ID:276937
 Jun 12 2006, 4:48 pm (Edited by moderator on Jun 12 2006, 5:30 pm)
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This is a huge topic... and a bit old, but I just thought of something. Think about this... the main problem is that kids are buying rated M and AO games and people beleive that it affects them. But why do kids bye these games? Is it parents letting them? is it a social pressure? No. It's an answer that's right in our face but we never saw it... but first, think about these questions too. What is the major age group of video game players? the answer to that question is 8 - 15 (give or take). Now think about this... what is the rating of almost every good game on the market? That's right... M. And what age group does this target? 18 and up. Catching on yet? Well if your not, let me get directly to the point... the gaming industry is targeting a audience of 18 and up even though the majority of gamers are younger (if you see anyone over 18 playing video games alot, your fist thought is... what is wrong with them?) And to top this off.. a big portion of rated T games are junk and almost every single rated E game is [bad]. So your a kid who's getting bored of playing "Barney Reloaded" for the PS2 and look at the best seller list to see almost all of them rated M... what's your first thought, I want it. Then you have to put into thought the huge amount of careless and useless parents the world has to offer that dont give a [care] if their kid is playing "playboy mansion" for the xbox (really exsists!) And then you got our problem.... I just wonder if I was the first person to notice this because that would be sad...
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Your estimation of the age of the gaming community is grossly inaccurate. Adult gamers are common, and they spend more money on games than the 8-15 demographic does, so the game industry is right to market to them. They are good at it, too.
Younger gamers buy M-rated games for the same reason all young kids do things the older kids do - it's fun, it makes them feel more mature, and often their older siblings do it. Their parents let them for the same reason parents always let kids slide on things they shouldn't - they want their kids to have fun, they want to think that their kids are mature, and often it's hard to keep younger kids from doing the same things that their older siblings do. | |
you all have very good points (I did overdo the age thing) but the games being made for younger people are not very good and this has some of the fault for why childern are bying mature games... also you guys have a point that childern buy adult rated games to feel mature, and that's true. But you guys seem to think that it doesnt matter what kids play at all, and it does. I have a little brother and what he plays affects what he does, this happens to all childern, the want to be like someone they think is cool and if that person is a king pin drug dealer...
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IMO, kids should be able to by mature games if they want to. If they feel they're mature enough for it, go for it. My parents let me watch rated R movies when I was 10 because they knew I was mature enough. The game industry isn't really an age factor, it's a maturity factor. Some people buy it because they know they'll like, it, and some buy it because they think it makes them look cooler and much more mature like someone stated here. That's my view on things, responses are welcome.
*edit* I'm 15 at the moment by the way, and 16 in a few months. If you ask me, the internet is much more dangerous than a game ever will be, that's why it doesn't matter much if a kid buys those games. | |
Well, that all falls on the parent. As it stands, if a parent feels that their child is mature enough, they can go and buy them said games. There is nothing wrong with this. And kids should not be able to walk into a store and buy any game on the shelf. I do think that the age of 18 is too high for M games. 16 seems much more like a reasonable age. If a child is 16 and can't tell the difference between a game and real life, well, they should be in a special home for others of their type.
I do agree with a need for a rating system that accuratly judges a game, based on content, and requires stores to follow these guidelines. I do not, however, agree with many of the ESRB's rulings on many games. I suppose that you have to take the good with the bad though. Overall, it does give parents a basic idea as to what to expect in a game and lets them decide if it is right for their kids. I am 20 years old, currently have no children, but I do have a little brother who is fully capable of playing GTA with no mental problems. He is 9 years old. What I am getting at is that every child is different, and it is up to the parents, not the government or the ESRB to decide what is right for their children. I enjoy going to a game store and buying whatever game I want. I am old enough to decide for myself, and I know the roles of games in my life. Perhaps one day people will realize that blaming games for all their problems is the wrong way to go about life, but I doubt I will see this day. 'It is the individual that brings the issue to the activity, not the activity that brings the issue to the individual.' -CAD | |
Yeah I agree with your theory, it really is up to the parents to know if their child is mature enough. The thing is, some people who are old enough to buy these games on their own aren't mature enough to play this, that should be the REAL topic issue XD. Although it's pretty rare
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They buy M games because they want to. I am more then willing to buy into the fact that some people buy M-Rated games because they feel it makes them cool, just like how some kids would want a cell phone or a iPod...
But like, there has been a few games I Have rented or bought, just because of the simple gore factor effect. Berserk! Guts Rage for Dreamcast is a good example. Its because some people enjoy the swearing the gore or nuidty and M-Rate game has to offer. | |
I'm talking about kids here... when they buy games for the gore, swearing, and nudity... that's a sign the world has ended
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No it isn't my mother raised me on horror movies. My first memories of movies is Night Mare on Elm Street, Cugo and Friday the 13th.
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Sorry, but I really have to say that this is all 100% pure bull. Even though people, like your brother, would like the idea of being their favorite video game character, no one would actually live up to it and we all know this. Besides, do you see your brother out dealing drugs and shooting people? Doubt it. I even used to love the idea of being a Power Ranger back in pre-school and kindergarden, but I never became one, did I? Even if the things people like the idea of being of are actually possible doesn't mean they will do it. Most of them don't do it.
