Video Game Retail Veteran to Parents: Do The Right Thing


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Kotaku has an interesting editorial written by "a video game retail veteran" discussing how 100 of the 1,000 copies of Grand Theft Auto V sold last week were to parents accompanied by young kids who "couldn't even see over the counter." In his editorial he talks about being a parent who works at a retailer that sells games, and how he is often surprised at how many parents don't pay attention to the ESRB descriptors, shrug off any advice about what a given title might contain, or how many parents simply ignore what he is saying.

 

Obviously it's up to parents what games their children play, but this guy thinks a little more responsibility and education is needed by parents.

 

It also shows that these moves to ban or restrict games are wrongheaded because the ESRB system and the people that sell games do their best to explain to adult consumers what they are buying.

 

You can read the editorial on Kotaku. As a parent of a teenage boy, I know exactly what this guy is saying: I don't let my young son play games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto V because they are not for him. Luckily he's too into Minecraft, Terraria, Dragon Quest, Pok?mon, and Spiral Knights to care about those kinds of games.

 

Thanks to Papa Midnight for the link.

 

 

http://gamepolitics.com/2013/09/23/video-game-retail-veteran-parents-do-right-thing#.UkFPJIanpOY

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This really bugs. When I used to go into stores to buy games the number of times that I saw parents buying their child games that they were clearly too young to play. So frustrating, most of them would kick up a fuss about watching a film that had an 18 certificate, but don't seem to bat an eyelid when doing the same thing with a game. 

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I'm on the fence on this one, I know my parents didn't really restrict games and movies with me as a kid and I haven't killed a single person this year :D 

 

However both me and the misses agreed that whilst some games are OK, I am NOT to play GTA in front of our 8 year old daughter because it just isn't appropriate. So i believe I've grown up fine whilst playing games or watching movies that i shouldn't have so it shouldn't really be a problem, but then still restrict my own.

 

I have to say though that games like GTA weren't really around when I was young and it was more "horror" games like Resident Evil so it's a little different.

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I don't agree that they should be buying games for their children if they're not old enough.. But it also is similar to 'Video games cause violence' or that they're the reason for all violence nowadays, which I do not believe.

 

If that was the case violence wouldn't have existed pre-video game era..

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Kotaku has an interesting editorial written by "a video game retail veteran" discussing how 100 of the 1,000 copies of Grand Theft Auto V sold last week were to parents accompanied by young kids who "couldn't even see over the counter."

 

He's assuming that these parents just turn over these games to their kids and that may not be happening at all. A lot of us "older" people game too. 

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Yeah first of all i was in a store buying gta for myself and my son was with me so its not always the case of a parent buying for son this is a different generation now. Also I do not believe playing a game will make you kill someone.  People have the violent tendencies already and they are going to do it anyways.  They might get a "creative" idea from it but its not like they wont just get it from the news anyways.

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Doesn't bother me. Back when I was little we didn't have restrictions on video games. I didn't kill or rob anyone. There are however crazy people out there and that includes kids. I remember a few months back a kid shot his grandma in the back of the head after playing gta.

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I was never filtered (Film, Music, Games, etc) when I was a kid.  Hell, my mom bought me Limp Bizkit when I was like 12.  Their rules were basically: "We don't want to hear it, and you are not to act any of it out".  I turned out fine.  I grew up during the time where playing 007 on N64 was the best pass time possible.

I let my girls play GTA on my PSP but that's because they don't understand the game and they just drove around (I made sure to not let there be any weapons).  I also play FPS Games in front of them, but neither is really into video games.

Also, just because a parent takes their kid to the store to buy a game, doesn't mean it is necessarily for the kid.  I know that if I go to buy a game, if I have to take the kids with me, I will.

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it is person who has illness mental. we don't blame on video game, movie, tv or anything. We will teach our childern about what is real or fake.

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Video games may not turn kids into killers. BUT it does de-sensitize them to violence and gore. 

 

easy solution(for america) though, put a set of boobs on the cover, and suddenly the parent think it's not suited for kids :)

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easy solution(for america) though, put a set of boobs on the cover, and suddenly the parent think it's not suited for kids :)

 

Brilliant! I wonder why the game developers haven't thought of that?

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Video games may not turn kids into killers. BUT it does de-sensitize them to violence and gore. 

 

easy solution(for america) though, put a set of boobs on the cover, and suddenly the parent think it's not suited for kids :)

Thats not really 100% true, i love violent video games and have all my life.  When I was kid the first bloody game i got was mortal kombat and loved the hell out of killing people in the most nasty way and I watch horror movies when i was like 8 yet I hate violence IRL and i cant be in the same room with blood.

