MrRottweiler Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Not wanting to throw up a boiled potato but theres a certain uneasy feeling I get when I read posts made by children on this board. Is SA (like all GTA's in the UK) an 18+ certificate worldwide? If it is then its no different to a child posting a thread on a wine tasting board saying how they like to get legless on Chiraz everyday 'after school' the MB doesn't remove these threads and you dont have to be over 18 to register so whats the boards policy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 For the US at least, there are no laws restricting who can purchase, own or play rated M or rated AO games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clown. Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 As far as I know in britain at least it is illegal to buy the game if you are under 18, but it is at the descretion of your parents as to wether you can play it or not. There is no law, indeed GTA's biggest fan base is teenagers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clown. Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 damn internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 As far as I know in britain at least it is illegal to buy the game if you are under 18, but it is at the descretion of your parents as to wether you can play it or not. There is no law, indeed GTA's biggest fan base is teenagers. Yeah that's the same info I found about the 18 cerificate from BBFC. Illegal for minors to purchase, but not illegal for them to play. So the wine drinking analogy doesn't apply, and it's legal and legit for minors to post about video game rated 18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWEETSAPRIK Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 I don't think the wine drinking analogy even works for itself. I mean while you have to be 21 to drink in my country, I know it's 18 in others, and I'm not sure but I was under the impression that it was legal to have wine with dinner at even lower ages in countries like France. Anybody know for sure? Not that it really matters since while it might be against the law for a minor to drink here, it's not against the law for he or she to talk about drinking. But yeah, it's not against the law for anyone to play the game here in the US. If a parent wanted their nine year old to play the game that's their business. While in my opinion it would make them a bad parent, it still wouldn't be against any law. PяopagaиdaIиc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRottweiler Posted February 15, 2006 Author Share Posted February 15, 2006 Of course it applies! Infact in the UK its illegal to allow a minor to view or use anything that is age restricted. Its unlawful to allow a child to watch an 18+ DVD just in the same way as an 18+ DVD ROM. If a British child posted a thread their parents are liable to prosecution. You might think its ok mxy as your only a child yourself but there is something not right about a 9 year old wanting to play SA instead of watching cartoons. The game contains profanity and drug references to the extreme. Its no different to spending time doing something else against the law such as underage drinking or car jacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWEETSAPRIK Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 He's not a child. If by some odd chance you live in a country where coming to this website is illegal then it's up to you not to break your country's odd laws by coming here. I live in a country where it's not against any laws for anyone of any age to come here. PяopagaиdaIиc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Of course it applies! Infact in the UK its illegal to allow a minor to view or use anything that is age restricted. Its unlawful to allow a child to watch an 18+ DVD just in the same way as an 18+ DVD ROM. If a British child posted a thread their parents are liable to prosecution. You might think its ok mxy as your only a child yourself but there is something not right about a 9 year old wanting to play SA instead of watching cartoons. The game contains profanity and drug references to the extreme. Its no different to spending time doing something else against the law such as underage drinking or car jacking. I don't see anything in the Video Recordings Act 1984 or under 18 certificate guidelines stating it's illegal for minors to view or use 18 rated media, only that it is illegal for them to purchase it. I never said I thought it was ok for minors to play San Andreas, and I'm not a child; please don't make implications or talk down to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clown. Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 (edited) there is absolutely no law that suggests children cannot watch 18 movies. It is illegal for a minor to but those movies, and illegal to sell them to a minor, but there is no law against a minor watching them. How do you think a law like that could be inforced? It couldn't. With your knowledge of the british legal system I wouldn't be surprised If you were in fact a child. And do you really belive a childs parents can be prosecuted for posting on a forum based on an 18 game? thats absurd. So do you think If I posted on a forum for smokers my parents could be prosecuted? (actually they couldn't anyway. In britain smoking is 14+, only buying is adult only) Edited February 15, 2006 by Clown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krailer Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Not wanting to throw up a boiled potato but theres a certain uneasy feeling I get when I read posts made by children on this board. Is SA (like all GTA's in the UK) an 18+ certificate worldwide? If it is then its no different to a child posting a thread on a wine tasting board saying how they like to get legless on Chiraz everyday 'after school' the MB doesn't remove these threads and you dont have to be over 18 to register so whats the boards policy? OMG, is Jack Thompson! Run away! J/K Now seriously, even if it was illegal for minors to play GTA, why would posting about the game be illegal as well? I believe the forum topics fall under the legal system of the country where the forum is hosted (servers location). So if a minor plays a 18+ game in the UK and posts about it in a forum hosted in the US, where's the liability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpetDweller Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 New ratings system for video games I can't see anything in there about legally enforcing the age restrictions. They just seem to be a warning or suggestion for the people buying and selling them. A shop's company policy is up to them to decide whether they have rules about who can buy things like this. BTW: I just wondered - if a 6 year old goes into a store and tries to buy a porn magazine, is there a law on that or is it up to the store owner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 BTW: I just wondered - if a 6 year old goes into a store and tries to buy a porn magazine, is there a law on that or is it up to the store owner? I think the 1984 Act in the UK covers that, but I haven't found anything online saying whether or not it is illegal in the US. Mostly all articles are about online pornography. The closest thing I could find was the Miller Test and Miller v California 1973. