"I sold too many copies of GTAV to parents who didn't give a damn"

[TheSleepyBeauty]

I know this is a strange concept, however, there used to be these places called "Arcades."  For all the youngsters out there, that is where us old fuggers went to play games.  At the time, the first Mortal Kombat was an envelop pusher.  Also, there were no regulations.  You didn't get the guy running the arcade holding kids back from MK.  We all got to rip hearts out and pull heads with spinal columns off torsos, no matter what age.  

 

I think if a kid finds it ok to mimic in real life what is portrayed through video games, there is something much deeper wrong with the child.  Parents need to start being held responsible for their lack of parenting.  By the way, yes, if you don't notice something seriously wrong with your kid, you are not doing your job as a parent.

 

I agree that children shouldn't play this game cause then they're gonna be annoying as F*ck repeating half the words from the game that they don't even know about. Ughh... But yeah arcades... I remember those lol. But I mean my parents were strong with what games I got. Too violent and it went back to the stores but I did have Mortal Kombat trilogy for ps1. I still to this day do not remember how I got it lol. 

[ORGAN1ZAT10N_13]

I've been playing M=Rated games since I was 12 or 13 (I'm 23 now) and me or my siblings never had a problem. We were all smart enough to know the difference between a video game and repercussions of real-life. I guess the same can't be said about kids today. Outlawing spanking was a slippery slope and now all these entitled little shits are starting to run the world.

[antithesis]

I guess with a smaller controller you could do the same as a two-year-old

I started my kids out with these controllers at age 2 -

 

 

They're about 3/4th the size of an adult-sized 360 controller and my son can reach all of the buttons with no problems. They work fine with a 360 to PS3 USB adapter, but I bought Skylanders on the 360 so the controller buttons match the on-screen prompts.

 

The critical age seems to be about 3 years old. At 2 years, they're just randomly mashing buttons but by the time they hit 3, they know exactly what they're doing.

 

My 3 1/2 year old son has completed most of Skylanders Giants by himself. I sub in for the Skystones mini-game and some of the trickier lock puzzles, but the rest he's completed solo, including the FPS shooting sequences. It's really pretty impressive how quickly kids learn game controls.

[Brenden]

I completely disagree, my parents allowed me to play GTA and any game I wanted when I was very young. I turned out fine. Banning a parent from buying a game is ridiculous and a stupid business move. If they can't get it from the store they will just buy it online simple meaning millions of dollars going down the drain for the already unstable gaming retail stores. 

[Coody-Baroody]

To all you guys who say that you disagree with this that parents shouldn't be letting their kids play GTA and that it never did you any harm, that's not REALLY the point here. The point is is that whenever anything bad happens (in America mainly) video games ALWAYS get the blame if they had even a REMOTE part of the persons life who did the act.

 

That's the point here and the fact that parents buy these games for their kids leaves the law by which the game publishers abide a mockery. What else are these publishers to do? A game like GTA has the highest possible certification on it so what else can they possibly do? Its these parents that make it fair game for the media to jump on the video game bashing bandwagon when it suits them and it P!SSES me OFF that my number one hobby past time is slated when the publishers do all in their power to keep the games out of kids hands.

[Aragorn_Elite]

I do understand your point but it's not the game itself that's to blame, the top responsible for the massacres is the law that allows easy access to guns specially in the US.

 

In Europe I think kids can also get mad, but when they do, they behave stupidly and angry, not by shooting everyone but perhaps by smashing momma's dinner on the floor, or throwing the remote on to the floor.

 

Clearly games aren't to blame , Parenting is crucial but that applies to everything in life, alcohol for instance is much harder to purchase if your underage but that does not keep you from drinking even if it's for the first time.

 

So Games not Guilty

 

Parents are partially guilty

 

Law is VERY Guilty

 

Cheers!

