Concerned parents rant on sex in GTAIV

[scotyg]

i guarantee that unless you completely dominate him, he's wackin off to porn almost everyday. you know how i know? im 16.

 

video game sex that doesn't really show anything (im just goin by the ign video on this one so i can be wrong) is not going to warp my fragile little mind. the keg we had saturday night probably did more to my brain cells then watching niko get laid will.

[Mykester]

Ahh f*ck you.

 

First off, don't be so prejudice towards Catholics you prick.

 

Secondly, I agree that R* should be more forthright rather than hanging onto the balls of the fans that fight their battles.

 

However, I am 15, do have above average marks in every class and have honor roll. So I doubt I will go out killing hookers when I'm older. I'll also be playing this game alot for the multiplayer, I don't wanna get it taken away from me because a pixelated woman gives a pixelated blow job. And you see much more worse things on the internet. I just don't wanna lose the game because some company decides "hey, let's add more stronder sexual stuff lololol". That has pissed me off about R* this week.

 

And I have also lied that since it has the same rating as Halo 3 and CoD 4, it's the same thing, just violence. And I won't be picking it up, my mom will, and I convinced her to lie about either my age or the game is for herself. That is what I called genius.

 

Devilish, aren't I?

[gtabelfast]

well since were on the whole sex subject i gotta say ive played the game and the sex in gta4 is more realistic in any game ive played i think.its really cool a much better that just a shaky car!

[Mykester]

Also, what difference does this make from movies? There's alot of sex and action.

[boogernut]

do you think all of this arguing is going to affect the way the may the next GTA? (if there is one, which there probably will be and better be) Like will they be taking out all the sex and such? (i know there is no way to tell yet, ... but do you think they will have to make changes and get rid of the sex... what about if they eventually get bought by EA do you think then they would change it?)

 

just wondering ... ty

[Bonzo McGee]

I am sure that the 15+ rated that the Australian authorities have slapped on GTAIV would mean something like the sex has been dulled down and probably some of the violence in the game eg blood spatters? However, if you look at some of the 15 certificate films(UK) there are some pretty explicit scenes both sexually and violent, along with some very strong, adult language f*** and c***(fill in the blanks yourself), so the question comes down to...do you think your son is mature enough to distinguish the difference between selling drugs; killing people and shagging whores etc in a computer game to actually carrying out said examples in actual day-to-day life.

 

As mentioned above, talk to your son and make sure he understands this and I think you may have your answer. Hope this helps!

 

My 10yr old, tomboy daughter will NOT be playing GTAIV for the record.

 

To quote Van Vilder "Don't be a fool...wrap your tool!"

 

AFTERTHOUGHT: Prostitution is legal in Oz so it is probably strongly regulated!? Corrections if I am wrong.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Bonzo McGee

[EntropicLqd]

...Devilish, aren't I?

Possibly. Depends on whether your mum really knows what the game contains.

 

PS. The cake is a lie.

 

[Seachmall]

Can I ask how old the OPs kid is becuase if he/she is over 14 they've seen anal, blowjobs and even boobies. Guaranteed. Welcome to the 21st Century

 

R* don't need to tell you whats in the game because the M/18 rating means its not suitable for your kid so be responsible and don't let him/her play it. Its an 18 game and contains violence and sex, get over it. Your kid knows what they are anyway.

Hey Seachie, where ya been hidin m8?

I've been on pretty much daily, must just be missin' eachother

 

[ell]

Wow i read the first 3 paragraphs and it got me thinking

 

What is so wrong with sex, i mean its our purpose in live without sex none of us wold be here. I think people should grow up.

[Blues]

I'll be honest, I did not wade through all ten pages of this post. I apologize if I'm just kicking a dead horse. With that said...

 

I had to show ID when I preordered my copy at the local Gamestop, they made sure I was older than 17. Rockstar clearly never marketed the Grand Theft Auto games at "kids." Of course, at the end of the day, the company would love to sell as many units as possible which means they won't mind if 15 year olds are grabbing a copy, but they never marketed the game at the kids.