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainland Marauder Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Even if the law could be construed as banning anyone from the UK from playing the game, there's nothing that can be done about participation on these forums. The UK banned Night Trap outright back in the day, but is where the GTA games are designed. Go figure. "You tell me exactly what you want, and I'll explain to you very carefully why it cannot be." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious G Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 It's illegal for minor's to buy the game themselves, but it's not illegal for parents to buy the game for them, as their parents are allowing their children to play it, all the certification is, is just a guide to what parents/minors etc can expect from a movie/game etc. And there is no law as to wiether minor's can visit this forum and make posts about GTA. It isn't like a parent is going to buy their 9 year old kid a porn movie is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpetDweller Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 (edited) It isn't like a parent is going to buy their 9 year old kid a porn movie is it. Some would argue that it would be better. Would you rather your 9 year old: A - seeing a natural "loving" act from a 3rd person perspective. Sex of course being vital to the survival of our species and lawfully taught in schools.or B - Actively taking on the role of a vicious criminal within a "real world" simulator. Not only is murder necessary to completing some of the main goals in this world, but worse still - the player can also choose how to behave in this world. They are free to roam the streets where he/she can choose whether to commit a multitude of deviant acts or not. They are rewarded for the villainy, but get nothing for simply letting the regular pedestrians go about their business.* * - I deliberately didn't mention the paramedic or firefighter missions as it seems the current trend is to totally ignore facts which hinder an argument. This is of course ignoring the fact that most 9 year olds probably know how to access hard-core porn on the interenet anyway. Which was always the main problem with the Hot Coffee debacle. People were worried that their poor innocent son might go on the interenet, download a mod, then install it in order to see pixel cartoon of a genital-less man dry-humping his "girlfriend". When of course they would probably get to see a much more intense version of the real thing just by clicking the wrong link while doing a search for "ornamental jugs". But that's another issue. --------- Carpetdweller would like it known that the above remarks are merely posted in order to keep this censorship debate going. They do not necessarily reflect his own opinions. Carpetdweller would also like it known that talking about yourself in the 3rd person is not a sign of insanity. ------- Edited February 15, 2006 by carpetdweller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainland Marauder Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Mainland Marauder compliments your intelligent take on the issue, Carpie. "You tell me exactly what you want, and I'll explain to you very carefully why it cannot be." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmgo Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 This is of course ignoring the fact that most 9 year olds probably know how to access hard-core porn on the interenet anyway. Hey, my nephiew is that age and he doesn't even know what sex is... I think Anyway, I don't think for a minor watching porn is actually legal. I know a case of a person whose son went to a friends house to watch porn. This person sued the father of his son's friend because of allowing the kids to watch porn (not that was intencionally, they sneaked to do that). Anyway, porn is not something so natural as some may say. VGs about criminals is much less seroius than porn. And... I think most places you have to be over 'x' age to enter 'x' site (like a forum), so if this site is about 18+... i think you shouldn't be able to post if one is a minor. BUT on the other hand... what can you do about it, uh?. It is always up to the user to obey or not the law of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTA3Freak-2001 Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Its the same here in Australia, its illegal for a store to sell a MA15+ Game to a 10 year old but there's nothing against the parent buying it for the child and letting him play it. Same goes for R rated films, which means talking about it on a internet forum is perfectly legal. The only real exception is the cinema, even if your 16 year old friend buys your(13 year old) tickets, if you try and go and see the MA15+ the usher won't let you in. This is for obvious reasons of that your watching a film at the cinema which is a public place and so the cinema is liable. Dunno if the US is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarrocker Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I am under 18 and I have bought M rated games, but occasionally they will ask for I.D. (I live in America.) -GR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 This is for obvious reasons of that your watching a film at the cinema which is a public place and so the cinema is liable. Dunno if the US is the same. Yeah minors aren't allowed to see "R" films at theatres unless accompanied by an adult... 17 year olds have to bring their mommies to explain the violence isn't real or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainland Marauder Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Hm...I walked into Scream and Half-Baked uncontested as a 14-year-old high school freshman 10 years ago in Texas...bought my own tickets too. I got some mileage out of being six feet tall at that age... I wouldn't have been able to buy SA at Wal-Mart had the game and Wal-Mart's policies on that existed back then. (I'm surprised Wal-Mart still carries SA at all, come to think of it) That's just the store policy though; just go to EB Games or someplace like that and you have no problem. Edit: @Mxy...17's the youngest to which they can sell tickets to a rated-R movie. "You tell me exactly what you want, and I'll explain to you very carefully why it cannot be." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRottweiler Posted February 19, 2006 Author Share Posted February 19, 2006 In my line of work I can talk down to whoever I want. Being really good with the Minigun at GTA doesn't scare me. I've seen it all in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threesixmafia Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 Of course it applies! Infact in the UK its illegal to allow a minor to view or use anything that is age restricted. Its unlawful to allow a child to watch an 18+ DVD just in the same way as an 18+ DVD ROM. If a British child posted a thread their parents are liable to prosecution. You might think its ok mxy as your only a child yourself but there is something not right about a 9 year old wanting to play SA instead of watching cartoons. The game contains profanity and drug references to the extreme. Its no different to spending time doing something else against the law such as underage drinking or car jacking. it is diffrent. on the game, u wont go to jail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainland Marauder Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 Well, you can get busted, but apparently bail for shooting down five police choppers with RPGs and stealing a limo is $100 (plus weapons lost). "You tell me exactly what you want, and I'll explain to you very carefully why it cannot be." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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