What do you think of the "M" crackdown?

E-Y
Only places that I can think of that are cracking down on the M rated titles are... Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, if you were to go to a local Gamestop, EBgames or whatevers near your town they dont often ask for ID or ask about age... But they'll ask if your acting weird.

I can't find anywhere here that doesn't card. Even the local game exchange at which the clerk clearly dispised the rule.

But since im old enough to buy M or AO rated games, I dont have to worry.

Lucky. In 4 months my bf will be 17 (beating me by 1 month) and I can convince him to buy me stuff.

G_S, as to GTA. I think there are degrees of M rated games. GTA is clearly a game kids shouldn't play without parental consent (and I do know a 10 year old who plays it since his parents said OK. A lot.) while a game like Halo is no big deal.

 

I speak as a parent.

It's my job to make sure my kids are not playing games I don't want them too yes I agree. But then My 12 year old isn't with me 100% of the time. I shouldn't have to worry about a Store selling him something that is not right for his age behind my back.

I am sorry but if your parents don't mind you playing the game then there should be absolutly no reason you can't just get it at a time they are with you.

why such a Need to get it when your alone?

 

It's my job to make sure my kids are not playing games I don't want them too yes I agree. But then My 12 year old isn't with me 100% of the time. I shouldn't have to worry about a Store selling him something that is not right for his age behind my back.

A twelve year old I can understand. A 16 year old I can't. Esp. since the same stores let me buy R rated movies that are much worse than the M rated games I want.

I am sorry but if your parents don't mind you playing the game then there should be absolutly no reason you can't just get it at a time they are with you.

why such a Need to get it when your alone?

The problem with that idea is that I don't shop with my parents. I have my liscence and my parents don't like games. So I rarely drag them with me. Esp. since I usually want to play the demos for a while and since they don't make me sit in clothing stores or other places while they shop I don't make them sit in Best Buy.

 

Most of the people around here don't care, or is it I jus thaven't bought a game in a while...

I just remember the last time I rented an M game the check-out person made a joke about it with me about how idiotic the system was. Or maybe she was flirting...

 

Now the governor of my home state (Illinois) wants to have a law passed that makes it a misdemenor to sell M rated games to people under 18. He said some things about not wanting his teenage daughter shooting people in videogames.

The dumb*** needs to worry about real problems like our financial problems.

 

I was just about to post this, r_w. Though, it's been in the news for a few weeks.

A couple of the games he wanted to make 18+ make sense, but Halo 2 or Mortal Kombat? That's just dumb.

Blagojevich seems to be borrowing from the George Bush school of campaigning. Thank God Madigan's gonna kick his *** in the '06 primaries.

 

I just found out last week. It really got me POed. It's bad enough that stores are all getting M policies making me go with my parents to a store. And to top it all off I'm turning 17 in a few months. Watch him somehow manage to get this law through forcing me to wait another year.

 

What I don't get is why they think we (as teenagers) are going to try this stuff in real life? Anybody who shoots someone or goes on a killing spree, did it because they are messed up in the head. The games don't make someone violent and they don't influence those who know right or wrong, at least in my opinion.

I can understand 12 year olds having no business playing M rated games, but 16 year olds are a different story. The whole concept/argument of how games make people violent is idiotic in my honest opinion. The real problem is the parents who don't teach their kids right or wrong. So when the kid kills someone the parents automatically turn to the violent games, just so they can cover up THEIR mistake. I'd classify this argument/issue as a push and pull subject, it can go either way but can never come to a conclusion.

 

It shouldn't matter if they think you'll do that or not. If your 16 it only matters what your parents think. The rule is there so Parents can maintain control of what their kids are playing. so they don't have to worry about a store selling a game they don't want their kid playing to the kid behind their back.

 

The moral of the story:





Don't have kids.
[image=http://gallery.hd.org/_exhibits/bizarre/condom-being-inflated-over-mans-head-ANON.jpg]

 

No one gets up in arms about the film ratings system most of the time, yet over ratings in video games?

IMO it should apply just as well and be enforced. Simple.

