobby fest (complete with shouting and a loss of appetite). Needless to say, my parents were okay with my playing things like Mario or Pokemon or even MegaMan but the minute I tried to bring StarCraft into the house, forget it. They threw a fit. I do, of course, understand their reasoning but I think it may have been a bit harsh. I can understand it if I had been, say, 11 but considering I was 16 at the time...I just don't know. I was wondering if anyone else has ever tried to civilly discuss video game censorship etc with their folks and what parents other than my own have to say on the subject.

 

[The Cheezy One]

My mum was always OK with gaming, just setting a 3 hour daily limit when I was younger. my dad disapproved of gaming, and still does, as does anyone that grew up solely in the real world, but still bought me games, and even asked if I wanted Fable 3 for Christmas. Seriously. That is how great a dad this guy is. I hope I can be half the man this guy is.

 

[Anah'ya]

I made my mom watch me play games on the Super Nintendo and N64 when I was a kid, then continued to bug her when I moved on to the PC. She grew so tired of it she eventually just let me do and play whatever I wanted, long as I didn't make her sit beside me while I squealed with delight as I barreled my way through the original Unreal.

...

My parents never really cared. They knew I was mentally stable enough to draw the line.

How wrong they were.

*grins*

 

[Samwise137]

Starcraft?

Yeah, 'cause that'll turn you into a murderer -_-

I know right? And by 16, I already knew I was a pacifist. Still am. Always will be.

 

[Bocaj2000]

The court has to decide if games are art. Some are, some aren't. If the game invokes an emotional or mental stimulation (and no, "shoot shit" doesn't count), then it's art. For example, Unreal Tournament isn't art (fun as hell though), but Mass Effect is.

My opinion is that it should be treated like every other media medium. There shouldn't be censorship, but culturally the makers should know what will sell in the US. For example Rapeplay might not cut it; Gears of War would.

 

[L4hlborg]

My parents are completely fine with games. We do have some disagreements in the amount of time I can play, but they don't think that the games will make me go crazy or anything.

 

[Stephanos132]

Video games are still a relatively new media form, and so will always attract controversy from the proverbial old guard. Naturally, thanks to my personal bias as a young person and a gamer, I'm going to say your parents are over-reacting somewhat, particularly if you are as peaceful as you claim. Then again, it's their perogative as parents to direct their child along what they think/hope is the correct path. Whether or not their judgement is sound is, unfortunately, up for debate.

As for me, the issue was never so much what I played but who I played with. Online gaming was a no-no for a while, as my mother assumed that it was a hotbed of paedo's grooming impressionable young boys like I was. Now I'm old enough and ugly enough to make and live with my own decisions, there's little they can say other than, 'Don't hog the telly.'

 

[oplinger]

..Never really talked to my parents about playing games. They raised me well enough to know how to use the brain inside my head. They've let me play games since I was 3. They've never had a problem with me playing violent games (Come on, doom looks -nothing- like real life >.>) They got me The Ultimate Doom for christmas...

I guess I got lucky, but my parents sort of let me figure stuff out on my own, and if I went too far they'd kick me back in line.

Also I think your parents suck if they'd bring up an argument fully knowing your standpoint just to nitpick. That's a good reason to avoid your parents at all costs imo.

...Also that story brings me to one question...

you were 16 for Starcraft? ...that makes you ...27? <.< or did you mean starcraft 2? Because if you're 27 that story really strikes me as weird...

 

[Tasachan]

When we got our PS2, my dad was the first one to beat FFX. He really likes videogames, but he never has the time to play them. The only reason he played that one so much was because he wanted to know the ending.
My mom just thinks videogames are a waste of time. She doesn't like it when she's in the same room and she hears a slew of swear words, but then she just asks us to turn it down. But... I don't think either of them really have an opinion on censorship.

On the flip side, now that I'm a parent, I think I'm pretty lax on the censorship. My son is two and he loves playing Lego Batman with me. He watches Spiderman (the movie, not the cartoon) every day. And he gets really excited when he sees us playing MW2 online ("You're gonna get the sneaky!" ... the guys are sneaky I guess?). I try to play this when he's in bed, but there is the occasional time where he'll get up and come sit on my lap and watch me play. My four-year-old isn't as good with those kinds of things, he gets upset when Wall-E gets zapped for example, so when he's around this stuff isn't on.

