Rated M for Mature

Sydian

Sydian

fake your death.
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    How do you feel about games under the M-rated tag? Do you think these games end up in the wrong hands too often? What was your first M-rated game? What, in your opinion, constitutes an M-rating? Feel free to add anything else you see fit.

    Personally, I'm indifferent to M-rated games. I don't play many of them, if any at all, because most of what falls under this rating isn't really in my interest. I also dislike that parents will buy these games for children without giving it much thought. I work at GameStop and when I ring up an M-rated game and someone is there buying it for their child, I have to ask them if they're okay with it and tell them why it's rated M, and they still say, "yeah, that's fine" without much of a care. It's a bit concerning to me. Like if someone is buying GTAV and I tell them that there's a part in the story that requires you to film two people having sex, the parent will look at their kid and the kid will be like "oh but i only like to go around and steal cars" or "i don't play the story anyway" and the parent still buys it. I mean...obviously not every child is the same, but if it were my kid, I don't care how much I trust them or how mature for their age they are, that game would have to wait, lol. But it's also funny the same people that buy them without a care are the ones that come back like, "THERE'S A STRIP CLUB IN THIS GAME I'M RETURNING IT." But hey, didn't I warn you about that? js. lol I do think that what's counted for M-ratings is fine and makes sense, though I think sometimes things that don't deserve them entirely get labeled M when they could probably pass more for T.

    My first M-rated game was technically GTA: Vice City at the age of 7, despite how much I talked about children playing these games when they shouldn't be, haha. My uncle was looking up cheat codes and told me I could play for a bit, but I didn't know what to do and didn't like it so I just waited on him to find his codes and didn't play, lol. First one that I actually played and bought for myself was Bioshock, which still scares the shit out of me.
     
    I don't have anything against the M-rating itself, because many of my favorite games happen to fall under that rating. However, in my opinion I think it's concerning when parents buy M-rated games with high violence/sexual themes for their kids who are only 10, or some other age far too young. I mean, I don't go out of my way to harp on these people, even the ones who are ignorant of the ESRB ratings and regret their purchase when they realize the content of the game... But it just... I don't know. Perhaps this slight discomfort at the thought of young children playing GTA is because I was a simple child growing up who didn't seek out edgier games and steadily started playing higher-rated games as I grew older. My first M-rated game was The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, which I played with permission from my parents at age 16.

    Sometimes the ESRB is kinda funky with their ratings, however. For example, I don't know why they decided to give Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies an M-rating. It doesn't even give an explanation on the ESRB website. I didn't see how this game was any different in violence than the other T-rated games in the series. Well, I guess there was an animated cutscene with a large pool of blood. But I really don't think it was too much for a teenager to handle.
     
    I really think that some M games end up in the wrong hands way too often. I don't play Call of Duty, for example, but at one point my friend mentioned that he was being called out by an elementary-school kid while playing online, and that one time I could work my internet enough to get online with Grand Theft Auto V, some ten- or eleven-year-old was speaking there. Really? M games are rated seventeen and up, and although I'm not completely supportive of that, I also think that it shouldn't be ten and under; that's just crazy, especially with games like Grand Theft Auto or God of War. I don't know, I just don't think kids that young should be so into games like that, it messes with their minds.

    But saying that is hypocritical, since my first M game was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one or the other, when I was in elementary school. Sometimes, the M rating bugs me; it seems they'll put it on most games with a lot of blood, and just because there's blood, which I don't get since we see blood everyday. Nosebleeds? Scratches?
     
    I can't really say I have that big an issue with M rated games. I don't really play any, but I don't really see any problems with them. I mean, if I'm gonna hate M rated games I might as well hate R rated movies as well, as they can have similar content.