[biotransformatio]

I always think that the M rated games like GTAV seemingly wants to tell us that there're too many criminalities in the society and we should just learn to prevent them from happening, and there're also some political sarcasms in this game, and then we learn social problems or contradictions, instead of learning to do what gangs or bad guys do

[Aragorn_Elite]

I always think that the M rated games like GTAV seemingly wants to tell us that there're too many criminalities in the society and we should just learn to prevent them from happening, and there're also some political sarcasms in this game, and then we learn social problems or contradictions, instead of learning to do what gangs or bad guys do

I understand that when you were grown up to be a good educated guy...

 

Otherwise, things can get drastic ...

[Solnir]

Well maybe it's the difference between doing something in a game and actually playing a game. I started gaming on the C64, and most games on this system are hard as fuck, even the supposedly easy ones. Can't say much about the master system, but I agree that the (much smaller) controller was probably easier to handle. My daughter started 'playing' when she was three. She can do a couple of things in games, even though it's still impossible for her to reach all the buttons she needs with her small hands. She's doing good at LBPK, even though she never finished a race in time. She came close though. So if you want to call this gaming then she started gaming at the age of 3. All the is doing is messing around with the game, improving her fine motor skills as she does. I guess with a smaller controller you could do the same as a two-year-old

 

 

Yes, a 2 year old isn't interested in actually completing the game or doing objectives. They've just happy making the character jump off cliffs.

My first ever game was the snail maze on the Master System. All you had to do was guide a snail through progressively bigger mazes. I think the other games came after that. I don't remember much of the C64 aside from a big clown face which I still don't know what game it was and playing Savage Pond.

I'd call it gaming lol she's playing games and having fun, you don't need to win to play

Edited September 25, 2013 by Solnir

[Aragorn_Elite]

Yes, a 2 year old isn't interested in actually completing the game or doing objectives. They've just happy making the character jump off cliffs.

My first ever game was the snail maze on the Master System. All you had to do was guide a snail through progressively bigger mazes. I think the other games came after that. I don't remember much of the C64 aside from a big clown face which I still don't know what game it was and playing Savage Pond.

I'd call it gaming lol she's playing games and having fun, you don't need to win to play

Maybe Broken Sword? It had a clown ...

[biotransformatio]

I understand that when you were grown up to be a good educated guy...

 

Otherwise, things can get drastic ...

Exactly, and government really should support the education more instead of giving supplies to militaries.

[Platisfaction]

I started my kids out with these controllers at age 2 -

 

 

They're about 3/4th the size of an adult-sized 360 controller and my son can reach all of the buttons with no problems. They work fine with a 360 to PS3 USB adapter, but I bought Skylanders on the 360 so the controller buttons match the on-screen prompts.

 

The critical age seems to be about 3 years old. At 2 years, they're just randomly mashing buttons but by the time they hit 3, they know exactly what they're doing.

 

My 3 1/2 year old son has completed most of Skylanders Giants by himself. I sub in for the Skystones mini-game and some of the trickier lock puzzles, but the rest he's completed solo, including the FPS shooting sequences. It's really pretty impressive how quickly kids learn game controls.

 

lol, I might actually get one of those Thanks for the tip.

[w13arr]

For everyone comparing video games to buying alcohol and such the difference here being the law it is against the law to buy alochol for a minor because they cannot purchase or consume it, whereas video games at least under UK law it is only a restriction on buying the game there are no restrictions on playing them, its not illegal to but a game for your child unlike alcohol. As mentioned before if parents trust there children with these games and are observant i don't see the problem.

[Humonic]

Yeah I've watched horror movies ever since I was young, I've played GTA since I was 11, I'm an atheist and my mother isn't religious so according to many I should be an immoral crazy raging psychopath who just can't wait to shoot up a high school, I'm the complete opposite of that, I wouldn't dream of doing any of the stuff I've seen in horror movies or acted out in violent video games, you want to know why? Because ever since I was young I've known the right from wrong, my mother instilled that in me from a very young age, if your child turns out to be a crazy psychopath killer that's down to you and your lack of teaching, guidance and nurturing it's not down to a video game, My mom bought me the punisher game when I was 11, I enjoyed it with my friend, we had a blast, but I wouldn't do that in real life.

 

It's all incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards making excuses for other incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards and that's the end of it. 

