Kids, Games and Age Ratings

[SarzWix]

I need some sensible opinions here please chaps.
The new 'Call Of Duty' game is due out tomorrow, and my 12 year old son is going absolutely bananas because I won't buy it for him, because it's been given an 18 rating. The previous ones in the series have been rated 15, and his dad has let him have them. Apparently ALL of his friends have it on pre-order already, and I'm the ONLY one evil enough to put a foot down about it.
(For anyone who doesn't know, Call of Duty is a war game, where you run about shooting and blowing up the opposition.)
Am I being unnecessarily harsh? According to lots of different research, violent games don't engender violence in children, but then, what is the purpose of an age rating?!

I really need a decent arguement to put forward here - he's far too intelligent to be fobbed off with 'because I say so', and more than capable of sulking/stropping/arguing/pleading and generally driving me crackers for months

Would you let him have it?

[HotStuff]

The only kid in my house is me, so I can't give you a parents view, but two things worth considering:

1) The language can be pretty ripe.

2) Some games have options on how much gore is shown (ragdoll effects etc.).

[ginger ninger]

If all his friends have the game, he's going to play it at his friends houses, so he'll see the content there, but I can see where your coming from, I don't have kids but I think if I had I'd be tempted to take the same approach as you, but how to argue your corner I really don't have a clue...Good Luck with this one, I think your going to need it.

[OllieMartin]

I got GTA when I was 16 (also 18 cert). I turned out okay.
In my opinion it depends on both the adult supervision and the child. If they're the kind who sail close to the wind and might do something stupid as a result of playing it or if they're the extremely shy type who might have a nervous breakdown over excessive gore, then you'd have to make that judgement.

Hard to say without knowing him. But you could always use it as a bargaining chip.
1st thing he loses when his chores aren't done and he can only have it if he calls you "Your Highness" for 1 week.

[HotStuff]

I got GTA when I was 16 (also 18 cert). I turned out okay.

We've only got your word for that, after all you do date strippers

[OllieMartin]

We've only got your word for that, after all you do date strippers

Weeeell. I did say "okay" rather than my usual "perfect"!

[SarzWix]

The difference between 16 and 18 is a lot less than between 12 and 18 though!

There wouldn't be a whole lot of adult supervision either - the Xbox is up in their room, rather than the PCs which are all downstairs. And he spends most of the time that he is allowed to play on it, shouting and swearing down the headset at all his friends. And he does have a tendency to forget to stop swearing when he comes off it. I have started confiscating the headset whenever I hear him swearing now, which has helped a bit.

I dunno... I really don't want him to have it, but at the same time, I can remember being the only one not allowed to do [whatever] and being thoroughly miserable about it...

[Capsid]

Well we tried to restrict our kids to playing games relevant to their age, but they just go round their friends houses and play it there. Often because their friends have watched or played it with an older brother.

Our kids know that it's only a game and not real life and we restrict the time they spend playing games which is a great way to make sure they do their homework. No more games until it's done.

Our kids belong to a swimming club and scouts which takes up nearly every evening in the week.

It's about getting a balance. I'm annoyed that Modern Warfare 2 is rated at 18, I don't think it needs to be, part of it is due to the swearing perhaps, but then Gordon Ramsay doesn't help.

What was your rationale for buying the 15 rated games? They were too old for him too, so it's difficult now for you to argue why this case is any different. And you'll be giving him mixed messages. I don't have an answer for you really,, I'd go with your instincts.

[OllieMartin]

The difference between 16 and 18 is a lot less than between 12 and 18 though!

There wouldn't be a whole lot of adult supervision either - the Xbox is up in their room, rather than the PCs which are all downstairs. And he spends most of the time that he is allowed to play on it, shouting and swearing down the headset at all his friends. And he does have a tendency to forget to stop swearing when he comes off it. I have started confiscating the headset whenever I hear him swearing now, which has helped a bit.

I dunno... I really don't want him to have it, but at the same time, I can remember being the only one not allowed to do [whatever] and being thoroughly miserable about it...

ooooh, 12 does seem a little young. Think i missed that bit on the first read.
Just doing some research...

[SarzWix]

I didn't let him buy the previous 15 rated games, unfortunately, I had no say in the matter whatsoever Plus his brother is old enough (but not old enough for the 18 cert), and they share the room, so that makes it really difficult.

[HotStuff]

he spends most of the time that he is allowed to play on it, shouting and swearing down the headset at all his friends.

Did he used to play Rainbow Six Vegas? He sounds familiar.

[OllieMartin]

Ok, research done.

From what I can gather, the 18 rating is because it allows the user to play a terrorist and plot terror attacks against civilians. and also the amount of violence in the game. (From playing earlier CoD games I would imagine there's a little bad language too, but only once or twice).

Personally I'd ignore the 'terror attacks' issue as it's highly unlikely that the manufaturers will have done this in poor taste or if it is actually an option in the game at all (the website I found this on used the phrase "which reportedly allows players..." which sounds a little vague).
I would imagine it's the gore value.

What other games does he play that may contain gore?

P.S. This is the article I was reading.
Labour MPs clash over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game | Politics | guardian.co.uk

[Capsid]

I didn't let him buy the previous 15 rated games, unfortunately, I had no say in the matter whatsoever Plus his brother is old enough (but not old enough for the 18 cert), and they share the room, so that makes it really difficult.

We flatly refuse to let our kids play games or watch TV in their rooms. If they are downstairs I feel you have more control of what they are up to.

[OllieMartin]

Sorry to provide my report in pieces, but the research continues.

The BBFC website details that the gore only warrants a 15 rating, but there is one mission in which

the player has infiltrated the terrorist group and joins them as they execute an attack on innocent civilians at an airport. The violence is bloody and intense, and aggravated by the fact that, unlike other combat sequences in the game, the civilians cannot fight back and are massacred. The player character can choose to join in the shooting or do nothing in order to preserve his cover, but he cannot intervene to prevent the massacre by shooting the terrorists since he is then 'discovered' and is very quickly overwhelmed and killed. The evident brutality in this mission does carry a focus on the 'infliction of pain or injury'.

I guess that's the bit you need to judge.

Source: bbfc - the official website of the bbfc. classification for entertainment, movies and video games

[SarzWix]

Thanks for the article Ollie All the comments under the main article are quite informative too. A friend of the OH is getting it apparently, so I think I'll just have to watch it for a bit and see what it's like. I still think it'll be a 'No' though... I just hope some other big game is being launched before Christmas!!


Came through just after yours

Is the terrorist bit 'skippable'? Or do you have to sit through it? Because there's one or two dodgy bits on the old one, but you can skip past them.