Poll: Should gore and violence cause games to get an M rating?

[Randomeaninglessword]

I ask this because of several things. The first being cases from certain countries, like Germany, in which stuff like that is banned from video games. For example, the bloody mess perk in Fallout 3 was changed so that it would only add weapon damage, and that you can't shoot off limbs.

The second point comes from Halo. No matter how we feel about it, there are a lot of younger kids who play it, hell, most of the players are teens, even though it has an M rating. The reasons listed for this are, among other things, Violence and Extreme Gore.

My question is, should these things be censored/jack up the ratings like this? Knowing that violence is everywhere and does come naturally, even to toddlers, and that gore is just a graphic depiction of the human or animal anatomy?

An example being, when I was 12 walking with my friend, we found a dead bird with its head caved in and its brain falling out, that would get a game an M rating. I've also been playing games like Starcraft and Warcraft since I was 4, but it hasn't affected me.

Also, I'm not talking about keeping younger kids off of online games, that's not the topic, so you'll have to keep that bottled inside for a little bit longer.

 

[Zani]

Yes they should so little kids won't play them.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

Yes, I hate hearing high pitched screeches while playing Gears of War 2.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Yes violence and gore can warp a young child's mind, in a bad way.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

I think it prepares people for real life.
accidents happen. people get hit by cars. people get shot.
The government can can't censore real life, so what's to bother with games?
I mean, sure, don't go showing horror movies to little children, and teach them 68 ways to kill unarmed, but surely if they're teens they've seen something along those lines anyway.
so not little children.
which means that I agree with age ratings by warping my own arguement against me...

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

yep,otherwise the 1 out of 347 kids that don't get games because of the M will find out about how cool it is to mutilate someone

 

[Christemo]

only for games like God of War, DMC, Gears of War, RE and COD: WaW.

 

[Proteus214]

I've been playing violent video games since the age of 5, and I turned out fine. People should be made aware that there is gore and violence in video games, but that shouldn't necessarily deter them from a purchase. If someone is truly disturbed and/or sickened by gore and violence, then they do have the choice not to make the purchase.

 

[SquirrelPants]

Pffffffffffffft, no. In a lot of countries, age ratings don't exist, and a lot less children play these games. The fact that the game says that it's only for adults makes the children want to play it more.

I understand that the ratings exist to protect people and to try and keep companies from getting sued and whatnot, but without the age ratings less children would be attracted toward the super violent games.

 

[annoyinglizardvoice]

I think it depends on the nature and realism of the violence, but the mindset of the individual is far more important than their age.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

This is really obvious, yes, anything inappropriate should cause the rating to spike.

 

[Left4Meds]

If blood sperts out all over the screen thats a definate yes, but simple bullet wounds where only a little blood comes out like a little flash.

 

[Ohgr]

I think the whole argument regarding "real life" is a bit silly. I live in real life, and I've never seen someone decapitated or shot to pieces. However, if I had witnessed such an event at any age, let alone prior to adulthood, I would prefer the incident to be frightening and damaging rather than a simple case of "I've seen that before". I guess what I am saying is, I think desensitizing is a bad thing. Obviously graphics aren't at that point, but imaginations can run away with things, can't they.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not fond of censorship, but a rating system is hardly the kind of censorship I oppose. Now I live in Canada not Germany so maybe I am not in a position to really talk about how the rating system can be strongest utilized.

 

[Zarthek]

It all depends on the amount of blood, I don't see much on Halo multiplayer, but on a game like say..... Quake would definatly fit an M.

Basicly Some blood = E10 to T and a good amount of blood would be M+

 

[fix-the-spade]

Yes they should.

It always strikes me as both perverse and sickening that sex is considered more taboo than violence.
It's very odd, one is actually pretty important to your existence and the other is centered around ending it, yet we shield kids from seeing the former. Then people wonder why teenage pregnancy happens...

 

[VargRaev]

Depends on the amount of Blood, if its hearts that are being ripped out and thrats that are being slit, then definately yes, but if its just a little blood when you hit the enemy, then no

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Of course.

Blood, sex, alcohol...all these things are regulated because society believes children and younger audiences aren't ready for such things, and for the most part they are right. In another lifetime perhaps not, but not now. Now we can't just leave children to etch out their own path, they can do that when they are adults.

Most children aren't stupid, but at the end of the day, some young people's minds can be warped with ease.

I admit that children are shielded a tad too much, but in other cases it's fine.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Where in Halo is there exetreme gore? In least in CoD 5 you can blow limbs off.

Also, it depends. Seeing someone getting a cut or something broken is fine, but seeing somebodies guts oozing out really isn't.

 

[Xyphon]

Yes, they should. There ARE parents out there that don't let their kids play gory and violent games. If you were one of those parents, how would you feel if you rented a game called Diddy Kong Gardening and found out you weren't planting, but tearing each other limb from limb in a backyard?