Yes and no....Rating I can see as being okay, but when parents and others try to prevent everyone, including adults, from getting the games they want it just goes too far. Some of the local stores around here will not sell some games because the local 'adults' fear it would effect their children just to see the box. This is in Texas, the state with the largest number of executions in the US. Shesssh! I'm not a kid, and haven't been one for a while. I can see where parents would want some warning as to the type of game they are buying for their kid, but to force their views on everyone else is just plain wrong. Note: I believe Mortal Kombat would be just fine for most if not all kids, it obviously make believe and a good stress reliever. Rather have my niece beat up Quan Chi then the next door neighbor's boy when she's angry.

Well, obviously in the case of kids who commit crimes after playing violent video games, parents aren't controlling enough. I guess parents don't like to control their kids because their kids don't like it, but someone needs to sort of control or guide kids, because they're obviously not old/smart/responsible enough to do it themselves if they're out shooting up their schoolmates or stealing cars or having sex before they're 11 or drinking booze or getting high or whatever it is kids do nowadays.
But anyway, if 1 in 5 kids who play a game grow up to be violient and gun-wielding then it's obviously not the game-playing that caused it, otherwise all of them would grow up to be gun-wielding. There has to be other factors, and that's what should be focused on.

I think that adults are treating video games the way they do because they don't understand them like regular game players; if one were to ask most older people about TV and movie violence, they probably wouldn't object to it as much as video game violence, since they grew up with them.

What about the violence found in cartoons like "Bugs Bunny" or "Rocky and Bullwinkle", featuring characters who never get more than a giant lump when an anvil falls on their heads, or only get covered in smoke and ash when a bomb explodes while they're holding it? Even in the older super hero cartoons, the main characters or enemies never bled whenever they were badly hurt. Is that realistic? How many children have been hurt trying to fly like Superman?

People who encourage cartoons and shows like that and discourage the visual appearence of and purchase of violent video games are hypocrites, IMO.

*Oh, I like Bugs Bunny, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Superman, but I'm just using them as examples to prove my point.

The irony being that fantasy is what is being censored, while real media, such as the news, is as violent as ever...

I agree with everything LadyRaiden said. She had a very good explanation.

Jerrod Wrote: I think that adults are treating video games the way they do because they don't understand them like regular game players; if one were to ask most older people about TV and movie violence, they probably wouldn't object to it as much as video game violence, since they grew up with them. What about the violence found in cartoons like "Bugs Bunny" or "Rocky and Bullwinkle", featuring characters who never get more than a giant lump when an anvil falls on their heads, or only get covered in smoke and ash when a bomb explodes while they're holding it? Even in the older super hero cartoons, the main characters or enemies never bled whenever they were badly hurt. Is that realistic? How many children have been hurt trying to fly like Superman? People who encourage cartoons and shows like that and discourage the visual appearence of and purchase of violent video games are hypocrites, IMO. *Oh, I like Bugs Bunny, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Superman, but I'm just using them as examples to prove my point.

I agree 100%. Couldn't of said it better myself...no really i couldnt...:\.

death

i kinda agree with you.

ShingoEX Wrote: The irony being that fantasy is what is being censored, while real media, such as the news, is as violent as ever...

Go Shingo!

I also believe a large portion of it has to do with the parents. Not so much monitoring them before or after playing the games, but instilling basic moral values of life as well as the difference between reality and fantasy.

EXACTLY. If parents would just raise their kids WITHOUT trying to blame anyone else for what their kids do, then cencorship would be non-exsistant. But these days, no parent wants to raise their kid on their own terms... they have to look at little ratings in the corner to decide for them what they can and cant show their kids. and what is with the offended assholes trying to cencor everything on TV?! if it offens you... turn the fucking channel!

the attention of censorship needs to be redirected:

not so long ago i watched a man burning himself alive at around midday, on a news broadcast.
on sky news, or action news as i like to call them (i mean they even have a video wall a la every bond villain!), i saw people jumping off buildings during the infamous terrorist attacks in the US.
i would like to see a tightening up of the so called news broadcasts, in terms of censorship.

as far as games goes:
i fear i have become some what of a prude. games like manhunt (admittedly i havent played as i was put off by the grainy visuals, so cant properly comment on it), and kingpin, and soldier of fortune and blood1 i found to be completly tasteless.
kingpin and soldier i found both to be very.....personal (cant think of the right word). let me give an example: in kingpin you have to beat a prostitute to death with a lead pipe to rob her money.
in soldier you can knife someone in the face.

i have no prob with fantasy violence: in solier i had a laff blowing off limbs with a shotgun. and i also enjoy carmageddon and duke nukem titles.

i guess its a byproduct of games becoming more realistic. or something.

