One of the kids friends has just called round, and they’re all playing on the xbox. I’d forgotten to take my copy of gta v out of the console, so the friend asked if could play it (he’s 9). I said no, it’s completely inappropriate, and he looked genuinely shocked. Turns out his parents got it for him when it first came out. I must be completely out of touch, but I still think it’s wrong.

It’s really not suitable for young kids.

Maybe his parents are out of touch, not knowing what the game contains

Edit: it’s 18 rated!

Not just you. Won’t let mine play with 18 rated games (he’s 12)

Nope you’re not alone.
Quite a lot of my lads friends have had unrestricted games/web access for years.
I’m sure that the parents either truly don’t know what’s in them or don’t care.

Maybe his parents are out of touch, not knowing what the game contains

or do know, but don’t care…?

I’ve just lost it and sent him home, caught him trying to download extra skins and stuff on minecraft, his excuse being ‘it only costs a couple of quid, what’s your problem?’ Invite only next time, I think. Problem is, most of the other kids round here think my two are weird because they don’t act like that.

I think because they are called computer ‘games’ there is some kind of assumption that they are therefore ‘fun’ without any forethought that there is a reason they are rated 18.

I would not let a 9 year play a role play game that allowed them to shag a prostitute then murder her by smashing her around the head with a baseball bat or any other ultra violent video game.

They are adult entertainment in the truest sense.

That strikes me as sick and inappropriate for any age, sorry.

Agree with the OP – my kids at the time didn’t – same with films, music, videos etc. Interestingly they quote it now to younger family members now, so something good has worn off!

Possibly the most disturbing thread I’ve read in quite some time. Stand firm OP!

The price is the reason my kid’s not having it! £45! and it ain’t even Christmas. You don’t go buying your kid something for that sort of money for no reason. Spoilt brats.
Second reason is the rating.

That strikes me as sick and inappropriate for any age, sorry.

I’m quite surprised I’m saying this, but I agree.

I’m no prude, and far from “easily offended”

But that does sound like an odd choice of entertainment.

i suspect we would all waiver with late teen kids but that age no way

It is surprising/worrying how many parents dont GAS

in deffence of the game, has anyone ever watched night of the living dead and come over all cannibalistic?

or played pac man and spent a decade wandering round in darkened rooms munching pills and listening to repetitive music?

I don’t think anyone suggested it turns people into what they see in the game did they ?

You seem to be defending it against something nobody said 😉

Nine is a bit young.
Mid teens maybe, but under 10 is just not on.

But, my lads have played the old one with the sound off. They liked sitting on the train for some reason. Watching the world go by. 😕 Only if I’m in the room though. Disc comes out & in my work bag if I’m not on it.

they’re all playing on the Xbox

are their bikes broken? 🙂 its not raining that hard 😉

Well done OP

I have a reputation for being a bit of an old fart – games and films have ratings for a reason and unless I’ve checked it first and really don’t understand the rating, then I’ll stick to it.

My 10 year old is pretty sensible and grounded and has never argued it or asked for things he knows are over his age limit.

Makes me laugh when other parents moan about their kids behaviour copying films or games that they are not mature enough to watch, according to the supposed experts that set the ratings. Always interesting to hear Mark Kermode’s views, he has some serious concerns at what is allowed through in films below 18 rating, and he isn’t exactly squeamish.

for me it’s like a glimpse into another world!!!

What is going on?

*Samuri to the thread*

That strikes me as sick and inappropriate for any age, sorry.

Out of context. GTA walks a very fine line, always did, and it is ONLY okay from a very particular point of view. It’s meant to be funny by being completely outrageous and not realistic. The whole thing is daft. If it weren’t, it’d be sick.

Mid teens maybe

No chance.

Definitely not suitable for a 9 year old, of course, because you don’t have this context. Probably not even suitable for many 18 year olds, I’d stick a 25 certificate on it if there were such a thing.

It’s not about blood guts or swearing, it’s because it presents things that are awful in a black comic way.

I’d stick a 25 certificate on it if there were such a thing

Thank goodness there isn’t. It’d be a sad day when a 24 year old can’t legally choose what to watch/play/listen to.

‘it only costs a couple of quid, what’s your problem?’

That would have had me screaming!

Rockstar really ought to do kids versions of it though. My kid would LOVE running around a virtual world.

Maybe one for young kids where you have to find unicorns and rescue princesses and stuff.. and perhaps one for older kids where you have to do Alex Rider/Spy Kids/Scooby Doo type stuff, where no-one dies.

Has nobody suggested getting the police, or social services (or both) involved yet?

This place really has gone to the dogs of late 🙄

To be fair I’d be going round to his parents house, stealing their car, running them over, taking the cash they drop and then jumping off their house. But thats just how I roll now.

Never allowed any video games in our house… sons now 27 & 22 have since thanked me for that.

But they were not happy at the time.

We have had this a good few times: a friend was allowing their kids at 4, 6 and 8 to watch Pirates of the Caribbean and similar. She then wondered why the 4 year old could not sleep at night alone…
Lots of the kids mates at school speak as though they have watched, but are BS’ing it. However, I do thing a good few watch some serious 18 films and even more on computer games at a very young age. Some is lack of awareness, some is parents trying to keep up with jones’s. Some I think is parents trying to have the ‘cool kids’ or shock others.
I hate it. Why would you want your kid to grow up ‘too soon’?

I watch Apocalypse Now as part of my History GCSE course at school. It didn’t make me want to cut the head off a cow or machine gun civilians, but it did make me want to learn to surf and own a boat.

I’m not sure if that’s relevant.

Not really. GTA is about outrageous things done for humour. The danger is that people might get the idea that murdering prostitutes is meant to be funny, rather than the intended joke which is that computer games in which you can do generally outrageous things of your own invention are funny.

Not just you. Won’t let mine play with that 18 rated game (he’s 13)

Although I do take each film/game on a per case basis.

Apparently all his friends parents let them stay up ’till 1am, watch 18 certs, play GTA V etc. My standard reply is “Good for them”.

I watch Apocalypse Now as part of my History GCSE course at school. It didn’t make me want to cut the head off a cow or machine gun civilians…

Hear, hear.

I mean, how can watching anything on TV affect anyone’s behaviour? It’s why advertising doesn’t work…oh wait… 🙄 😯

Clockwork Orange was taking out of circulation by the director because of a spate of copycat crimes. 😉

Although I do take each film/game on a per case basis.

hey love, the kids want this game so I better buy it and play it all the way through to check it’s kosher. Only thinking of the children.

I’ll have to remember that one

I think you’re bob-on – my second cousin was playing III or Vice City at twelve or so, and I asked his mum if he should be, it being an eighteen and all. She said “I can’t not let him have it, all his friends have got it” – I thought, you bloody can, if you’ve any sense of parental responsibility… Mrs Pondo teaches 11 year-olds at her school who are playing it – you really wonder whether their parents have got the slightest clue about what’s in it.

“I can’t not let him have it, all his friends have got it”

🙄

Quite a few of my twelve year old’s mates have it (he will not!).

It is bloody lazy and irresponsible parenting in my books.