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Under-age gamers and My 5th XBoX360
Should kids be allowed to buy games rated 18? Is it up to their parents? And why do all the XBOX360's I touch, die?
By Lawrence Benedict 'Malystryx' Phillips
Dec 27, 2008 17:35
Should kids be allowed to buy games rated 18? Is it up to their parents? And why do all the XBOX360's I touch, die?
Today I went into GAME a british shop that sells PC/console games to return yet another dead XBOX360. I blogged about it here, which to choose XBOX or PS3 and in the end I chose to buy XBOX360 for my birthday on the 19th november.
Since then I have now gone through four xbox360s and three copies of the xbox game Fable. Three of them simply crashed although for a bit of variety yesterday my last one to die got the red rings of death (woooo). I gave in and once again exchanged my xbox so I am now on number 5 in five weeks. This is SERIOUSLY the last time.
The queue was immense stemming outside of the shop, about 30-40 people queueing so a long wait. While in the queue a kid came up to a guy behind me trying to get him to buy two 18 rated games for him. The kid was about 13-14 I'd say and he was trying to buy Hitman and another xbox game. The guy said I'm only 16 I cant buy it and then suggests he asks other people.
Despite being slim I can be quite scary so I just did my "don't even think about it" stance and he realised to not ask me. He then asked another guy about 40 to buy the games for him, the bloke accepted and took the money from the kid.
The kid was then next to me and I said "why not buy them online, they cant check your age", then kid looked dissapointed then the guy behind me said "he probably doesn't even have a bank account". "Ah thats true," I said, "he'd have to borrow mummy and daddy's". At which point the 40 year old who had accepted to buy the games changed his mind and gave the money and games back to the kid saying "you're too young mate, I can't buy them".
The kid went around asking other people all having various excuses, no-one willing to buy them for him. Now the question is would these people still say no if the shop was not packed? No-one to judge them.
I once bought cigarettes for an underage teen at university and thinking back I thought why the hell did I do that. Now I'm older I dont really care about gaining street cred and receiving "nice one mate" from a kid.
. Is it up to the parents if a child can buy an 18 game or should be up to the goverment laws, you have to be 18 to buy this game. Obviously in Germany the laws are very strict hence why CS 1.6 was not on main stage at the SEC in March this year or in an enclosed area at WCG in Cologne last month.
There is an arguement that "films are more violent than games, these ratings are not that relevant", but the counter-arguement is that in games you are initiating the killing/destruction/death, you are playing an active role not just spectating like in a film which could make it even more of a bad influence.
What do people here think about 18 rated games?
Since then I have now gone through four xbox360s and three copies of the xbox game Fable. Three of them simply crashed although for a bit of variety yesterday my last one to die got the red rings of death (woooo). I gave in and once again exchanged my xbox so I am now on number 5 in five weeks. This is SERIOUSLY the last time.
The queue was immense stemming outside of the shop, about 30-40 people queueing so a long wait. While in the queue a kid came up to a guy behind me trying to get him to buy two 18 rated games for him. The kid was about 13-14 I'd say and he was trying to buy Hitman and another xbox game. The guy said I'm only 16 I cant buy it and then suggests he asks other people.
Despite being slim I can be quite scary so I just did my "don't even think about it" stance and he realised to not ask me. He then asked another guy about 40 to buy the games for him, the bloke accepted and took the money from the kid.
The kid was then next to me and I said "why not buy them online, they cant check your age", then kid looked dissapointed then the guy behind me said "he probably doesn't even have a bank account". "Ah thats true," I said, "he'd have to borrow mummy and daddy's". At which point the 40 year old who had accepted to buy the games changed his mind and gave the money and games back to the kid saying "you're too young mate, I can't buy them".
The kid went around asking other people all having various excuses, no-one willing to buy them for him. Now the question is would these people still say no if the shop was not packed? No-one to judge them.
I once bought cigarettes for an underage teen at university and thinking back I thought why the hell did I do that. Now I'm older I dont really care about gaining street cred and receiving "nice one mate" from a kid.
. Is it up to the parents if a child can buy an 18 game or should be up to the goverment laws, you have to be 18 to buy this game. Obviously in Germany the laws are very strict hence why CS 1.6 was not on main stage at the SEC in March this year or in an enclosed area at WCG in Cologne last month.
There is an arguement that "films are more violent than games, these ratings are not that relevant", but the counter-arguement is that in games you are initiating the killing/destruction/death, you are playing an active role not just spectating like in a film which could make it even more of a bad influence.
What do people here think about 18 rated games?
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see? I'm always right xD
malystryx wrote:
"well I've had 3 so far, if this one dies then I give up and buy a PS3 :DDDD"
There are a few games that would have sold 0 copies (rounded to the nearest 1000) if 18 certificate games were (somehow) impossible for under-18's to play, I also wonder how many GTA fans that read this comment will also have first played the game when THEY were underage :D
Developers COUNT on underage gamers, so I dont think any 13 year olds that go into GAME and try to buy an 18 shouldnt be thought of in the same way as a 14 year old trying to get you to buy them some alcohol/cigarettes. After all, I used to get my parents to buy me games, and i bet a lot of people here did too!
I remember my father wanting to show me Empire Strikes Back when I was 11 or 12, and I was way to scared of that ice monster, so I skipped the movie. Maybe that's what German politicians mean by media competence.
Still, I would have reacted the same way as you in that game shop. It should always be up to the parents to decide.
There are a few games that would have sold 0 copies (rounded to the nearest 1000) if 18 certificate games were (somehow) impossible for under-18's to play, I also wonder how many GTA fans that read this comment will also have first played the game when THEY were underage :D
Developers COUNT on underage gamers, so I dont think any 13 year olds that go into GAME and try to buy an 18 should be thought of in the same way as a 14 year old trying to get you to buy them some alcohol/cigarettes. After all, I used to get my parents to buy me games, and i bet a lot of people here did too!
My favourite is with porn. I could've legally had sex at 16 but it's breaking the law to watch other people doing it until 18? Right-oh!
I'm much more in favour of a 'guideline' system that is in place to educate parents about gaming content. If someone doesn't want their kids playing gory games, fine, but it should be a choice.
And I think most responsebility to age restriction on games should be up to the gouverment, unfortunatly some parents generally dont give a crap about their kids or what they do, so why should they be allowed to be play a game that a kid who's being brought up right isnt?
On the other hand, some kids are more mature then others and react differently to violence in a game and also play games for different reasons. Their parents would (or at least should) know how their kid would react. If a kid becomes addicted or reacts badly to violence in the media then yes its the parents responsibility to make sure that no oppertunity is created to trigger something bad thanks to a game/movie until he grows out of it.
its a 50/50 situation - touchy subject!
Wii + Wii fit + gf / a girl playing it is a perfect combination ;p (requires that girl of crs, preferably with a nice body..)
About age restriction, video games are meant to be fun and entertaining, so why not to buy so-called "violent" video games for kids. They are fun and entertaining and keep kids happy. Video games don't harm people. People harm people with weapons.
u on drugs ? Has to be the best load of crap i heard this week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oKkqpA2ZoI
so fat ;D
Now on topic, ratings for games, movies and censorship are all bullshit, they should be removed.
Maly, 360 is FTW! =D Only had one bad 360 no problems since
Though, If your kid oozes columbine maybe you should let them pass on the most violent games but other than that, let them have some fun^^
Hope that if you get a PS3 it will work better for you... at least you will be abble to see the Dark Knight in Blueray :P
Anyway, the ''18'' is there for a reason. I reckon if underaged kids want to play violent games, then their parents should buy the game and only let them play when the parents are near.