Question For Old Farts

[CSL]

At what age would you let your child start playing FPS games. online/offline.

 

Lets get some opinions.

[sinA* <3 Padme*Amidala]

Hmmm, i think it depends on the game. How much Blood and so on.

I dont think that Kids minds should be affected with stuff like that. I would not let my kid play these games untill he/she is at least 15/16 and i know he/she can handle it.

There is a reason why Games, Music, Movies have age limit and i think adults and of course parents should take it serious.

[<Jose>]

guy then probably 10 girl id say 12 :S

[Husa]

Age doesn't say ANYTHING, it's just number. Someone who is 13 years old can behave/be more mature then me or someone even older...

[sinA* <3 Padme*Amidala]

I think age says alot. And ofc kids can handle this and that better than some adults, but at least as a mom or dad i would ask myself: do i really want that my kid has to handle it? Do i want that my kid gets into that stuff in a age where they should play outside, meet friends and have not a online life?

And why do we have only a couple Members under age 16? Cuz the most are not mature enough.

And lets say it clear: The most FPS Games are Adults Games and not some kiddie stuff.

[Wifestein]

No life gaming from day 1 ! oh yeah

[Saizou]

Well I'm not an old fart or a father but I can answer this from a kid's perspective. I've played video games since I was 5, including Wolf 3D and Duke Nukem which were pretty bloody for DOS games. Later on to RTCW long time ago, Alien vs Predator, Soldier of Fortune (really, really bloody stuff, gore was really detailed), Mafia, GTA2, GTA3 and most of GTA series which had a concept that many people consider to be Satan itself, moving later on to W:ET, BF2 and up to COD4. I wouldn't say that it has left any effect on me (GTA series had lots of laugh and morbid humor though), I have never gotten an idea or urge to go around and wreak havoc or to have hurting other people as my ideals or to find it acceptable. I can't generalize and say that they don't leave effect but I guess it only (or for a very large part) depends on the person and their ability to know the distinct line between game and reality. There's also that argument that it might higher your tolerance for violence but with TV broadcasting movies where in majority of them there's someone getting killed it loses it's point. That's from the content perspective, as for the online part my first online gaming started when I was 16 and I had a fair idea what to expect and how to behave. It's a bit more tricky part but if they are aware of what they are getting into, they should be fine. As stars said better encourage them to play with other people in flesh and blood, I spent more time on PC than playing outside as a kid and I'm beginning to regret it.

[krAzy :)]

Age doesn't say ANYTHING, it's just number. Someone who is 13 years old can behave/be more mature then me or someone even older...

=)

[Livyatan]

I would be more worried about the online prospect than the violence that you would normally see on a movie or television. Talk to kids about not giving out too much information, like RL address and phone number. Lot of crazy people out there.

[AcidParadox]

I don't care about violence, i would let my kids to play any game whenever they want, but as soon as i hear them start whining;i will smack them in the head and i will say : MUTED FOR UNDEFINED TIME!!!

[Seaside]

Eh, that's a good question, I can't answer as an "old fart" either, but as a kid, i've always been watching my brother playing games as ET, or on his playstation (fps most of the time or fights game like Taken.. ) and i've always wanted to play with him but he won't let me... not because i was young, just because he's a mean and selfish bro- loI. But what ever, I started to play ET at 13 years old, and i got really addicted, too much addicted.. I was playing day and nights, not doing homework, not going out with friends, was tiered.. and i still wonder why my parents didnt do anything to stop me in my addiction. I had alot of fun, but maybe i didn't realize at that moment that i was missing a part of my real life. But at the age of 15, after two years of REAL addiction to ET, i've decided by myself to go in a private school ( where there was no TV, Computer, Games.. and i came back home only the weekend ) so I realized i should not spend my whole life playing! So I personnaly think, that it's the parent's responsabilities to tell their children to stop playing when it's enough and to etablish rules and a limit of time for the computer untill they enter highschool. (15/16 years old) Then they are old enough to know what they want. But a children (11>15) should be able to play games like ET without being shocked, but it's totally up to the parents to see how mature their children can be, let him play those games, or not. Under 10, no bloody/wars game should be showed to children. Mario Kart, and Pokemon are games of their ages. Not COD! So if you let you children play, just pay attention that he/she doesnt get addicted, because it's not a life, they should go out and see the sun light, have fun in the green grass or snow, and not killing people in a dark room.. They can do it but a restricted time per day.

