So we should all know by now that GTA V is out now and many the world over are reveling in its glory. It has gotten great reviews all across the board and is a shoe in for game of the year. We are here this time though not to further propagate how awesome the game is but talk about an underlying issue. As any gamer knows the Grand Theft Auto series has always been at the center of controversy with every iteration of the game. With its blatant violence, epic portrayal of sex & nudity or its wanton disregard for the law the GTA series has hardly ever been on the good side of the news. Always pushing boundaries forcing the question how much is too much...? The above video showcases an eleven year old receiving the game before launch as a present from seemingly his parents. This video got loads of mixed reviews from disgust & admonition to adoration & humor. It raises a serious question though as far as what the industry is doing in rating games if parents are still buying games not intended for their kids. Now granted I won't be the one to knock the parents or say if they should or shouldn't have given the kid the game but some of the content in the game is truly questionable. More noteworthy is the scene of torture that takes place in game that many news stations have cited as a major point of controversy in the game. Now granted I don't know how well they raised their child and for all I know he could have worked really hard to earn it getting good grades or doing household chores. So essentially the question becomes would you let your own child play the game and how do effectively raise your child to be able to deal with the mature content of the game that he is more than likely going to come into contact with?
I also want to highlight an article that was on Kotaku today in regards to GTA V and under age gamers copied and pasted below for your viewing pleasure:
I Sold Too Many Copies of GTA V To Parents Who Didn't Give a Damn
Dear Parents... We need to talk. There is something that has been eating at me for awhile, and I have had enough.
I have been working in video game retail for almost 10 years now. I love my job. Some of my best memories begin with loving, bewildered parents walking into our store, naïve to the gaming world but eager to learn. I would find myself talking to them about platform choices, game franchises, and getting started online. I'd then enlighten them with my own gaming experiences with my kids. This approach got them interested in what their children were doing and encouraged them to play the games alongside their kids.
There is no better feeling than a happy parent returning to my store, pleased with my previous advice, and wanting more product.
So, when a new Mario, LittleBigPlanet, Pokémon, or any kid-friendly game comes out I will be there, excited to sell that game to your kids. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board(ESRB), rates these games as being appropriate for kids.
Was it your son that came in with a giant jar filled with change to buy Minecraft? He was a couple dollars shy, but don’t worry, I covered it. His look of excitement as he ran out of the store was more than enough to cover the shortfall.
Last week my store sold over a thousand copies of GTA V, at least a hundred of which were sold to parents for children who could barely even see over my counter.
Now that you know the best part of my job. Let me tell you about the worst part.
Every week, new M-rated games are released. Some are more of an M than others. I have no problem letting my kids watch me play M-rated games like Halo, Skyrim, and Fable. Then there are the games like Duke Nukem, Saints Row, and Grand Theft Auto, which are the very reason I am writing this letter today.
Last week my store sold over a thousand copies of GTA V, at least a hundred of which were sold to parents for children who could barely even see over my counter.
Over the years, I have watched the size, story, and graphics of games evolve to provide better player immersion and realism. This is true for all kinds of games, including M-rated games.
When I recite the phrases from the ESRB ratings box on the back cover of an M-rated game and it just goes right over your head I feel the need to be more specific. So I mention things like a game having a first-person view of half-naked strippers or that the game has a mission that forces you to torture another human being.
In response, I often hear things like, "Oh, it's for my older son" or "All his friends already have it."
Then I wonder to myself how often the youngest child watches the “older son” playing and if “all his friends” were to jump off a cliff… I don't tell you these things because I don't like your parenting style. It is because, when I look at little Timmy there in my store, I can't help but picture him as the little boy sitting across the table from my daughter in her first grade class.
I often hear things like, "Oh, it's for my older son" or "All his friends already have it."
Now this is where those of you who are not parents will sound off with "you should let them judge" or "I killed hookers in GTA III when I was five and I turned out fine." That is great. I accept your opinion. Although, when your daughter comes home from elementary school crying because someone called her a b***h, you might change your tune.
I love the things that people like Mike from Penny Arcade are doing to educate parents about game ratings and games that are good or bad for kids. I love that the ESRB has been pumping out more advertisements to raise awareness of game ratings.
I just ask that you look at the box, ask an associate for guidance, or just be more involved.
Lastly, when I try to describe the content and warnings of an M-rated game to you, please don't ignore me and nod while scrolling through your iPhone.
We are there to help.
Thank you, Kotaku, for letting me speak.
Sincerely,
- Your Average Video Game Retail Veteran
At the end of the day in this new age of technology where our children are being exposed to knowledge and experiences at a much faster pace traditional parenting values and methods have had to adapt with the times. Granted GTA V is rated M the onus is still on the parents themselves to know their child and to make the final call if they think this is something they are ok with exposing their child to. The kid in the video up top is supposedly 11 years old. I personally think thats borderline too young but he may very well be a responsible and mature for his age 11 year old. Personally if I had a child I might want to wait until they are like 13 and officially a teenager before being ok exposing them to such content. I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are though so please do leave a comment below...
4 comments
game ratings should be treated like movie ratings...it's straight forward...letting kids play Mature rated games is just like letting them watch cartoon porn just because you feel cartoons are meant for kids...
but then if thats the case all that is needed is parental supervision for the children to partake in it just like when going to a movie.
Parents should be teachers for their children from the start. We should pass down the lessons we learned as we got older so our kids don't have to go through the same things we did in order to understand what we already know. Keeping an open dialogue with your children makes them more comfortable about discussing "adult aspects" of the world that they start to come across as they get older. More than likely, we have had experiences that are the same, and we can share that knowledge. It is a parents own decision on whether they want to expose their children to adult content no matter what the rating. That's just how it is. I would much rather have parents expose this type of content to their children and have an open dialogue with them about it instead of them learning it from a kid at school.
indeed this is very much true.. if parents do what is needed to educate their children appropriately then they can make the concious decision to separate fiction from reality.