Are your parents as paranoid as mine?

I'm glad you can separate reality from make believe, Peter Pan. Unfortunately some sickos out there can't, so its normal for a parent to be slightly apprehensive at their son/daughter buying a game like Gears. I'm a gamer and laugh in the face of arguments that videogames add to social violence, but when I really sit down and think about how I would treat these games as a parent, I'm not so sure I would let a young child play some of these games...but I also wouldn't want them to miss out on the sweetness. Its a tough spot, just realize that they aren't doing it to be jerks, they just care.lockjaw333

Amen

i'm 20and i'll be 21 on 9/11

Everyone if you have neigbors around the age of ten ask them if the have any M rated games 50% will say they atleast have 1

[QUOTE="Cedmln"].

By what you just said, you odn't know what a Mature rating means in video games. It really only aplies to those of age directly. It is only implied to behavior, meaning its not the core issue.

12 year olds and under SHOULDN'T play m rated games because they are still very impressionable. 13 years and up should as long as they are mature enough to handle what they are playing. Also 12 year olds are annoying on gears and halo 2. no one cares about your double get a tacular

[QUOTE=""]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"].Cedmln

By what you just said, you odn't know what a Mature rating means in video games. It really only aplies to those of age directly. It is only implied to behavior, meaning its not the core issue.

[QUOTE="Cedmln"]How old are you? If you under 17 then you shouldn't be allowed to play M rated games no matter what (unless you had to)...wiiman78

Yea u trying t say that even though younger kids below the age of 17 shouldnt be able to play rated m games?

What the heck did you just try to ask me? Please correct your question.

[QUOTE=""]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"].Cedmln

By what you just said, you don't know what a Mature rating means in video games. It really only aplies to those of age directly. It is only implied to behavior, meaning its not the core issue.

[QUOTE="wiiman78"]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"]How old are you? If you under 17 then you shouldn't be allowed to play M rated games no matter what (unless you had to)...Cedmln

Yea u trying t say that even though younger kids below the age of 17 shouldnt be able to play rated m games?

What the heck did you just try to ask me? Please correct your question.

[QUOTE="Cedmln"] wiiman78

If u havent noticed go look at walmart and at the 360 games about 80% of all the games are rated M also if i wanted to play only E games i wouldve gotten a Wii!

What you are saying doesn't have an advantage in this arguement.

Thats normal. Once video games have been around long enough that most parents will have played them (or at least more familiar) then it won't be such a big deal.

The people who freak out the most are also the ones who know the least.

Thats normal. Once video games have been around long enough that most parents will have played them (or at least more familiar) then it won't be such a big deal.

The people who freak out the most are also the ones who know the least.

capthavic

[QUOTE="Cedmln"][QUOTE="wiiman78"]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"]...wiiman78

That still doesn't mean you're allowed to play M rated games under the age of 17...

Kid its the rule. I can clearly see you are a rebel, so i'm just going to leave this arguement in the dust.

12 year olds and under SHOULDN'T play m rated games because they are still very impressionable. 13 years and up should as long as they are mature enough to handle what they are playing. Also 12 year olds are annoying on gears and halo 2. no one cares about your double get a tacular

hfhgf

[QUOTE="wiiman78"]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"] Cedmln

If u havent noticed go look at walmart and at the 360 games about 80% of all the games are rated M also if i wanted to play only E games i wouldve gotten a Wii!

What you are saying doesn't have an advantage in this arguement.

[QUOTE="wiiman78"][QUOTE="Cedmln"][QUOTE="wiiman78"]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"]...Cedmln

That still doesn't mean you're allowed to play M rated games under the age of 17...

Kid its the rule. I can clearly see you are a rebel, so i'm just going to leave this arguement in the dust.

[QUOTE="Cedmln"][QUOTE="wiiman78"]

[QUOTE="Cedmln"] wiiman78

If u havent noticed go look at walmart and at the 360 games about 80% of all the games are rated M also if i wanted to play only E games i wouldve gotten a Wii!

What you are saying doesn't have an advantage in this arguement.

