As above… My lads been invited round to his mates house and his mum asked us if it was ok for him to play GTA V.
Having not played the game myself (more of a COD man!)was just wondering how (un)suitable it was for a 13 year old?
Would appreciate any input…..

My 17 year old son thinks it’s not really suitable for under 18’s.

Different people have different approaches to life but I think there’s a lot in this game that I wouldn’t want children being exposed to, supervised or not.

Thats what ive been told too… His mate’s the same age and his mother obviously doesnt mind!

Trouble is if you say no you feel like they’ll think you’re making a judgement about them as parents.

Awkward and with no easy solution.

On balance I’d just say ‘No, we only let X play games with certificates appropriate for their age so we don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on them.’

News from my 13 year old daughter is that pretty much everyone in year 9 (aged 13-14) is playing it. A couple of lads skived off school to play it the day it was released.
I wouldn’t let a 13 year old play it, but it will be very hard to stop them getting their hands on it if they really want to and all their mates (or mates older brothers) have it.

This is from here:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/grand-theft-auto-v

Parents need to know that Grand Theft Auto V is an M-rated action game brimming with gang violence, nudity, extremely coarse language, and drug and alcohol abuse. It isn’t a game for kids. Playing as hardened criminals, players kill not only fellow gangsters but also police officers and innocent civilians using both weapons and vehicles while conducting premeditated crimes, including a particularly disturbing scene involving torture. Women are frequently depicted as sexual objects, with a strip club mini-game allowing players to fondle strippers’ bodies, which are nude from the waist up. Players also have the opportunity to make their avatars use marijuana and drink alcohol, both of which impact their perception of the world. None of the main characters in the game makes for a decent role model. All of them are criminals who think of themselves first and others rarely at all. Few games are more clearly targeted to an adult audience.

I use that site a lot when choosing games and films. Pretty on the money with a lot of things, but like most things on the internet, you develop your own interpretation of what they say.

My colleague is buying GTA for her two sons for xmas – they’re 10 and 11.

Why?

She says: “I have to, because all their friends have it”

It’s pretty swear-ee and violent
My two boys have both always played what they want and both grown into well rounded young adults, I may have just been lucky

What would the Daily Mail say to this piece of research:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/psychologists_study_shows_violent_video_games_can_make_kids_smarter/

Totally unsuitable for children.

Especially Trevor. I’m not sure he is suitable for any age.

So you end up with lots of smart kids with no moral compass?

Trouble is if you say no you feel like they’ll think you’re making a judgement about them as parents.

Exactly… but looking at the above I think Ill have to say no….

15yr old brov has my copy at the minute, he was showing my dad around it, my dads comment was “don’t let your mum see this”

to give him his due, he knows its just a game. Some of his mates are a bit stupid about it, but honestly you tube has worse stuff on it that GTA

At least your lad’s friend’s mum asked you about it, the more feckless wouldn’t have thought to do that.

I’m really relaxed about this sort of thing, my mum didn’t give a monkeys about age certificates, but having finsished that game I’d put a personal limit of 14/15 on it. It really is a properly hardcore piece of entertainment with adult themes aimed at adults.

Up to the parent to decide if their child can handle it, but “just a game” it is not. That link AlexSimon quoted has it spot on.

My boy (11) gave us loads of hassle about it, because a couple of his friends have it and he told them he did!
Didn’t give in though – only had to see Drac’s sadboy thread ( 😉 ) about it to know it was far from suitable. He has enough games with swearing and violence in already!! (military type crap)

My 10 year old is allowed to play games with a 12 rating automatically, those with a 15 rating if I’ve seen it and agree or if it’s at a friend’s house, and those with an 18 rating not at all. GTA V is the 18est 18 game going – he wouldn’t have a chance.

we let our 12 year old have GTA on the assumption that you could restrict the content that would be revealed. Wifey and I now agree that we should have researched it more. He’s not now allowed to play it with the door closed.
In the same conversation I pointed out that the ‘kiddie friendly’ Lego Star wars he started with is 80% battering other characters with light sabres and ray guns. Does that trivialise violence by putting it in a cartoon?

The violence is probably the least of the issues with this game. More troubling for a youngster is the language and the sexual content.

Do you let your kids get drunk as well? There’s an age limit for a reason.

GTA V is the 18est 18 game going

This. The GTA games have always pushed the boundaries of what’s acceptable, and this is the latest and greatest in the series. They’ve not just pushed the envelope, they’ve torn it into small pieces, shoved it up a dog’s chuff and set fire to it. Then sat around laughing and seeing who can drop the C-bomb the most. I defy any 13-year old to play it and not spend the next six months calling all their mates “my ****”.

I think as well there’s a difference between sneakily doing things underage and doing them with your parents’ consent. Not that I’m suggesting kids should be underhand, just that, well, they are. (-:

Parents saying it’s ok for them to do something legitimises it, it makes it “normal.” If they are going to be exposed to it anyway, if they know it’s taboo then they’ll hopefully approach it with a little more caution.

ObDisclaimer, I am not a parent.

Thankfully he’s now ditched GTA in favour of FIFA13. Next time we have a tidy up GTA may get inexplicably lost.

Does that trivialise violence by putting it in a cartoon?

so does Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner etc.

I think there’s a big difference between ‘stylised’ violence and what happens in the more graphic ‘real life’ games.

Watch this (NSFW) and them make up your own mind if you want your kids playing it:
GTA V Trevor kills Jonny
In summery, sex, violence, stamping on someone’s head until dead and some choice language.

I think that exposing kids to films/computer games etc when too young is much more risky that giving them a knife.

I think that exposing kids to films/computer games etc when too young is much more risky that giving them a knife.

Problem is, some parents allow kids to play games such as GTA ‘AND’ give their kids a knife.

If my lad and I lived in the woods..he would have a knife. I live in the city and it’s not needed. Neither is knowing how to stamp on someones head IMO.

Interesting read here.

I have a 12 year old and we frequently have conversations around the fact that all his friends can play 18 games, so why can’t he.

I tell him that because I know what the games have in them, whereas a lot of parents don’t.

It is difficult when he goes to other boys houses as I don’t want him to be ostracised from the group because of the games.

It sounds like most of you all do pretty similar things!