Would you let YOUR kids play?

[VanityGirl]

I'm not going to make this into a poll for a few reasons, the main being that I don't want people to just vote and not elaborate on their choices.

The older I get, the more the world of games opens up to me. When I was young, the most violent game I played was Mortal Kombat. It was sprite animation and my mom didn't care that my brother and I ripped each other's spins out (in game).

However, the older I got, and the more animation improved, the more advanced and more graphic games got. My mom said no to me playing House of the Dead and Resident Evil because she was afraid they would scare me. I watched my brother play them and yes, I got scared.

Nowadays, we have games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, GTAIV, Dead or Alive, Godfather, Saints Row, and of course, the list goes on.


How many games would I let my kids play from the ones I mentioned? Probably none.

Why? Would I be a bad parent? Actually, no, I wouldn't. If my child is 8 and I'm letting them play an M game that I have not first played myself (or at least researched) then I feel like I would be doing them a disservice.

A game like Halo 3, I would let them play (not online).

(If you're wondering, I wouldn't want my kids to play Mass Effect when they're very young because I don't want to have to explain why shephard is 'wrestling' with the ladies.)


My question would be, would you let you kids play M games or T games when they are not teenagers?

 

[keybird]

Triple post FTL

I would let my kids play most games but I wouldn't let them talk online much. Simply that everyone online is a dick who overuses the term "******"

 

[SnowCold]

No, they won't steal my playtime

 

[Jedoro]

My kids could play T games whenever, M and online games when they get into high school.

 

[GodsAndFishes]

Some games I would, like Halo, but others like Gears of War I'd wait until they're older.

 

[JEBWrench]

Generally speaking, no, we don't. But only after we've played the game ourselves and decided what is and isn't appropriate.

Of course, we do that for any game, movie, book, or entertainment media.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

I'd let my kid play games, but restrict which ones, depending on age, like my Dad (another gamer) did. The worst I could play when I was about 10 was Mafia, and that was after he'd played it himself, to see what it was like. Luckily my parents are quite liberal and know kids find ways of doing forbidden things, so they weren't uber-strict, but they made sensible decisions based on game content and my maturity.

 

[DrEmo]

Hmm... depends. Emotional scarring isn't the only problem since kids imitate EVERYTHING. So I guess I wouldn't let them play anything without telling them it's all fake.

I have vivid memories of jumping on and off the kitchen table/couches in a blue jacket yelling "IM MEGAMAN!" and trying to run like sonic.

 

[sean.A7x]

Any games they want i don't think violence hurts children, assuming i have kids which i wont, the money steeling bastards =D

 

[Neonbob]

I would not let my kid play an M-rated game until they are about...15.
And if they asked to, I'd play them a sound clip of the typical younger kid online, give them a stern look, and be done with it.
The auditory rape should persuade them to stop asking.

 

[Dublin Solo]

I suppose that in order to let mt kids play, I'd have to HAVE kids in the first place.

And since kids have a high probability of turning into fucking angsty teens, I'd rather be lobotomized than have kids in the first place. Among other reasons, of course.

So, no. I won't let my kids play.

 

[saejox]

10 is the new 18.
they grow and learn too fast these days.
my brother was 8 when he finished fallout 2, he found it funny and engaging.
believe me they are not small as you think they are.

although when he asked me "what is Masturbation?" i stumbled.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Depends on both the game and how my children will turn out.

I'll definitely play the game in question first, and if I deem my kid to be responsible enough to handle that content properly I will let them play it, regardless of sexual or violent content. Of course that means that if I don't, the game will stay in my locked game cabinet.

For example, if I know my 11-year-old is afraid rather quickly, I won't let them play a game like Dead Space. If I know he'd go ape shit over gore and treat it as something completely wicked and fantastic and wonderful and all that, I won't let him play say Gears of War or L4D2.

First learn to behave normally about it, then you can blast away. If you learn that on the age of 13, fine.

 

[Broady Brio]

I played Mortal Kombat 3 when I was about 3. I was shit at it.

Next 18 game? GTA 3 when I was 10.

Yeah 10 is good enough.

 

[ssgt splatter]

I'd let them play T rated games but M I'd have to research on before I let them have it.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Depends on the M-rated game and depends on the kid...

For example I would let a 12 year old play Dead Space or Resident Evil, if they thought they could handle it however I wouldn't let anyone under 16 get near a Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row title, and even then that's debatable. I'd be pretty good with letting a kid aged 10 and up play any of the Halo games, though I'd be concerned about online interactions. Similarly age 12 and up would be good for titles like Fallout, Mass Effect, Oblivion or either of the Assassins Creed games. Gears of War is definitely a 16+ title as well.

I don't know where the Call of Duty titles or Killzone 2 would sit in my rating. Any of the World War 2 based shooters would be fine for 12+ (that shit be... educational?) but I'd be a little wary of exposing anyone under 15 or 16 to some of the stuff in COD 4. And the language/writing in Killzone 2 is just atrocious.