Kotaku 
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Denver, 4:29 PM
Fri Dec 4
53 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/17/09
You would think that, but they're few and far between. I had one woman come into my store, had her 6 year old kid bring up GTA: San Andreas, tell me she didn't approve of the game but the kid has already played the game before so there's not much she can do, and then bought it and walked out. I shit you not.
Now maybe I missed something, but when I was a kid if I did something my parents didn't approve of they stopped me from doing it. Regardless of whether I had done it before. I used to play Mortal Kombat with my cousin when I was a kid (6-10), but my parents never let me own the game. They knew what was in it, didn't think it was appropriate, and wouldn't buy it for me.
Sure, I'd sneak playing it with my cousin when he came over or I was over at his house, all kids will sneak things, but that doesn't mean that as a parent you should just give up and let your kids play whatever they want.
She knew exactly what the game was about, but just let her kid walk all over her. It was pathetic. Tell the kid it's not appropriate and get him/her a different game.
As good an idea as this is, it will be wasted on most parents. Quite frankly, they don't care. They're 8 old year old brat brings up GTAIV, I read the list of things on the back of the box, tell them it's a game intended for adults and people with more maturity than an 8 year old, and they just wave they're hand at me, swipe their credit card, and then continue on their phone conversation.
I'm not saying all kids should be banned from playing M games. There's one father and son that comes in to the Gamestop I work at that are actually pretty cool. The kid is maybe twelve or so, but he loves shooters and plays games like Gears, L4D, and Halo fairly regularly. But from talking to him, you can also tell that he's mature enough to play those games and not be obnoxious. His dad is involved with what he plays and always asks about the ratings of games before buying. He's even brought a few back saying that they weren't appropriate for his son.
The gaming industry can do all it can to make information available for parents, but it's irrelevant when the parents can't be bothered. And the most annoying part is that the ones that pay the least attention will be the first to blame a game when something bad happens.
/rant
09/17/09
I used to blame the kids for wanting games their not old enough to play, but it's not really their fault. Kotaku even ran a study showing that kids, as is natural, want the games they're not supposed to have more than the games they can have. But why do they want those games? Because their parents let them play them, or they're exposed to other children who play them and they feel left out if they don't have them. My parents never let me anywhere near a Mature-rated game, and I never wanted one, even after watching my cousin play GTA:Vice City. It's all down to the parents and how informed they are.
/supporting rant
09/17/09
09/17/09
Or how about a sign that every retailer should have at their check-out counter to inform parents about the differences in ratings? Just a simple sign, how hard can that be? Enforce it by law to make sure retailers dont take it down to make room for the new Guitar Hero 9 poster.
09/17/09
09/17/09
Now I'm not saying it's not the parents job to know, it is, and I do know, but more because of years of growing up with it. I don't know how you train the people who buy the game while on the phone and the 9 year old brat pulling on your shirt telling you to shut up, etc.
09/17/09
I've noticed myself, not all toy companies use the same system to show the appropriate age of the toy. As a parent I look for that information and make my decision accordingly be it a bicycle, a bath toy, or an action figure.
I'd like to think that these parents buying the M rated games are the minority and would understand that it's not a one size fit's all industry. Unfortunately from my own experience these people aren't interested in advice unless it comes from Oprah or other such source.
09/17/09
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09/17/09
I prefer to drink muddy water than drinking any coffee made by Starbucks.
09/17/09
09/17/09
93% on parents Zoolandering it to find out where the ESRB info is.
09/17/09
Most parents when given a hand held will tell you how cool it is, shake it and then tell you go enjoy some pokeman.
03/05/09
03/05/09
If there is anything grad school has taught me so far, it's to be very afraid of polls.
01/14/09
Sure, it's a good thing they are doing, but it is basically just another way to measure their ever-growing penis against Sony.
I am thinking that benevolance and working together would be more positive for them at this stage. This goes to Sony as well. The first company to extend a hand to their competitors in some way is going to win something.
01/14/09
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01/14/09
I fear that parents nowadays simply use the video game consoles as a makeshift babysitter so the parents can have some peace and quiet. I'm not implying that this is case with everyone, but working at a game retailer, the amount of oblivious parents buying M rated games for their extremely under-aged children still boggles my mind. No matter how much I try to persuade them, I get the same, "Oh he said he's played it before, so it's okay" routine. It it not okay. Please parents, realize what you're buying your child before you buy it.
01/14/09
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01/14/09
Oh btw, aren't they getting sued for their parental control software?
01/14/09
So is every other company basically that implements parental controls...including Sony.
01/14/09
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