People buy the video games they want for one reason -- because they are FUN. They do not buy them because they think it will make them "cool" or that they will become popular. Same goes for IPod's and cell phones. Older people, as well as younger people, buy cell phones to call people up and talk to them. People get an iPod because they like to listen to music and it provides a portable way for them to store large amounts of their favorite music. I know all this because I am 14 myself and do go out A LOT and I also remember what it was like when I was even younger. I don't really even see how figuring out these answers would make much of a difference other than enlightenment seeing as how no big video game producers are going to heed our words. -Exophus | |
It is not 100% pure bull and the reason behind that is it has happened before and it will happen again.
The media has proven a number of times, some people have been in serious trouble for copying what they see in video games or on TV. Bevis and Butthead was in trouble for awhile when some misguided pre-teens tried to copy dangerous antics that the two animated nit-wits did on tv. A kid was horrible burned when they tried to re-create the human BBQ that they saw on TV on MTS's popular Jack Ass series, The list could go on, but I don't care to as I have already proven my point. There are some people out of touch with reality. Thats where the parents come in. They need to make it a point to preview what kind of content their children take in and decide if their child is mentally mature enough to see it. Its that simple. | |
They buy because that's what the game industry is making. And it really is targeting an older demographic, which really does make up the majority of gamers. The problem is, as you say, the younger-rated games aren't as good.
What we're dealing with here is that the game industry has painted itself into a corner. Little or no innovation is being done anymore, and game types that used to appeal to all ages aren't getting the weight of advertising they deserve because they don't have the flash, the edginess that all those hot new M-rated titles have. Even recently there were more great games. Crash Team Racing for PS1 was one of the most awesome games I've ever played, because you can get a big group in on it and have a blast. The Spyro series was actually tremendous, enjoyable for adults even though its target audience was young. M-rated games just get more commercials and more attention from the gaming community because they're slick productions. But really, so many of them are venturing into cinematic territory now that you have to wonder if you'd be better off just watching a movie instead. As one book I've been reading about game design says, game designers are usually pretty bad story writers and vice-versa (though that needn't be the case). Lummox JR | |
shades u know when people coyp video games its there own stupidity i mean gosh i play dbz games n stuff but u dont see me tryin go to outside n fly or somethin like that or tryin to steal cars like on GTA SA the reason people do that is because they are stupid enought to do it
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It's not stupidity if you get away with stealing a car, but it's looked down on. The DBZ thing? Common sense man lol. If your kid tried to fly, you are a failure as a parent. If he pretended to fly, that's ok.
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Actually the age for M rated games is 17 but I'd agree with you about lowering the age maybe. The society as a whole is changing so things that were graphic a long time ago wouldnt quite be the same standard nowadays. Its kind of pitiful that Mortal Kombat 1 still has a M rating...
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Lummox JR wrote:
As one book I've been reading about game design says, game designers are usually pretty bad story writers and vice-versa (though that needn't be the case). Curiosity strikes - Which book? | |
Scoobert wrote:
Well, that all falls on the parent. As it stands, if a parent feels that their child is mature enough, they can go and buy them said games. There is nothing wrong with this. And kids should not be able to walk into a store and buy any game on the shelf. I do think that the age of 18 is too high for M games. 16 seems much more like a reasonable age. If a child is 16 and can't tell the difference between a game and real life, well, they should be in a special home for others of their type. Amen brother. But i do have to say, kid should not play certain games like Playboy mansion,GTA(look below), and some of the other sensless games. I played GTA and owned it when I was young. At that time I though it was fun, and amusing, now I just think its a waste of time. There are better games out there. Depending on the game, the parent should decide to let the child play it and guide them in how they should know the diffrence between a game and life. Parents NEED to do this, I mean look at the pokemon generation, I remember kids spending every penny and moment they had on Pokemon, of course I got this involved into it, but my parents taught me not to get so rapped up in virtrual reality. Not saying its bad to every once and awhile to exscape reality for a bit, but like every other bad habit it can effect you big time. | |
I watch Jackass all the time and sure I've even tried a few stunts before. But if a kid does something that really hurts them that they've seen on a show like Jackass then too bad for them and it is their own fault. Jackass even shows a warning before the show starts and I think every time it comes back from a commercial(forgot but I somehow doubt it). But anyways, yeah. It's the kids faults if they do it because they stick warnings all over this stuff but no one cares to read them and then in the end they get hurt and sue because they were too stupid to read or listen. I did the stunts because I thought it'd be fun, and it was ( the rush! <3 ), but not because I thought it would make me cool.
In the end, it is no one's fault but their own. Not their parent's or the producers or anyone but themselves. Yes, parents COULD tell them they could not watch it, but that will only enrage them and they will go off and watch it later anyways. Who here can honestly say that they've never EVER broken a rule their parents set? No one, that's who. We do, however, sometimes end up paying for it and learning from our mistakes, which is what some parents want us to do. -Exophus | |
Alathon wrote:
Lummox JR wrote: A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster. I'm a little more than halfway through it now; I'll review it more fully when I'm done. Lummox JR | |
That seems a bit low to me... You just pulled that number out of a hat didn't you...
Most of the people I know are over 18, and have a console, though I don't know their gaming habit, I would not think there's something wrong with them.
Frankly, the gaming industry is targeting games for young adults because that's who play games, that's who buy games, that's the age group with money for such things.