    There is a big problem with kids playing them though, and that is an issue because there's a lot of content in M rated games that isn't meant for kids. God of War and Call of Duty were made specifically for young adults and older, and they have subject matter that isn't appropriate for younger audiences. That's really more the parents fault though, because developers and the ESRB can't exactly personally stop people younger than the target audience from playing the game; putting a big M on the box is really all they can do outside of censoring their own product. Parents should be the ones making sure what their kid plays is appropriate, and all too often they just absentmindedly buy M rated games simply because their kid wants them. They don't really have anyone to blame but themselves.
     
    I don't have much of an issue with them at all. It says M for Mature/16+ right on the box anyway so it's your fault if you buy your 10-year-old a GTA game. Some people say they "teach kids violence" and bullshit like that but you can say the same thing about pretty much anything that's for an older crowd so the stupid parents are just scapegoating so they don't have to take the blame.

    Also I played GTA 3 and God of War when I was 9 years old and I don't go around beating random people up on the street and escaping the police so I don't think the whole "teaches kids violence" thing is very true, guys...
     
    When it came to the first M-rated game I ever bought, it was Halo 2. Course I did not buy it until I was 19 years old back in 2007. When it comes to parents buying M-rated games for kids that are under 17, they should not be doing that.

    If I ever have kids of my own and they want to play video games, I would make sure they play games that are appropriate for their age. I will also be doing the same thing for my nephew.
     
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    Personally, I don't have a problem with M rated games. Video games are an art form and an expression of the vision of everyone that has worked on it. I feel that being critical against "M" rated games promote censorship of an art form. We've come a very long way in terms of technology and speaking out against the content of a video game itself is no different than burning books in the early 1900s for being provocative and promoting new ideas.

    I have no issue with the ESRB's rating system and keeping "M" rated games out of the hands of children. Like all forms of entertainment, there is content that is unsuitable for children to witness and experience. A more recent example is Grand Theft Auto 5. The level of graphic violence, drug use, and nudity have no business in the hands of a child and it concerns me greatly when I hear a child's voice when I'm playing GTA 5 online.

    As for my first M rated game, it was "Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver". I was about eleven or twelve when I first started playing it and I was absolutely amazed at how deep the story was. I was never able to finish it when I was that age because the puzzles were too confusing but I played that game to death. I adored, and still do adore, the dialogue and art in that game.
     
    I'm honestly surprised to see so many people here have an issue with kids, in general, playing M-rated games, in general. :v

    I was all of 8-10 when I was playing the likes of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat.. My family is pretty anti-censorship. They always told me they didn't want us to "grow up in a bubble." And - if I ever do have kids - so long as they're able to tell reality from fantasy, I don't see any reason to restrict them because they might hear a bad word or see a lady in the equivalent of beach-wear. :P

    Yes, each individual child and individual game should be taken into full account before deciding. Saaay, Resident Evil 2? That's not so bad, so long as they like zombies and ketchup. Resident Evil 6? There's a full-blown naked lady as a boss in 2/4 characters' stories, and while she is grey rather than a normal skin-tone, perhaps not the best option.
    But no, it should not be completely restricted in every situation just because of the letter-rating it was given.

    I suppose at this point it goes without saying that I don't have any problems with M-rated games. Given that two of my fave genres (shooters and horror) tend to be rated M and all, lol. I still pick and choose based on my own preferences, but the label itself doesn't deter me.

    Though, frankly, I don't really think that an arbitrary rating system that doesn't even cover everything in-game should be relied upon so heavily.https://www.pokecommunity.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
     
    Well, M-Rated games are serious. especially for younger audiances. I think If you're a parent who is gonna buy an M rated game for your son or daughter, I think educate them, to show them it just a game and it isnt real life. Im not against it, Im not gonna buy certain games for my daughter, Persona, Im willing to let her play. GTA im not sure.