 

[jackpipsam]

I wasn't really allowed to play GTA till I was 15 (legal age in aus). but I do think 10 years olds play that kind of game is just retarded

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Starcraft?

Yeah, 'cause that'll turn you into a murderer -_-

Given Korea, it's possibly one of the most likely to turn you into a murderer, sadly.

 

[comadorcrack]

My Dad played C64 with my brothers. So when I came along, me and my gaming was no surprise. My parents understand that I can tell what real and what isn't, they know I'm not going to crazy. They may not understand gaming as much as I'd like, but at least they know to leave me too it =)

The only thing mum will do, Is if I swear or shout at a game, She comes and turns it off.
"You can't be having fun if you're getting angry"

¬¬

 

[Spygon]

My mum never really understood them but me and my dad have proper chats about them.He doesnt play video games but we talk about stories,characters and other non gameplay parts that is really cool as he brings up books,films and real events as we talk about them.As he really seems intrested and seems to understand it really well.

 

[Wutaiflea]

My mum questioned whether I should be gaming once, during my Street Fighter phase, when I was about 7.
I think this was completely reasonable, because I was so little and the games were violent, but my mum seemed satisfied that I could see video game violence and real life violence differently, and it never came up again. Not to mention, the chances of me doing a Chun Li bird kick in the playground were pretty fucking slim.

I think violent games with a more realistic bent, like GTA etc, should be left to kids/adults. Children should understand the clear boundaries between make believe and reality before they're allowed to blur the two, in my opinion.

 

[therandombear]

I play games, lots, but my parents call it silly.
Gotta be the worst thing I've heard about games from my parents xD
That it's silly

[sub]tis a silly place[/sub]

 

[Altorin]

My mom was a huge JRPG gamer until arthritis made it painful for her to hold a controller for extended periods of time.

However, I did have to convince both of my parents that dungeons and dragons wasn't evil, and my mom DID make me return both Diablo and Mortal Kombat 3 (although I later reacquired Diablo)

 

[Superior Mind]

A good parent will take an interest in their kids' consumption of media and should be able to make calls about what games their kids play. My folks kept me from certain games as a kid, (Duke Nukem, GTA,) because they believed that the content wasn't appropriate for a nine year old. At the time I was pissed off. Friends of mine got to play these, why couldn't I? In retrospect it was a good parenting move. If all parents did this there wouldn't be any need for that clusterfuck of a Suprme Court case at the moment aimed at "helping parents protect kids" - bollocks, if they wanted to protect their kids they could just see what their kids are playing and keep them from playing what they deem to be inappropriate.

Which brings me to you I suppose Sam. While personally I see no problem with Starcraft and think your parents being against you, a 16 year old, playing it is a bit of an over reaction I certainly respect their right to make it. Basically you have three options: go along with your parents, (hardly an option,) engage in discussion with your parents more, explain where you're coming from, (can be a frustrating excercise and unless you're the David Lange type of debater you'll only ever win small victories,) or lastly, grow up, (literally.) Personally I used a combination of the last two. At 18 your parents should realise that you're legally an adult and they can't make calls about what kind of media you consume. I mean if you're still living at home or playing games on their computer they probably still have some sway but the obvious solutions to that is to buy your own computer or move out or preferably both.

 

[aPod]

My mom was a huge JRPG gamer until arthritis made it painful for her to hold a controller for extended periods of time.

However, I did have to convince both of my parents that dungeons and dragons wasn't evil, and my mom DID make me return both Diablo and Mortal Kombat 3 (although I later reacquired Diablo)

Haha, my mom flipped her lid when she found out Black & White was a god simulator... I didn't have to return it but that was about the climax of her antivideogameness.

Fortunately, I ended up pretty well rounded, never did drugs only drank a few times completely done away with it now so she was always happy to buy me whatever game so long as I kept excelling in school and sports and I did. Until i graduated and couldn't afford college then video games were evil again.

 

[linwolf]

My dad disapproved of gaming. When I was a kid he had the rule that for every two hours I spend outside I got a half hour of gaming. Not too bad since I loved playing outside.