Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: gofaster on February 06, 2004, 01:55:21 PM
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I've never played "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" so I can't really talk about that game specifically, but don't most boxes have a rating stamped on the cover? I guess the real question is, who is responsible for controlling what the kids can access? (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=1&u=/nm/20040206/tc_nm/tech_florida_games_dc)
We're not banning them and requiring retailers to go to expensive extremes. We're just saying we need to deal with video games in the same way we deal with pornography, alcohol and R-rated movies," said McInvale.
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I think that video games do desensitize kids to death and killing.
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So does literature, periodicals, and television. Ban em.
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Video games already have an industry standard for labeling content. But unlike the movie industry, retailers are not enforcing it. Hence local/state government has to ***** slap them. If the retailers would not sell the "M" products to minors, then the decision would be left with the parents WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
"The Florida House bill, and a similar Senate proposal, would require merchants to demand identification for any purchase or rental. Both proposals exempt Internet sales."
Nice. No internet taxes, and now minors can circumvent the lableing law by buying off the web. Is there any other way the US government can screw local retailers by subsidizing web-based businesses?
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If the retailers would not sell the "M" products to minors, then the decision would be left with the parents WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
It's already left up to the parents (as it should be). if you don't know what games your kid has loaded on his hard-drive (or pics, mpegs, and music for that matter) you're not doing your job. expecting the shop keeper to monitor your kids game play is a bit unreasonable, they will just get an older friend to buy them what they want anyway.
the only thing that works is for the parent to know where their kids are and what they are doing, 24/7.
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Originally posted by SunTracker
I think that video games do desensitize kids to death and killing.
Unlike on-line flight sims where the object is to shoot down other virtual players...... ;)
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Originally posted by capt. apathy
expecting the shop keeper to monitor your kids game play is a bit unreasonable, they will just get an older friend to buy them what they want anyway.
So you also think that retailers should no longer require ID to buy beer or cigs?
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Nothing worse than a boring video game where theres no shooting enemies going down.
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video games = porn = cute and fund
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So you also think that retailers should no longer require ID to buy beer or cigs?
both of those are illegal for a minor to have. suplying them makes him an accesory. so far there are no laws to cover who's allowed to posses what games, so it makes more sense to just leave the guy alone and let him try to run a bussiness.
BTW- anybody else remember when you could go to the store and buy alcohol or cigs with nothing more than the cash and a note from your mother saying they where for her?
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I have no problem with a law that simply requires an ID for an MA rated game. But how much effect would it really have? It's a simply supply and demand. If enough kids want to purchase such game someone will sell it. And if the Internet is exempt, at it might do is hurt the local retail ... that's about it. The only ones that can make sure that kids are not playing an inappropriate game are the parents ... and the interpretation of what's appropriate should be left solely up to them.
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I agree to an extent with the ratings and having retailers police the games they sell. But what blows my mind is some woman walking in with her 10-13 year old son and him saying "Thats the game I want." then her telling the clerk to get "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" so she can see it and the clerk telling her that its appropriate for a kid...when the game clearly isn't and the mother doesn't even bat an eyelid before she throws the CC out there.
I witnessed that three times in about 15 minutes the other day while I was in Gamestop here in my town. I was checking out the bargain bin for PC games for my son. The last lady had the sense to ask someone other than the 17 year old running the register about the game. Since I was the only other person in the store I was asked and I offered up my suggestions...She ended up walking out with IL-2:FB a cheapo joystick and CFS3...us old flight sim guys will take over the game world yet...
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Nice. No internet taxes, and now minors can circumvent the lableing law by buying off the web
theres 2 ways to buy something off the net...check/money order and credit card kids can't get checks or credit cards (unless there parents are so stupid they dont even check whats on the cc bill) and most kids don't know how to get a money order...not to mention its usually the parent who gets mail...
in the end it all comes down to the parent
(honestly i think gta:vc is way over the line and should'nt have been made in the first place)
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Originally posted by Reschke
I agree to an extent with the ratings and having retailers police the games they sell. But what blows my mind is some woman walking in with her 10-13 year old son and him saying "Thats the game I want." then her telling the clerk to get "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" so she can see it and the clerk telling her that its appropriate for a kid...when the game clearly isn't and the mother doesn't even bat an eyelid before she throws the CC out there.
That doesn't blow my mind at all. If the woman really thinks that game is appropriate for her kid, so be it. I wouldn't agree with her decision, but it's her kid ... her call.
What pisses me off are the people that knowingly get violent or sexually explicit games for their kids, and then complain that it ruins their children. And what pisses me off even more are the parents that get the games for their kids without knowing what they are about, and the complain about the violence, or sexual content, or whatever.