Parents have a massive role is shaping how good or bad the child will be for society when they grow up, teachers can play a part, the social circles your child socializes in can play a part too, but games? Films? No, unless the person/child is mentally unbalanced then maybe, but for the average Joe it shouldn't have an impact at all. 

Just monitor how your child is as he/she plays/watches these films and games if they start acting out or being violent or their behavior changes because of the games/films then take away straight away, but there shouldn't be laws ect, it's down to good or bad parenting.

 

That's my take. 

[ZombeeJoggernaut]

I feel your hatred for these parents. I work at a Walmart, and I can't tell you how many parents I've sold this game to that don't give 2 shits about what their kids are playing. There was this one incident where I spoke out and warned the parent of the violence, nudity, and drugs in this game, and I had to stand there and get a lecture from that parent how I'm not supposed to tell her how to raise her 7-year old bastard child. I'm alright with someone being a dumbass, but once they decide to procreate, I loathe them more than anything in the world.

[monkeydluffy512]

I'm kind of an old gamer (31) so I remember when the whole Mortal Kombat craze made parents step up and say " we don't want our kids subject to this violence". So now we have a rating system, and when games like GTA or any other M rated game comes out kids cannot buy them. So when parents do buy these games for kids the parent should be aware of the fact that a game has violence, drug use, nudity, as well as anything one would consider to be adult content. The sad fact is that when it comes to any form of media there will always be the percentage of people who enjoy it for the escape from reality, those who say I wish I could do that in real life, and that tiny group of people who try to apply what they see in real life. I believe that in those tiny bits of horrible acts done by those who emulate what they saw in a movie or video game are influenced more by a person's mental state in real life. And blaming such acts on the media that provided "inspiration" to these acts is another way of saying "I'm uncreative as well as stupid and mentally ill". So when looking at the big picture a lot of gamers can say that they have seen and done many horrible things in video games knowing that it is just a form of escapism, and when it comes to putting violent games in the hands of kids parents should pay a little attention to exactly what that M rating is protecting kids from.

Edited October 8, 2013 by monkeydluffy512

[BhekifaZ]

Yeah I've watched horror movies ever since I was young, I've played GTA since I was 11, I'm an atheist and my mother isn't religious so according to many I should be an immoral crazy raging psychopath who just can't wait to shoot up a high school, I'm the complete opposite of that, I wouldn't dream of doing any of the stuff I've seen in horror movies or acted out in violent video games, you want to know why? Because ever since I was young I've known the right from wrong, my mother instilled that in me from a very young age, if your child turns out to be a crazy psychopath killer that's down to you and your lack of teaching, guidance and nurturing it's not down to a video game, My mom bought me the punisher game when I was 11, I enjoyed it with my friend, we had a blast, but I wouldn't do that in real life.

 

It's all incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards making excuses for other incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards and that's the end of it. 

Parents have a massive role is shaping how good or bad the child will be for society when they grow up, teachers can play a part, the social circles your child socializes in can play a part too, but games? Films? No, unless the person/child is mentally unbalanced then maybe, but for the average Joe it shouldn't have an impact at all. 

Just monitor how your child is as he/she plays/watches these films and games if they start acting out or being violent or their behavior changes because of the games/films then take away straight away, but there shouldn't be laws ect, it's down to good or bad parenting.

 

That's my take. 

This guy knows whats up.

[Death]

I feel your hatred for these parents. I work at a Walmart, and I can't tell you how many parents I've sold this game to that don't give 2 shits about what their kids are playing. There was this one incident where I spoke out and warned the parent of the violence, nudity, and drugs in this game, and I had to stand there and get a lecture from that parent how I'm not supposed to tell her how to raise her 7-year old bastard child. I'm alright with someone being a dumbass, but once they decide to procreate, I loathe them more than anything in the world.

 

Oh damn does that suck. I'm unfortunate enough to work at Auschwitz-Mart too and the kids run amok like it's a fucking zoo. I love when kids hang on the front of the carriage while daddy speeds around a corner. I just wanna turn my pallet jack around that's carrying canned soup for example and bash into the the little flesh bumper and see the little shit pop. And it's even worse on the first of the month! We should at least get time and a half on the 1st like Sundays.