    As for my first M rated when I was about 6 -7 was Mortal Kombat 4 for the N64. My brother got it for me. I loved that game haha
     
    Dustmop said:
    I'm honestly surprised to see so many people here have an issue with kids, in general, playing M-rated games, in general. :v

    I was all of 8-10 when I was playing the likes of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat.. My family is pretty anti-censorship. They always told me they didn't want us to "grow up in a bubble." And - if I ever do have kids - so long as they're able to tell reality from fantasy, I don't see any reason to restrict them because they might hear a bad word or see a lady in the equivalent of beach-wear. :P

    Yes, each individual child and individual game should be taken into full account before deciding. Saaay, Resident Evil 2? That's not so bad, so long as they like zombies and ketchup. Resident Evil 6? There's a full-blown naked lady as a boss in 2/4 characters' stories, and while she is grey rather than a normal skin-tone, perhaps not the best option.
    But no, it should not be completely restricted in every situation just because of the letter-rating it was given.

    I suppose at this point it goes without saying that I don't have any problems with M-rated games. Given that two of my fave genres (shooters and horror) tend to be rated M and all, lol. I still pick and choose based on my own preferences, but the label itself doesn't deter me.

    Though, frankly, I don't really think that an arbitrary rating system that doesn't even cover everything in-game should be relied upon so heavily.https://www.pokecommunity.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
    Click to expand...

    I can understand this as well. And my issue is more with the parents that don't seem to be educated on what they're getting for their children at all and then come back in the store saying "omg there's x in this game!" when it was explained to them upon buying it. Just shows they're not listening. But it also greatly depends on the child, too. Some children are more mature for their age, and that's one thing, but most typically aren't. Media overall is different now than when I was a kid, as well. Children now are more suspect to seeing similar things that are in GTA that are also on regular tv shows than back when I was growing up, for example. It all really comes down to the parents and the children themselves.

    Also want to point out that when I do see parents complaining about the likes of GTA, it's for the sex and not so much the violence. I think it's strange that people aren't caring about the act of shooting people in games, yet heaven forbid sex, a natural human act, is involved! Mercy no! lol Not that I'm interested in either of those things, but you know.
     
    Dustmop pretty much sums up what I wanted to say. I think whether it is irresponsible or not to give a child M-rated content comes down to how much thought the guardian actually put into the decision. If they understand the maturity level of their kid, understand what kind of content is in the game themselves (which, like Alli said, I know most parents don't), then decide whether or not they want to get them the game, I don't see anything wrong with that. The M-rating is kind of broad and I feel like parents should at least understand why a certain game is given the rating before saying 'yes' or 'no', because it varies quite a bit from game to game.
     
    Juno said:
    I think whether it is irresponsible or not to give a child M-rated content comes down to how much thought the guardian actually put into the decision. If they understand the maturity level of their kid, understand what kind of content is in the game themselves (which, like Alli said, I know most parents don't), then decide whether or not they want to get them the game, I don't see anything wrong with that.
    Click to expand...

    This is the exact reason that I honestly wish Common Sense Media was more well-known among parents. Or at least parents in this situation, when it arises. Like, hell, I use it myself. It's usually pretty spot-on for AAA games.

    It lists off 8 different criteria (positive and negative things, ranging from "Positive Messages" and "Positive Role Models" to "Alcohol/Drug Use" to the usual violent and sexual content), a 0-5 star rating system for how much of that content is present, and hovering over it lists off exactly what content is in it that gave it that rating. Even if it only got a 1-star on sexual content because "some female NPCs wear tight clothing" or something, it'll tell you, lol
    And then parents and children alike (in separate comment sections) can write a review on it and give their own suggested age-range based on their own experiences.

    It's not a perfect fix, no matter where you turn someone is going to miss something. But it's an awful lot better than an employee in a potentially-busy store who has all of 20 seconds inform a potentially-busy parent who just wants to get the hell out of the store, "Are you sure? There's x and y in it."


    ..Though that would also require a parent who actually wants to 'research' it ahead of time. But at least if they did, they have their answers in one place at their convenience. :Phttps://www.pokecommunity.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
     
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