The reason why the latter urks me more is because there is enough information out there to make an informed decision. First, there are the ratings. Second, there sales people in the game stores that probably know what's in the game. And third, you can rent damn near any game these days, pop it into the console, and the decide whether it's appropriate for your kids. There is absolutely no excuse to scream havoc simply because you're too damn ignorant and careless not to know what's going on in your kid's room.
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There will never be enough pr0n in video-games. :rofl
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Games are just that: games. They're our way of doing things we can't do in real life. I can't drive a fast sports car or fly a fighter jet in real life, but fire up a computer of game system and in minutes I'm taking turns at 120 or shooting AIM-9s at other people.
Parents are the ones responsible for policing video games, not retailers or developers or companies. Though I don't agree with the notion that video games desensitize violence, I think that a parent should have the sense to at least examine what games their kids are playing and tailoring their parenting and tachings around the games and the fact that it's not real and never should be.
In all the cases where kids go wild and shoot people, we blame video games. We blame them because we think they teach our children how to become killers and do it remorselessly. If that was the case, the Army would be buying cases of GTA: Vice City to train soldiers. The "games cause violence" call is utter crap. Most of the time the kids that go wild have mental dysfunctions. It's the parents' responsability to handle situations like that. If a kid cannot distinguish reality from a video game, they shouldn't be playing it. That's what causes problems. It's not the games that are being made that causeing this, it's the lazy bellybutton parents who don't take the time to learn about what their kid is actualy doing.
After a hard day's work, I come home and I crack virtual skulls in GTA3 or Soldier of Fortune 2. Why? Because I can't do it in real life and I find it relaxing. I am mature and intelligent enough to understand the difference between a game and reality, much like everyone else here. We all understand it, so we play the games. I've played games like this for years and not once have I ever gone out and shot someone or stolen a car. It doesn't happen. There should not be a law requiring IDing someone buying a game that is M, beause if a minor is able to buy it without parental knowledge, then the parents garner all responsability for the kid and whatever actions MIGHT arise from it.
As unfortunate as it is, no parent will ever say their kid is messed up. If more parents took the time to educate and care for their kids, there would be no need for laws like this...
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Each child like every one of us is different.
Some kids can handle things better then others. And need to be dealt with differently
Ultimately it is the PARENTS responsibility as to what a child may or may not play or play with. Not the government or game manufacturers.
NOTHING, No game, no movie, no TV show has more influence on our children then ourselves the parents.
If these things have influenced our child or children in a negative way then it is simply because WE the parents have allowed it to happen.
I object to any government agency or company telling me what I can or cant allow my children to see or do. that is my job and my responsibility.
But in the sorry politically correct world we live in adults never assume responsibility for anything they do. Its always someone else's fault They shift the blame from themselves to somewhere else or some other reason. So what does this teach our kids?
We cant blame ourselves for when a kid is influenced negatively. No not us it CANT be our fault. It must be the gaming/movie/TV industry.
NONSENSE. Watch old reruns of bugs bunny, 3stooges and a host of other old TV shows that were popular with kids.
Violence abounds in the old TV shows. But you didnt see many kids smacking each other in the heads with hammers or blowing each other up with dynamite because of it
Why? because as AL Bundy once said
"sure thats fun to watch on TV.. BUT YOU DONT REALLY DO IT"
Bottom line is back then we had something that we see all to little of now.
REAL PARENTING
Total lack of real discipline and the teaching of self responsibility.
How many of you remember being grounded for a month? Or having your pants warmed?
Might not have liked it but it made you think twice about doing the offense again didnt it? Emotional scarring be damned. some emotional scarring is positive. same type emotional scarring you get after grabbing a hot pot. Kinda makes you think before doing it again. and that..is a good thing.
Also how many of you remember NOT getting what you wanted?
Not because you had done anything but simply because your PARENTS didnt think you should have it?
In this day and age a great many parents are lacking entirely in these qualities. Sometimes even myself.
We get so wrapped up in giving to our kids that we forget that they dont need every new thing thats out there simply because its popular.
We rarely discipline because we remember how much we hated it.
We give our kids every new thing thats out there simply because we didnt get it as a kid for whatever reason not thinking that maybe just maybe it stopped you from doing something worse later.
As for TV/movies/games.
Nobody is pointing a gun at your head making you let your kids have access to his stuff.
Bottom line is simple really.
If you dont think your kid can handle it. DONT let him/her have it.
be a little less of a buddy and a lot more of a parent
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Kids learn through imitation. They see something, they'll want to imitate it to learn how it works, what it does, how to do it. In one case (http://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/03/09/wrestling.sentence.06/) it resulted in the death of a 6-year-old playmate. And yet, pro wrestling is still available without restrictions.
I think video games do influence children's thought processes and actions, but so long as they know it is unrealistic and "fantastic" - i.e. Wiley Coyote running while suspended in mid-air over a canyon - then the risk is minimal. I guess the real question is, how realistic is the violence in video games?