Ok her's the story I'm bout to get a 360 in about a week or so. I told my mom that I was gonna buy gear and oblivion with it. She gave me a scary look and told me to ask my dad so i asked him and he diden't give a poo. So i told my mom and showed her the review for gears and she instantly said no!! Does she think im gonna go outside and finda rocket launcher and blow someone up?? sheesh! Is anyone elses parents like this??:?wiiman78

u didnt. when i finished with gears i took out the old chainsaw and went roundmy local neighbourhood, gud times:D

Cedlmthat is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. What do you mean no one under 17 is allowed to play m games. The rating is kind of like a suggestion to let the the buyer or parent in this guys case what the game has like blood and gore. It's not OMG THIS GAME IS RATED M YOU CANNOT PLAY THIS GAME YOUR ARE 1-16 YEARS OLDOMG OMG. Just because a game is rated M doesn't mean you are not allowed to play it if your under that age. It's a suggestion on what your kid is playing, you are just being ignorant.

Your parents have a right to tell you what you can and can't play. of course you aren't going to go outside and find a rocket launcher, but she's probably afraid you'll begin taking it too seriously or play imitate it. Try proving you're more mature than she thinks. Don't just start randomly talking about games, don't curse around her, and don't joke with your friends about violent actsin games around her. Do more work around the house. Get her on your good side. Don't just bring up violent stuff around her or anything like that. Maybe she'll lighten up when she realizes that you're mature enough to seperate reality from an act of complete fiction. Make her think games aren't your primary focus on your life(even if they are ;) ) and she may give you more options with gaming.

Your parents have a right to tell you what you can and can't play. of course you aren't going to go outside and find a rocket launcher, but she's probably afraid you'll begin taking it too seriously or play imitate it. Try proving you're more mature than she thinks. Don't just start randomly talking about games, don't curse around her, and don't joke with your friends about violent actsin games around her. Do more work around the house. Get her on your good side. Don't just bring up violent stuff around her or anything like that. Maybe she'll lighten up when she realizes that you're mature enough to seperate reality from an act of complete fiction. Make her think games aren't your primary focus on your life(even if they are ;) ) and she may give you more options with gaming.

zombiepigeon

Your parents have a right to tell you what you can and can't play. of course you aren't going to go outside and find a rocket launcher, but she's probably afraid you'll begin taking it too seriously or play imitate it. Try proving you're more mature than she thinks. Don't just start randomly talking about games, don't curse around her, and don't joke with your friends about violent actsin games around her. Do more work around the house. Get her on your good side. Don't just bring up violent stuff around her or anything like that. Maybe she'll lighten up when she realizes that you're mature enough to seperate reality from an act of complete fiction. Make her think games aren't your primary focus on your life(even if they are ;) ) and she may give you more options with gaming.

zombiepigeon

no, my parents were great with games/drinking/girls/ etc (all the fun stuff :)

they'd rather me be safe at home trying that stuff, and knew if they banned that from me, i'd want it more. and would just go around them and do it anyway. (i was the youngest of 3, so they'd been through all that crap before)

[QUOTE="wiiman78"]Ok her's the story I'm bout to get a 360 in about a week or so. I told my mom that I was gonna buy gear and oblivion with it. She gave me a scary look and told me to ask my dad so i asked him and he diden't give a poo. So i told my mom and showed her the review for gears and she instantly said no!! Does she think im gonna go outside and finda rocket launcher and blow someone up?? sheesh! Is anyone elses parents like this??:?mattybonner2

u didnt. when i finished with gears i took out the old chainsaw and went roundmy local neighbourhood, gud times:D

How old are you? If you under 17 then you shouldn't be allowed to play M rated games no matter what (unless you had to)...Cedmln

Oh, come on! I know guys older than 17 that shouldn't be allowed to play M rated games. Buying them is a different story. The stores have to follow the laws, but as for playing them...like I said before...it all depends on the individual.

Well, how old are you? If you are under the age of 12 there is no way I would let you come near Gears in my house. Even if I fully trust that you won't go berserk with your dad's shotgun, you still don't need to be being infuenced by that kind of violence. It hardens you to the point where seeing violence doesn't affect you. beutlich99

I grew up on violent action movies and horror movies from way before 12. I love the stuff! And I'm hoping my kids will too.

Yes it has hardened me to an extent where I can watch violence (fake violence mind you....) and not really be affected much...but real violence still affects me. Your statement is only true of people with severe brain issues....like sociopaths and psychopaths.