POINT OF RAMBLE: both soldier and kingpin got zero press, ie parents got no warning. so parents, and by parents i mean respective authorities, need to become more controlling on violence in different forms of media and have less of a knee-jerk reaction

skorpian Wrote: the attention of censorship needs to be redirected: not so long ago i watched a man burning himself alive at around midday, on a news broadcast. on sky news, or action news as i like to call them (i mean they even have a video wall a la every bond villain!), i saw people jumping off buildings during the infamous terrorist attacks in the US. i would like to see a tightening up of the so called news broadcasts, in terms of censorship. POINT OF RAMBLE: both soldier and kingpin got zero press, ie parents got no warning. so parents, and by parents i mean respective authorities, need to become more controlling on violence in different forms of media and have less of a knee-jerk reaction

But why censor the news? it's not like they show it for entertainment value, It's informative to people of what's going on.

IMO, parents and adults are becoming way to dependant on ratings and reviews, and aren't looking at the game itself. I think parents should allow their kids to rent the games or play them in the actual store (only certain stores allow that) before passing judgment on it. This is just one more thing that prooves that we're all becoming more and more dependant on others.

scorpio_death Wrote: Whenever i hear about this on the news or T.V, it always seems to annoy me. We've all heard this one, "Recent studies have shown that 1 out of 5 kids who play ________ end up using guns when they grow up". Well 1 in 5 kids who go to church probably end up killing when they grow up. I recently heard that the game "manhunt" is now rated R in ontario. And I'm sure they had a good reason...maybe they thought that kids would start killing each other after playing this game? Oh yah, i can imagine a 14 year old getting stabbed and asking where the restart button was...because kids aren't smart anymore ethier! Oh yah, we're ALL fat now too. I'm not a pound overweight..but if they say we're fat..i guess i am. I also hate how the "old people" who go on news shows with their Big permed hair, can say how violent a game is, when they themselves probabaly never even PLAYED IT! I think they should speak for themselves and ban all people 60 or older from playin violent games >_I've said enough, what do you think? death

Damnstraight.

ScrapMetalX Wrote: IMO, parents and adults are becoming way to dependant on ratings and reviews, and aren't looking at the game itself. I think parents should allow their kids to rent the games or play them in the actual store (only certain stores allow that) before passing judgment on it. This is just one more thing that prooves that we're all becoming more and more dependant on others.

Agreed. It will lead to the downfall of all humans... Tsk Tsk Tsk.

Maybe even the parents of the violent kids are violent themselves.
The kids may be influenced to do violent stuff by thier mom or dad, yet the video games always get the blame.
WAAHHHH!!! LEMME PLAY SOUL CALIBUR II!!! PLEEEEASE!
EDIT: Ooops. They already said that.

When people get in trouble they sometimes blame it on video games knowing fully well that they probably have'nt even played the game. Then parents get the news and take the games away. If someone does blame acts on video games they need to take a good look in the mirror.

Those were the days, when a little girl could beat up a little boy. Takes me back.

I hate when they blame games on a kids behavior.They should blame the parents for not teaching their kids wrong from right.That's why im hoping John "effin'" Kerry dosent win the election.This guy wants to be on both sides of the issue.I was listening to Rush Limbaugh the other day and Kerry said "I voted for it after I voted against it."If Kerry becomes president us gamers are screwed since he likes listening to those dumb parents who dont take responsiblilty for their kids.

The news media is even getting on T-rated games which is dumb.They NEVER get upset at a R-rated movie unless it's something that has some truth in it like "The Passion Of Christ" and "The Matrix Trilogy".Sometimes I wish the world would wake up.