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Also, just because a parent takes their kid to the store to buy a game, doesn't mean it is necessarily for the kid.  I know that if I go to buy a game, if I have to take the kids with me, I will.

very good point - people are often victims to others perception.

 

I remember in college in a psych lesson there was a thing about perception  and a scenario of someone running a red light and nearly hitting you and you getting all annoyed etc, to you they are idiots. But what you don't know is that person is rushing to the hospital because their parent is having a heart attack in the back of the car. If you knew that, would you think the same?

 

Obviously this isn't justifying their actions as that should never happen but you may be a little more forgiving if you actually had all of the facts.

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As a gamer I do so love my games, and as a mother I love my son.  With that being said, the ONLY games that he is allowed to play around me, in my home, or anywhere else that I have control over are age appropriate games.  Any of the "adult" (such as GTA, CoD, GoW, etc) games are put up and out of eyesight, (out of sight out of mind as far as my son is concerned)and not touched until he has been asleep for quite some time, so that he doesn't have the ability to sneak up in the middle of the night and play things that he knows he's not supposed to.  When we go to buy a new game for him, I allow him to pick it out, but we only buy the ones that are appropriate to his age range....so that limits him to things like Up, Mario, etc.  And he has been fine with that.  When it comes to movies I am a bit more lenient to a certain extent...some like the old mortal combat movies, martial arts movies, but definitely nothing that is extremely graphic.  It irks me to no end when I'm playing a clearly adult game and I hear children playing it.  I have gone so far as to make a fuss over the voice chat until they leave.  I'm sorry but as a parent you have a responsibility to know what your children are doing, and if you are using a video game as a built in baby sitter then shame on you!  I want to choke slam parents that allow children to play games that are clearly not aimed at the young and forming minds of children. 

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No doubt the same parents who pay 0% attention to what their children watch/listen to the are same ones screaming hysterically about games or music when a tragedy strikes.

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As a gamer I do so love my games, and as a mother I love my son.  With that being said, the ONLY games that he is allowed to play around me, in my home, or anywhere else that I have control over are age appropriate games.  Any of the "adult" (such as GTA, CoD, GoW, etc) games are put up and out of eyesight, (out of sight out of mind as far as my son is concerned)and not touched until he has been asleep for quite some time, so that he doesn't have the ability to sneak up in the middle of the night and play things that he knows he's not supposed to.  When we go to buy a new game for him, I allow him to pick it out, but we only buy the ones that are appropriate to his age range....so that limits him to things like Up, Mario, etc.  And he has been fine with that.  When it comes to movies I am a bit more lenient to a certain extent...some like the old mortal combat movies, martial arts movies, but definitely nothing that is extremely graphic.  It irks me to no end when I'm playing a clearly adult game and I hear children playing it.  I have gone so far as to make a fuss over the voice chat until they leave.  I'm sorry but as a parent you have a responsibility to know what your children are doing, and if you are using a video game as a built in baby sitter then shame on you!  I want to choke slam parents that allow children to play games that are clearly not aimed at the young and forming minds of children. 

As a father, I love my kids too.  I don't let the kids play any games that are too violent.  However it is not because I don't want them seeing violence, but it's because I don't want them scared, or thinking it will happen in real life.  I watched World War Z a couple days ago, and my one child sat on my lap.   Obviously there are things I don't want them seeing, not due to the nature, but because they don't understand what is happening, and I don't want them to get the wrong impression.

They are told that video games are a form of entertainment, should not be re-enacted, and that it is not okay to even pretend.  We have a strict no gun rule (no water guns, no cap guns, no pretend guns) so while I play FPS games, they know that it's not okay to do in real life..  

For me, teaching the children right and wrong is much much better than sheltering, or having something that is adult only.  They are curious, and that curiosity is what will cause them to make decisions.  So if I can answer/fulfill their curiosity in a safe and informed matter I will do that.

That said.. I will be doing some game hiding, and such when I get my PS4.  However it is purely because I don't want them knowing I have one and wanting to use it.

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...not with only video games, but alot of parents either don't want or don't know how to deal with the tantrums (self-induced for letting them get away with the first ones). You can bet that if Dad is late for a beer meet or Mom is late for a Tupperware party...the child wins every time and responsible parenting becomes a thing of the past.

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Thats not really 100% true, i love violent video games and have all my life.  When I was kid the first bloody game i got was mortal kombat and loved the hell out of killing people in the most nasty way and I watch horror movies when i was like 8 yet I hate violence IRL and i cant be in the same room with blood.

What if I told you...

...you're in the same room as blood right now?

 

the same body, even? :o

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