violent video games

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upbeatjonm

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Concerning games that feature first-person killing, such as Call of Duty, Halo, Warcraft, etc.,

Do any of you have guidelines for your children regarding the following:

What games do you allow that are violent in nature?
What age, if any is this appropriate?
Have any of you banned them altogether, and what was the outcome?

Thanks,
Jon
 
Strictly speaking, almost every video game has some violence in it. It just depends on what it is. Super Mario Bros. has you killing goombas. Call of Duty has you killing soldiers in a war. Halo has you killing aliens. World of Warcraft I’ve never played before because it will suck your life away (as my friend, a former Warcraft player, described the game: “Wow is the greatest, most amazing, wonderous, and epic waste of time you’ll ever have. Never play WoW.”)

Video games include ratings on them, so parents can know what content is suitable for their children. They include:
E - Everyone. A game for all ages.
T - Teen. A game for teenagers (13-15).
M - Mature. A game for older teenagers (15-18).
A - Adult. A game for perverts (seriously).
 
Jon, I don’t have an answer to your questions. But I pray for our young people… in regards to these so-called “games”. Someone very near and dear to my heart… is hooked on them, and frittering away his young life. I pray for him, daily… that he will wake up and see what a tremendous waste of time these games are. Currently, he spends a great deal of time and places a great amount of importance on them.

Not only are they a waste of time, but from my experience with them (i.e., actually seeing them… being played, on a video screen)… they are down right evil. 😦

Pray for the youngsters, who are being misled by these things.
 
*There are definitely video games that are worse than others…my son who is 16 plays call of duty, and I don’t believe it to be ‘evil,’ but we have had to put time limits. Like anything technological, whether it be facebook, myspace, instant messaging, video games, cell phones–our kids are inundated with things that are not quite ‘real’ life. I remember when I used to meet friends at the mall, now there are virtual malls, where my kids will catch up with friends from back ‘home,’ in PA. As a parent, we can see the forest through the trees…so, putting serious time limits is essential. I will say to never ever introduce one’s kids to Grand Theft Auto, my husband bought that game not knowing how horrible it was, and we have since thrown it out in the trash. That game is evil. :mad: *
 
Yeah, I have a rule. By 10, my sons should well know what a sword is for. 😛

(But no MMORPG when it’s learning time. Preferably no MMORPG at all anyway.)
 
There should definitely be limits on kids playing them. As an adult, I don’t see them to be much of a problem. It’s just a hobby like any other. Some people spend too much time playing video games, some people spend too much time gardening, some people spend too much time at the gym. It’s all about moderation. It’s a big hobby for me and I’m very thankful that such activities exist for people like me who don’t enjoy being social.
 
We definately have limites on video games choices for our kids. Right now they are only allowed to have E games (see the ratings scale on a previous post). One or 2 of the E10 and Teen games have passed through our house, but I sold the Teen games back to the game store. I really can’t see a reason why they would ever want to play even M (Mature) games–the plots and game strategies are the basically the same, it’s just that the girl characters wear fewer clothes and the blood and guts are more realistic! 😦

Time limits are extrememly important also. It is so easy to get sucked in and loose all track of time. Especially in the summer, we schedule video time just because they’d otherwise spend the whole day doing only that! :eek:

Finally I agree that Grand Theft Auto is not a game that any Christian should play. Or any of the A games and most of the M games!
 
When I have kids, I will actually be a bit more strict on video games than my parents were on me.

I was allowed to play pretty much anything, I’m 29, so I remember the controversy over Mortal Kombat, Doom, etc. My parents were strict on music and movies, and television, but video games seemed to be something they just never cared about.

I think most sports games are fine, (key word-most) and anything with Mario, aside from being a great game for all ages, are great too.

Nintendo products are the greatest!
 
Eucharisted said:
Strictly speaking, almost every video game has some violence in it. It just depends on what it is. Super Mario Bros. has you killing goombas. Call of Duty has you killing soldiers in a war. Halo has you killing aliens. World of Warcraft I’ve never played before because it will suck your life away (as my friend, a former Warcraft player, described the game: “Wow is the greatest, most amazing, wonderous, and epic waste of time you’ll ever have. Never play WoW.”)

Video games include ratings on them, so parents can know what content is suitable for their children. They include:
E - Everyone. A game for all ages.
T - Teen. A game for teenagers (13-15).
M - Mature. A game for older teenagers (15-18).
A - Adult. A game for perverts (seriously).
Click to expand...
M rated video games are actually only allowed to be sold to those over 17. Stores that sell M rated video games to kids under age 17 can get into legal trouble!
 
My children are young, and I allow limited video games. They can play Lego Batman, and the Cars racing game, as well as games for the VFlash system. As they get older, I hope to steer them away from violent video games, and more toward sports and racing games.
 
