Poll: What age did you start playing M rated games

[Something Amyss]

I don't remember there being ratings on games at the time I was a minor. The ESRB supposedly started in 1994, but I don't remember titles like Doom (I played the SNES version, as I didn't have a computer at the time) having a rating at the point I first played them. Same with Mortal Kombat, and I played both the cleaner SNES version and the Sega Genesis version.

I've been playing violent video games since the early 90s, though.

 

[Stravant]

3-6 for T rated, with the Age of Empires series, 7-12 for M rated with the Halo series.

 

[Valdus]

Oddly I waited till I was an "adult" before playing adult games. Though it was also due to me simply not being interested in most "adult" games (since they were usually just dark and gritty or something like a zombie game, wasn't much variety in the old days).

Being honest I still don't enjoy many 18 rated games (though there are exceptions). Games I've been playing recently include Sonic Generations, Rayman, and Dark Souls, only one of which is intended for mature audiences and even if it wasn't I would probably still love it.

 

[Bobbity]

Maybe eight? Those ratings systems are - mostly - a load of nonsense.

 

[RatRace123]

13 if I remember correctly. Fable was the first M rated game I owned.

Good choice, one of my favorite original Xbox games.

 

[Angry Camel]

I do remember playing some of the original Halo when I was realy young, but I think the first one I bought myself was Ninja Gaiden (which got MA15+ here. The decapitations were censored).

 

[MiscellaneousNPC]

The first M rated game that I can remember playing was Mortal Kombat 1992, 11 years old.

 

[Grygor]

Question's almost irrelevant in my case, as I was already 15 when the ESRB started. Although I had played games that would later be rated M by the time I was 13...not that that's really all that big of a deal,since I saw my first R-rated movie when I was 5.

 

[Pebblig]

M is 18 right? I only really started playing 15 rated games at about 14, and only started playing 18 rated at 16 (Thank god for the ability to purchase things through the internet regardless of the age rating).

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

I think I played Grand Theft Auto 3 when I was about 8. Damn enjoyed it too, still dont know how I managed to beat it back then because some of those missions are hard >_<

 

[Calum9218]

I remember playing War Gods on the Nintendo 64 when I was around 8. For those who have not played, think of Mortal Kombat in almost every single way.

 

[bullman422]

Well I was an adult years before the rating system ever took place but if you want to know the first game I ever played that ever got a mature rating (when it was know back then as the MA rating) then it was Robocob vs. The terminator.

 

[Genericjim101]

Duke Nukem and GTA 1&2 at 9 years old *shrug* XD

 

[GonzoGamer]

When did that crap start?
I think I was already of age when they started that.

 

[sextus the crazy]

first owned M-rated: Company of heroes @ age 13 (one of the best buys of my life.)

first played M-rated: Mortal Kombat 64 (age 7-8ish) (dad wasn't very responsible)

 

[RedLister]

played doom when i was 4. Think that was one of the 1st pc games i actually ever played.

 

[go-10]

it was back in 92 I was either 7 or 8 I played Night Trap for SegaCD, game sucks ass but it was cool at the time

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I played many games that would have received an M rating had the ESRB existed at the time. I played Wolfenstein in 1992 for example (the shareware version) and would have been ~ 10.

 

[bossfight1]

Well my parents refused to let me play any m rated games until they finally figured out that they could see the game's content on the back of the box. I could have told them this, had they been willing to let me try to CONVINCE them. I understand not letting your 9 year old play Drug-Selling Pimp 2: Back with a semi-automatic vengeance, but when your child is at least 12 you should at least give them a chance to show that they can handle all the blood, guts and nudity thrown at them.

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

I played and beat GTA: SA when I was 11.

...and that's really all you can say.