I understand you might not shop with your parents, but you know, I'm a gamer through and through... but I would not want my kid playing GTA if he was say, 12 oe 13.

Sure, it can be a hassle. But so was going to see certain movies before I turned 17. I remember I either had to come with someone that was 18 or my parent would be buy me the ticket.

If not, get someone to get it for you.

Half the fun of seeing an R rated movie when I was 16 and under was sneaking in, getting strangers to buy tickets for you and all sorts of other covery ways

 

"Listen Mr. homeless man, if you don't wanna buy us the tickets and not get your ten bucks and not buy yourself a bottle of vodka, then be my guest."

 

^^^

LOL

Exactly man!

Ah, good times. Good times.

 

I think it should be based on content. If the game has sex/drug use in it, then 12 year olds shouldn't be able to buy it. But when you have games like Halo, where you are killing aleins, NOT people, 12 yr olds should be able to buy it.

 

^^^

Not really. Again, it's up the parents.

I'd let my son, if he was 12, play Halo. Shouldn't mean a 12 year old should just be able to buy it without any consent.

Is Halo rated M? If it is, it shouldn't be rated M by any means.

If it is rated T... than yeah, good rating. And I agree.

Parent consent for certain ratings I agree. Because there are some M games I wouldn't mind my 13 or 14 or 15 year old kid playing.

Resident Evil, for example. It's zombie blasting and I was permited horror movies when I was a kid once I was 13 and your the good guy.

I wouldn't like my 12-14 year old kid playing GTA because you play a thug and kill kill kill.

Now, some people will chime in and say... you don't have to do that... you choose to do it and the game has a story, etc, etc.

BS

Most people play the game because they love to kill anything in sight and be the bad guy who picks up the hooker then kills her, etc, etc.

The game, honestly, I find appaling on moral levels. I admit, I've played it before and I did enjoy the old school top down versions for some quick pick up and play. (hate GTA3+). But I wouldn't want my kid playing them.

 

I wouldn't like my 12-14 year old kid playing GTA because you play a thug and kill kill kill.

That is what I was hinting at, games like GTA, True Crime, Mafia, and Dead to Rights should be rated M.

Halo on the other hand, shouldn't be rated M (although it is).

 

Where I work, we've been carding for a while. They do, however, also card on CDs and movies, so there is no double standard. If I know somebody is at least my age (I'm almost 20), I don't card them, but if I'm not sure, yeah, I'll ask for a birthdate and ID. I'm not losing my job over it.

 

I wasn't sure on Halo's rating, that's why I made that clear.

It should not be M.

I agree with carding for games, just like in films.

But, that said, just like in the film industry, the ratings board is messed up. Many films that deserve an R, get a PG-13. Many films that deserve a PG-13, get slapped with an R.

And PG-13 to PG and vice versa.

Ebert is one of the many critics, who while agrees with film ratings, s against the ratings board because of how the administer ratings.

GTA and Resident Evil deserve the R (M) rating. Halo does not. That is a solid T.

 

exactly

 

GTA and Resident Evil deserve the R (M) rating. Halo does not. That is a solid T.

I haven't played Halo (yes I know. I must be about the last gamer on the face of the earth. I will probably play it for the first time this sunday.) but it does have blood according to the label.

 

It has plenty of blood. Most of it fluorescent blue. The game shouldn't be MA, it should be M. Australian M, that is.

 

I never got carded... then again I'm 20 and have beard stubble.

Anyway, there was one game and only one game that I checked with my parents with. Perfect Dark on the N64. My dad and I went to blockbuster to rent it (blockbuster had that "parental advisory" sticker that prevented me renting it) , and he played it and said "eh, nothing bad", so I went and bought it. They didn't ask me at the store.

Then again, I had showed responsibility and told my parents before trying to play this game, so they didn't see much of a problem with it. My mum still has the nagging feeling of the "video games teach kids to kill". Her words are "kids lose the reality that life doesn't have a reset button or a 'play again' feature".

[shrugs] well when my generation has kids it won't matter much, we'll be game players too so we can easily tell what's good for our kids or not. I know there will be some games I will play as a parent that will be locked away from my children.