The previous poster who mentioned “Lego Batman” made me also think of Lego Star Wars! Being the die hard Star Wars geek that I am, I HAD to mention that one!
 
There’s somewhere in the Bible where Jesus said

Not that which goeth into the mouth of a man maketh him profane but that which cometh forth.

i’m too lazy to look it up.

The point is violent video games are not bad in themselves. They only become bad when the children imitate those actions. This can be applied to pretty much everything. You are much safer hiding these things from the little ones since they tend to be more prone to corruption at such a young age. And it can be hard to change that. Cucumbers can bend while they are yet small but once they grow too large, they snap and break. That is a good analogy for life and habits therein.

Many may not believe it and i didn’t understand or believe it for the longest time, but the video game Grand Theft Auto 3 brought me closer to God. Of course it wasn’t the video game, but it was God’s grace.

Then when i ran across that Bible passage above it made sense.

Now, knowing what i know now would i go back and play Grand Theft Auto 3? Not likely. i equivocate it to passing through flames and being unharmed. Looking back i realize how lucky i was. It would be foolish at this point and go back to playing such video games and thus passing through flames even knowing what i know now. The body and its desires. . .so unpredictable and above all insanely carnal. So i try not to subject myself to it so that way i don’t even have the chance to become corrupted.

One of my mottos has become “Why take the chance? For i know of many things that are good and holy that could just as easily occupy my time.”
 
It’s all about moderation…

We did a thing at our Parish School regarding TV / Video games and violence… when I pressed the guy on some theories he refused to answer… the Parish did it anyway though.

To him all the violence was caused by video games and TV… this is BS, I worked with Gang Members 25 years ago (Banging in Little Rock - HBO special) and this kids didn’t watch much TV nor play games.

The bottom line is parental intervention, period.

When I was little we played war as there was a WWII movie on constantly and my dad played Cowboys and Indians. This didn’t turn us into freaks… I would dare say most boys grow up playing like this.

The key though is that wasn’t the only thing we played or did.

My son (who is now 6) and I play EverQuest II together and he has played at least a little since he was 3.

The rule is that we don’t play for hours on end. Until probably the past 6 months I made sure most of what he fought were animal type things that weren’t humanoid.

At 6, starts first grade next year, he had lead groups of adults in game (even gone on a couple of RAIDs), his problem solving skills are extremely high and he reads at a 3rd grade level.

It’s taken him (and me for that matter) almost 3 years to get to level 80 (we still aren’t there yet, lol) but we play when we can and have fun… when we can is maybe a couple of times a week for a hour or so. It’s a T rated game but I haven’t seen any negative exposure… I believe this is because 90% of the time he plays, it’s with me and because he doesn’t play that much.

I recently grabbed “The Orange Box” which has Half Life II etc… and there is more violence against humans and blood (no blood in EQ2). He was upset at first but I would not let him install them and told him that I would decided when it was appropriate and he has not fought me on this.

As someone who is somewhat of a gamer I’m sure my 4 sons will be as well but my hope is that by talking, spending time, limiting time and explaining we can avoid the negative effects.

What I do not recommend, no matter what the level, is to allow your children, of any age, to play for hours and hours upon end w/o supervision. Send them outside to play some baseball or soccer and help them practice.

Joe
 
I’m usually in the ‘everything in moderation’ camp, but not in this case, for my kids. I don’t allow video games, which sounds harsh, like I’m some wacko prohibitionist, but the fact is that the whole idea of video games has never even entered my kids realm of consciousness. They’ve never asked or shown any interest in them so I’ve never had to say no, but I would if asked. It’s just IMHO a complete waste of time, money, etc. Fun? Sure. Entertaining? Yeah. Are those bad things? Nope. Are there better more edifying ways to have fun and be entertained? I think so. Not to mention, when is there time? I don’t know, maybe my kids are weird, but they simply don’t have the time between homework, reading, playing outside, chores, to spend on playing them.🤷

Some day when they are a bit older and want some video game system, I may allow it. Not in their rooms, and not any kind of violent game. I just don’t like the idea of violence being a game:twocents: I think we’re just not video game people:shrug:
 
My son is in counseling, has had some behavioral problems, and is in special ed.
I let him play video games because the counselor said if I cut him off he wouldn’t understand, he would think he was being punished.
But I limit the kind he plays: I only allow E or T (he’s nearly 16), never M games as they are bloody. I’d rather he played video games than roamed the streets with gang type kids, which there are plenty of in our neighborhood.

And I try to encourage him to do active things like ride his bike, go swimming, and when I can I take a group of kids to the beach or park.
What I can’t understand are the parents that let their kids play any games. One of his friends brought Grand Theft Auto over – I confiscated it and talked to the parents about it, they didn’t have a problem.
 