Any normal person will always be affected by violence no matter how much of it they see.

that day i was playing gears of war and my father was watching me playing i chainsawed some dude and my dad said(wow thats a lot of meat and blood out there) i said (yeah thats cool).

and i started playing GTA when i was 11 years old ( i didnt know much english at that time so i didnt really understand what GTA3 is all about .

my parents dont give a #$%$ for what the hell im playing.

[QUOTE="mattybonner2"]

[QUOTE="wiiman78"]Ok her's the story I'm bout to get a 360 in about a week or so. I told my mom that I was gonna buy gear and oblivion with it. She gave me a scary look and told me to ask my dad so i asked him and he diden't give a poo. So i told my mom and showed her the review for gears and she instantly said no!! Does she think im gonna go outside and finda rocket launcher and blow someone up?? sheesh! Is anyone elses parents like this??:?wiiman78

u didnt. when i finished with gears i took out the old chainsaw and went roundmy local neighbourhood, gud times:D

lol when i finished resi 4 i was convinced my neighbours were ganados. so one night i strapped them to chairs and did little experiments too them

BAD NEWS- they werent ganados (they were just weird)

GUD NEWS-i had first dibs on the 40 inch HD TV (happy days):)

Personally I think the age that applies to each rating is more of a guideline than a rule. If you were my kid you would have to prove you were mature enough to handle the game. It's obvious that your Mother has a reason for thinking you cannot handle the game. I can see three reasons right out of the gate that you should be allowed to have these types of games.

1. You stated in an earlier post that you went behind your parents back and played Mortal Kombat and GTA.

2. You debate your point like an 8 year old who thinks his parents do not know whats best for him.

3. You said that you play hockey and there is profanity spoken all the time and that makes you think that because you hear it there that its a not big deal you hear it in games Well let me tell you becasue you live in this world and hear it all the time does not mean you have to willing keep filling your head with it. (I apologise if this was not you who stated this.)

Now granted I have gears of war for my 360 my parents probably wouldn't have let me have it when I was your age not because of the killing because that is fake the language is real and very profane in that game. There are words in that game that I would not ever speak out loud.

I have to commend your mother for wanting to steer you in the right direction on life and if you really want gears you should prover to her that you are mature enough for it by your actions not by just saying you are mature enough.

"12 year olds and under SHOULDN'T play m rated games because they are still very impressionable. 13 years and up should as long as they are mature enough to handle what they are playing. Also 12 year olds are annoying on gears and halo 2. no one cares about your double get a tacular"

Honestly, you people are underestimating 12 year olds. Most 12 year olds I know are mature enough to play a game like Gears of War and not be affected by it in any negative way. Hell, a friend of my brother who is 10 can play Gears of War, and he hasn't exhibited any anti social, violent, or negative behavior. Saying all people of any age are annoying is a sweeping generalization and an extremely stupid thing to say.

"By what you just said, you odn't know what a Mature rating means in video games. It really only aplies to those of age directly. It is only implied to behavior, meaning its not the core issue."

By what you said earlier and in that post, it's implied that you have no idea what the heck you're talking about. The rating system is merely a system of recommendations for parents who want to control content and know what their kids are playing. Nothing more. There's no *insert age here* flat out shouldn't play a game of a certain rating, it's merely the opinion of someone who cannot back up what they are saying. If a 10 year old possesses the knowledge of the world required to understand he/she is playing game that is not reflective of real life, then there is no problem with he/she playing M games. If a 6 year old possesses this knowledge and wants to play an M game, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that person playing M games. If blood/gore/the themes in M games tend to scare that person, that's another issue. Opposition to this stems from over protective parents, stupid parents, or parents who know their child is not quite mature/intelligent enough to grasp the line between reality and what happens on a screen. If by any chance anyone above the age of 6 or 7 (when they should understand how the world works, to some degree) is seriously effected by a video game enough to do something like hurt someone, then said child has psychosis.

To Wiiman: The 360 has a much more colorful game library than you think, it's just that no one bothers to read about games besides the mainstream ones. >.>

U cant ask us to only play E-T games when the shelves are full of M games and those are the games that get the high rating and everyone talks about.