By the way, there is no difference between a girl or a boy, I don't think a boy of 10 is more able to play bloody games than a girl of 12.. that's not true.

[Wifestein]

Eh, that's a good question, I can't answer as an "old fart" either, but as a kid, i've always been watching my brother playing games as ET, or on his playstation (fps most of the time or fights game like Taken.. ) and i've always wanted to play with him but he won't let me... not because i was young, just because he's a mean and selfish bro- loI. But what ever, I started to play ET at 13 years old, and i got really addicted, too much addicted.. I was playing day and nights, not doing homework, not going out with friends, was tiered.. and i still wonder why my parents didnt do anything to stop me in my addiction. I had alot of fun, but maybe i didn't realize at that moment that i was missing a part of my real life. But at the age of 15, after two years of REAL addiction to ET, i've decided by myself to go in a private school ( where there was no TV, Computer, Games.. and i came back home only the weekend ) so I realized i should not spend my whole life playing! So I personnaly think, that it's the parent's responsabilities to tell their children to stop playing when it's enough and to etablish rules and a limit of time for the computer untill they enter highschool. (15/16 years old) Then they are old enough to know what they want. But a children (11>15) should be able to play games like ET without being shocked, but it's totally up to the parents to see how mature their children can be, let him play those games, or not. Under 10, no bloody/wars game should be showed to children. Mario Kart, and Pokemon are games of their ages. Not COD! So if you let you children play, just pay attention that he/she doesnt get addicted, because it's not a life, they should go out and see the sun light, have fun in the green grass or snow, and not killing people in a dark room.. They can do it but a restricted time per day.

By the way, there is no difference between a girl or a boy, I don't think a boy of 10 is more able to play bloody games than a girl of 12.. that's not true.

 

My parents never said anything about my addiction either, I was addicted to runescape for 5 years, played 18 hours a day if I didn't need to go to school and if I did have school I played for 7-8hours, when I was like 13 I stood up at 4 am to play runescape before going to school lol, does that sound like I was addicted?

[Baska]

My parents never said anything about my addiction either, I was addicted to runescape for 5 years, played 18 hours a day if I didn't need to go to school and if I did have school I played for 7-8hours, when I was like 13 I stood up at 4 am to play runescape before going to school lol, does that sound like I was addicted?

 

so nolife babez ... thank god now u r addicted for that hrs only from me

[Wifestein]

so nolife babez ... thank god now u r addicted for that hrs only from me

 

[Funksdead]

Being a old fart and father of two young boys... I will sound off a bit. I really does have some foundations rooted in who is the child? Meaning it is not the same across the board. i would let my son, who is now 5, play cod4 in probably 3-4 year. That would be offline only. My nephew who is 8 I really dont think he should play any video games ever. Video games have changed the face of what kids see as TV did in the generation prior to mine. It is a field that if left to go on it's own will yield mindless ill behaved beasts that will eat other humans and try to overthrow the galactic zombie empire. That is a joke and not true. Age criteria are set as a guideline and it is up to the parents to utilize that guidline. Everything in life must maintain a healthy balance (read saizou's post above).My son shows a insane intuitiveness in solving games and overcoming obstacles in the game. He will be a great PC gamer i am sure of it. He is allowed only to play his games a set amount of time daily and thats just the way it has to be. I kick him in the ass and send him outside to play in the dirt or do whatever. I do not shelter my boy's like a lot of children are sheltered, it is just who I am and how I was raised by my father. Do I want them to see it all right now....NO..that is where the adult, parent or guardian decides if, what and when they play a game.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Funkbut