I just don’t understand. I bought gta 4 for my friend for his birthday, and he’s 13. I mean, it’s an interactive movie. A clearly and well put together story. A story of a man’s rise to power. I justdon’t understand what’s wrong with the games. Do people think that these video games will cause violence or something? Or is it more on a moral perspective? Because if it is on a moral perspective then isn’t that a personal thing?
 
shannyk said:
I’m usually in the ‘everything in moderation’ camp, but not in this case, for my kids. I don’t allow video games, which sounds harsh, like I’m some wacko prohibitionist, but the fact is that the whole idea of video games has never even entered my kids realm of consciousness. They’ve never asked or shown any interest in them so I’ve never had to say no, but I would if asked. It’s just IMHO a complete waste of time, money, etc. Fun? Sure. Entertaining? Yeah. Are those bad things? Nope. Are there better more edifying ways to have fun and be entertained? I think so. Not to mention, when is there time? I don’t know, maybe my kids are weird, but they simply don’t have the time between homework, reading, playing outside, chores, to spend on playing them.🤷

Some day when they are a bit older and want some video game system, I may allow it. Not in their rooms, and not any kind of violent game. I just don’t like the idea of violence being a game:twocents: I think we’re just not video game people:shrug:
Click to expand...
Excellent decision. Video games are very dangerous, take it from someone who knows. I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger (I am 20 now), and it was a waste of time. There are some fun family type games like Mario Party, but otherwise, video games are morally problematic. They promote idleness, lack of discipline, and can be extremely addictive. Any rpg game, or online game is usually so difficult that it takes months to get anywhere in the game. They are designed to take enormous amounts of time. Children can easily get hooked, and will eventually lose their control as time goes by.
Perhaps there are some exceptions, but in general, video games should be avoided. Let your children go do other more productive things. I am sure some older people here will recall their childhood filled with fond memories of family time and stories. Children who frequently play video games will not be able to look back and say much, because video games give you nothing but entertainment, and usually isolate a person.
 
It really isn’t that bad. I know, my opinion is probably biased, but please don’t assume that I don’t have any idea what I am talking about. Sometimes I play M-rated games that are seriously not as bad at all as T rated games - they say there is “excessive blood” but there are simply options to turn it off (and I do whenever you can). Other times, it’s just a spray of red that looks like it comes from a crayon. However, I do not play the junk like GTA which exists simply to simulate the most evil acts you can commit. These games, even with guns and shooting (involving righteous causes like counterterrorism) have not made me a nutcase; trust me when I say I am one of the most devout 14-year-olds you will meet. It’s all in the mind.
 
I’m 25, and my brothers are around the same age. We grew up in the rise of viedo games, sega genisis, Nintendo 64, and my parents never went for them.

Insted they made our home a neighborhood source of other actvities…ping-pong, bikes, board games and just other things. We always wanted to play video games, but kids gravitated to our house. It was simple. They longed for the human interaction and really being someone’s friend. We were a healthy, fun crowd. It was sad to see some of our childhood friends break off from our group just so they could get video time in. Or become obsessed with one as an adult.

In college we were all in different areas and we did play an online game all together. I can’t say i didn’t have fun, or even that I didn’t somewhat bond with my brothers. But it also gave us a false sence of eachother, and it was good when we were back home and saw eachother as people and not avatars.

In a sense I believe those who do play video games don’t know how much they are affected by them. They are not a hobby, nothing is gained, maybe a bit of logic or dexterity, but c’mon weild a pencil and do a soduku puzzle if you want more logic. The TV/Video games are stealing time. We were not built to handle so many decibles of sound and so much visiual stimulation. There are some studies on it now that have been squelshed, but I think very soon science is going to catch up with the fact that staring at a screen is no good for you.
 
I think the whole thing needs to go with what you teach your children…If you spend all day playing video games well there’s the example the kids will want to look up to for themselves…IF you explain and teach that a game is just a game and as such deserves to be treated as a “treat” or “perk” for children being good, getting good grades etc, give time limits and still keep them close to GOD so they never stray like so many that say “the game has killing so I went on a rampage!” Then things should be ok… There is violence everywhere anyhow, you look at the newspaper, the tv, magazines?? I mean everything around is violence but as long as you teach your kids that even though such games are like the things that are happening around the world, that they are just make believe and not real just a meaningless game made to give them a few hours of “safe” entertainment then hopefully things will be ok…

My brother is a WOW addict, but lately has been playing less and less time, so that’s a good thing…I think they just need to grow out of it you know?! The obsession and the curiosity?! So it just takes time for those whom love video games to start spacing and taking time off from the games to do more important things with their time…

I am a gamer, and I love video games, but I won’t sit there for 12 hours to play…Unless I have no responsibilities then yeah I probably would or if it was my job, yeah probably would…but not with children, and household to take care of…lol
 
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