'The disturbing material in Grand Theft Auto and other games like it is stealing the innocence of our children and it's making the difficult job of being a parent even harder.'Now, those of you who are parents out there, please, PLEASE tell me you would not buy any of the Grand Theft Auto games for your CHILDREN (i.e, ages 4-9; after that comes preteen - 10 to 12 - and teen - 13-18).
People, the game has an M rating on it. That means its not for people under 17. Even without the sex patch (which reportedly unlocks some material which was left in the game, but made inaccessable), the game is inappropriate for anyone under the age of, say, 15, and that's pushing it. This is not a "children's game" like the senator seems to think. I agree, if there was a patch for a Sonic The Hedgehog game in which the blue speedster whips out a foot-long hedgehog cock and proceeds to plow into Amy Rose (the pink hedgehog - his girlfriend or something), then that would be cause for concern. Even then, if I had bought the game for my kids, I would be a responsible parent, making sure that they weren't doing anything inappropriate with the game.
That is the problem with too many people out there. They grew up with Pac-Man, Galga, and Mario, and see video games as harmless electronic distractions. They don't stop and think, "Hey, maybe I should get to know what my kid is doing with his time. It could be important." They just assume video game = safe. And so now, as the video game culture matures, parents are shocked at the video games which are, in fact, marketed at adults. There are plenty of games out there for kids to play. Grand Theft Auto is not one of them. Halo is not one of them. If you want to make sure your kids are safe from violence and smut and all that, without all the hassle of actually parenting, get them the Nintendo Gamecube. Nintendo has made its fortune on being kid friendly amidst Sony and Microsofts pull for the more adult, 18-35 gamers market.
And just to be safe, here's a neat trick: If you want to be sure the games your kid is buying aren't for adults, don't buy it for him. That is to say, let him buy it himself. If the clerk lets him have it, then it should be okay. You see, this is the flaw in the game rating system. It says that stores shouldn't sell games rated M to people under 17. But most people younger than that, and especially anyone young enough to really be worried about, doesn't have their own money, or at least not enough to buy a game. I always had to drag my mom with me to the store, give her the game, and let her pay for it. So, assuming I had her buy me GTA3 (which wasn't out when I was a kid, but just for an example), the clerk would be perfectly alright in selling HER the game; she's well over 17. (21, actually. A lady is never older than 21, and never weighs more than 100 pounds, and a gentleman knows better than to ask.) It doesn't matter if she's never going to play the game, as long as she's the one buying it.
Really, though, clerks don't actually card people or anyting. They should, in an ideal world (it'd be like R-rated movies; remind me to tell you about my experience with those later on), but they really don't so the only real line of defence between kids and bad games is parents. Please, please, pay attention to what your children are doing. This includes video games, other games with their friends, what they watch on TV, what they listen to, etc. And for all you non parents out there, don't be shy to take a proactive stance, like the one I take in this conversation:
me: senators who think grand theft auto is corrupting children should go home and parentOh, and one more thing.
Sublimely Howl: yup
me: x_x
Sublimely Howl: I was corrupted... by Katamari Damacy
me: the M does not stand for "Minors" or "May be good for children" or "Massively educational"
Sublimely Howl: yup
Sublimely Howl: I saw a 5 year old getting that game
Sublimely Howl: O.o
Sublimely Howl: I was like... wtf?!
me: why?
me: i would fucking slap his mother/father/guardian
me: and whoever sold the game
me: "oh, this is for a 5 year old? okay then"
me: x_x
Sublimely Howl: they sold it to the parent
Sublimely Howl: O.o
me: well duh
Sublimely Howl: who bought it for the child
me: yeah
me: thats dumb
me: i still would have slapped them
Sublimely Howl: yup
me: and left an impression of the M on their forehead
"We should all be deeply disturbed that a game which now permits the simulation of lewd sexual acts in an interactive format with highly realistic graphics has fallen into the hands of young people across the country," Clinton wrote in a letter to the head of the Federal Trade Commission.Realistic graphics? Lets compare:
Grand Theft Auto 3
Final Fantasy X
As always, ITS A TARP!!1
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