"That still doesn't mean you're allowed to play M rated games under the age of 17..."

"Kid its the rule. I can clearly see you are a rebel, so i'm just going to leave this arguement in the dust."

You sir, are clearly a fool. The ESRB's ratings on games do not mean that you are "not allowed" to play M games below 17. You can play M games when you're 2. There is no law against that. In some states there are laws against buying M games when you are below a certain age, but nothing that says you cannot play them.

"12 year olds and under SHOULDN'T play m rated games because they are still very impressionable. 13 years and up should as long as they are mature enough to handle what they are playing. Also 12 year olds are annoying on gears and halo 2. no one cares about your double get a tacular"

PandaSamurai

Honestly, you people are underestimating 12 year olds. Most 12 year olds I know are mature enough to play a game like Gears of War and not be affected by it in any negative way. Hell, a friend of my brother who is 10 can play Gears of War, and he hasn't exhibited any anti social, violent, or negative behavior. Saying all people of any age are annoying is a sweeping generalization and an extremely stupid thing to say.

"By what you just said, you odn't know what a Mature rating means in video games. It really only aplies to those of age directly. It is only implied to behavior, meaning its not the core issue."

By what you said earlier and in that post, it's implied that you have no idea what the heck you're talking about. The rating system is merely a system of recommendations for parents who want to control content and know what their kids are playing. Nothing more. There's no *insert age here* flat out shouldn't play a game of a certain rating, it's merely the opinion of someone who cannot back up what they are saying. If a 10 year old possesses the knowledge of the world required to understand he/she is playing game that is not reflective of real life, then there is no problem with he/she playing M games. If a 6 year old possesses this knowledge and wants to play an M game, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that person playing M games. If blood/gore/the themes in M games tend to scare that person, that's another issue. Opposition to this stems from over protective parents, stupid parents, or parents who know their child is not quite mature/intelligent enough to grasp the line between reality and what happens on a screen. If by any chance anyone above the age of 6 or 7 (when they should understand how the world works, to some degree) is seriously effected by a video game enough to do something like hurt someone, then said child has psychosis.

To Wiiman: The 360 has a much more colorful game library than you think, it's just that no one bothers to read about games besides the mainstream ones. >.>

U cant ask us to only play E-T games when the shelves are full of M games and those are the games that get the high rating and everyone talks about.

"That still doesn't mean you're allowed to play M rated games under the age of 17..."

"Kid its the rule. I can clearly see you are a rebel, so i'm just going to leave this arguement in the dust."

You sir, are clearly a fool. The ESRB's ratings on games do not mean that you are "not allowed" to play M games below 17. You can play M games when you're 2. There is no law against that. In some states there are laws against buying M games when you are below a certain age, but nothing that says you cannot play them.

Personally I think the age that applies to each rating is more of a guideline than a rule. If you were my kid you would have to prove you were mature enough to handle the game. It's obvious that your Mother has a reason for thinking you cannot handle the game. I can see three reasons right out of the gate that you should be allowed to have these types of games.

1. You stated in an earlier post that you went behind your parents back and played Mortal Kombat and GTA.

2. You debate your point like an 8 year old who thinks his parents do not know whats best for him.

3. You said that you play hockey and there is profanity spoken all the time and that makes you think that because you hear it there that its a not big deal you hear it in games Well let me tell you becasue you live in this world and hear it all the time does not mean you have to willing keep filling your head with it. (I apologise if this was not you who stated this.)

Now granted I have gears of war for my 360 my parents probably wouldn't have let me have it when I was your age not because of the killing because that is fake the language is real and very profane in that game. There are words in that game that I would not ever speak out loud.

I have to commend your mother for wanting to steer you in the right direction on life and if you really want gears you should prover to her that you are mature enough for it by your actions not by just saying you are mature enough.

johnmetcalf

That's why you just need to go to college and move out. MyndFlyte

Haha awesome...but so true.

my parents are the same.... but they are not that bad....

i will be 15 in october and they let me play R6 COD3 and halo......

but gears or dead rising.... never....

its not like im going to take a gun and start shooting people for a laugh...

i try to explain to them that the fun in a video game isyou can do what you cant do in real life.... but they dont get it