[kaostheori725]

Where I work we are required to tell parents whats in the game, usually while getting death stares from the kids. 85% of the them decide not to purchase but that 15%... As long as I tell them, i've done my job. My kids dont even ask though. They arent even up or around while im playing GTAV. I never know what will pop up next.

[Shervink]

Yeah I've watched horror movies ever since I was young, I've played GTA since I was 11, I'm an atheist and my mother isn't religious so according to many I should be an immoral crazy raging psychopath who just can't wait to shoot up a high school, I'm the complete opposite of that, I wouldn't dream of doing any of the stuff I've seen in horror movies or acted out in violent video games, you want to know why? Because ever since I was young I've known the right from wrong, my mother instilled that in me from a very young age, if your child turns out to be a crazy psychopath killer that's down to you and your lack of teaching, guidance and nurturing it's not down to a video game, My mom bought me the punisher game when I was 11, I enjoyed it with my friend, we had a blast, but I wouldn't do that in real life.

 

It's all incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards making excuses for other incompetent stupid ignorant fuck tards and that's the end of it. 

Parents have a massive role is shaping how good or bad the child will be for society when they grow up, teachers can play a part, the social circles your child socializes in can play a part too, but games? Films? No, unless the person/child is mentally unbalanced then maybe, but for the average Joe it shouldn't have an impact at all. 

Just monitor how your child is as he/she plays/watches these films and games if they start acting out or being violent or their behavior changes because of the games/films then take away straight away, but there shouldn't be laws ect, it's down to good or bad parenting.

 

That's my take. 

[RobThanatos]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize MA15+ games were illegal for underage children. I guess those store owners shouldn't have sold me those bad games on my parents approval. I'll be following up with the police on this.

[PSXtreme_]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize MA15+ games were illegal for underage children. I guess those store owners shouldn't have sold me those bad games on my parents approval. I'll be following up with the police on this.

You should sue them for ruining any chance that you could have been being a contributing member of society and turning you into the blood-thirsty serial killer that you're sure to eventually become

Edited October 7, 2013 by PSXtreme_

[Trust_Crusher]

It's a tired old argument, really. The media needs a scapegoat to blame so they can appear relevant while not actually being relevant. They dress up this same argument with "statistics" and "expert analysis", and make the same stupid conclusion every time. If it's not video games, it's heavy metal or drugs or poor education or the ever dreaded "society". Anyone with a functioning brain stem can tell you that none of these factors are inherently good or bad. Exposure to either (or all) of these factors does not guarantee any one outcome.

That said, people really do tend to overstate the influence of parenting. Sure, there are plenty of legitimate ways to be a terrible parent, and I'm not one to advise purchasing GTA for 8-year olds, even though some children at 11 or 12 are far more mature than their age and given proper guidance and context, there doesn't have to be a problem. But all of this underscores the human tendency to view hurting innocent people as wrong in the first place. You don't have to be taught something to know it's wrong. I wasn't taught that drugs are bad, but I knew some basic facts about their effects and the type of life addicts had. Had I not done some research of my own beforehand, I know I wouldn't have accepted an unknown substance without further investigation. Common sense would dictate I not take unknown substances with unknown effects from unknown individuals. Even someone taught to be accustomed to killing can have regrets and can sympathize with the dead. You can't unteach instinct.

In addition, it's always been thought that intelligent parents = intelligent children and dumb parents = dumb children. While this is generally true, very few (ie. next to zero) studies have actually controlled for genetics. The truth is that intelligent children are the result of intelligent stock. Even mediocre parenting can't make them completely stupid and oblivious to understanding the consequences of reality. There will always be the dumb and the crazy, and no amount of good parenting can undo the dumb and crazy that's hard-wired into some people.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Trust_Crusher

[PSXtreme_]

Maybe if we take the warning labels off of everything we can weed out the weak and clean up the gene pool?

[Death]

Maybe if we take the warning labels off of everything we can weed out the weak and clean up the gene pool?