I'd imagine its quite hard for a parent to be entirely sure of whats in a game, given the size of them. Take God of war 3 for example. There's blood and gore which I cant say bothers me a huge amount in relation to an underage player but the main character is very cruel at times and the depiction of women is terrible. You wouldn't pick up those points from a quick play through.

I watched Platoon before I was even born. What's the point here?

What's the law on giving kids alcohol in the home? Is it 5years old? That'll do for games to. Say that was the state of things how would you still protect children? If parents want to pass on 18 rated anything to their own blue blooded relations in their own home then it shouldn't be anyone else's concern. The issue is when other peoples children get brought in the mix and anne goes home to mummy and daddy asking for the next shitty CoD game because she was allowed to play it in barbara's house. 

I'm not making a very clear point but I think the issues of responsibility and safety regarding children is important and therefore complicated.

I think a lot of you are missing a particularly large point.

You're looking at parents from the large generation. Where videogames were a new thing when they were growing up. They weren't necesarilly subjected to them as much as we were.

Now we're growing up, having kids and we're able to make decisions.

Hopefully this will change the way age ratings are worked out moving forward?

It doesnt help that they are called videogames though does it

I dont think there's ever a perfect way for age ratings to work. But maybe the industry could help by not aiming so much of its "mature" content at 13 year old boys. Surely we are all numbed by the amount of blood gears/god/call of war throw at us every time? Also, it's nice when the main characters aren't spouting more swear words than a particularly foul-mouthed sailor.

Fair Point, although my tongue was ever so in cheek.

RedDave2 wrote:

Fair Point, although my tongue was ever so in cheek.

Noted, though it's not the first time I've heard someone mention the subject. Alternate suggestions are always on the cringeworthy side of the scale too. 'Interactive experiences' and the like.

"What are you up to this weekend Dave?"

"Not much mate, I've got this new interactive experience so I'll probably experience it interactively whilst the wife is at Zumba."

this is my point, in a perfect world we could trust parents to bring up their children responsibly and offer them a well balanced educated childhood

now how many people, in the grand scheme of things, do you know who do that?

its a fucking joke, a vast majority of people still grow up to be ignorant, suggestible and odious, despite some desperate wish for utopian love and understanding, people are fucking dumb, and they DO need telling, they really do need telling

LazyGunn wrote:

this is my point, in a perfect world we could trust parents to bring up their children responsibly and offer them a well balanced educated childhood now how many people, in the grand scheme of things, do you know who do that? its a fucking joke, a vast majority of people still grow up to be ignorant, suggestible and odious, despite some desperate wish for utopian love and understanding, people are fucking dumb, and they DO need telling, they really do need telling

Crazy isn't it. I mean raising a child or several is ridiculously piss easy.