 

If you have issues with some of the gameplay :

 

A) Simply don't let them play it

B) Only let them play it while you're watching, and don't allow them to take advantage of the sexual minigames

C) Sit them down and explain to them that this is just a game, and clearly make note that their is a disparity between things that are "Ok" to do in a game and the things that are ok to do in real life.

 

I got GTA III when I was 13ish (7th Grade, because I remember getting Vice City in 8th). My Mom is fairly liberal, while my step dad is outrageously conservative. It was definitely a struggle to get them to let them let me play the game, but eventually they caved. I like to think out I turned out pretty well. I'm 19 now, doing well in a University (no 4.0 or anything, but a steady B average while having tons of fun).

 

It seems like there are bigger things to worry about than sex in video game.

[Johnny2combs]

 

And I have also lied that since it has the same rating as Halo 3 and CoD 4, it's the same thing, just violence. And I won't be picking it up, my mom will, and I convinced her to lie about either my age or the game is for herself. That is what I called genius.

 

Devilish, aren't I?

Lying to your parents isn't something to brag about, just proves your imaturity. It would be better if you tried to be honest with her, tell her it has sex in but also explain SA did too. Better that way than her reading the back of the box in the store and then deciding you cant have it because of the "strong sexual content".

[Kiinted]

Can I ask how old the OPs kid is becuase if he/she is over 14 they've seen anal, blowjobs and even boobies. Guaranteed. Welcome to the 21st Century

 

R* don't need to tell you whats in the game because the M/18 rating means its not suitable for your kid so be responsible and don't let him/her play it. Its an 18 game and contains violence and sex, get over it. Your kid knows what they are anyway.

Absolutely he has, and alot worse ... which is my problem. He once had unrestricted internet with a bond of trust not to do anything stupid. Being 13/14 he was stupid and did the wrong thing. Now his computer has an excellent content filter which he hasnt been able to bypass, and now as a result his computer spends more time turned off than turned on, he is also out playing with friends in the afternoons and weekends, so double win for me there.

 

Dont misunderstimate me, I am a computer engineer (and this bit may be hard for kids here to comprehend) but I know more about computer than him and all his mates put together, believe me they have spent weekends trying to crack the various filters I have put in place from the MAC filtering at the router, through the filtering proxy server, and finally the content filter on the PC itself.

 

Let me clarify, I am not a wowser religious nutjob (I am as far from religion as you can get) however I dont believe a 14yo should be allowed to have unrestricted internet. I would MUCH rather buy him Playboy/Penthouse (NOT Hustler etc) for his manual pleasure as (believe it or not) those magazines are far more tasteful and acceptable to both myself and his mother for sexual gratification, on top of that I can read the magazine and see the whole content without any "hidden" features unlike what could potentially exist in GTAIV if certain scenes arent adequately patched out. The models in those magazines are less objectified (marginally, but its enough) than you would see on most internet websites, and its with this knowlege that I have made the decision long ago to keep those magazines around the house for him. On top of that, he actually READS the magazines as well, as opposed to just glueing the pages together (yes, I joke at him about that, the relationship isnt strained as many of you people here make out)

 

There needs to be controls and boundaries in place in a teenages life, especially when it comes to sex etc as they do not have enough real life experience with girls (um seriously, a few years at most isnt enough) to be able to form adequate skills in any form to relate and communicate with girls on the same level as even a 17yo can. People here need to realize this, and its obviously very hard because my opening insults repeatedly proved themselves by the small majority of posts here.

 

I repeatedly try to convince him to talk to more girls outside of school I am all for encouragement, however before t3h pub3rty hit, one year alone he went through 4 girlfriends (awww how cute) ... now though he is too shy and doesnt know how to talk to them etc ... if he is unable to talk to girls at 14 and the height of puberty, how is hardcore porn on the internet, or hooker sex/stripper action in a game going to make things any easier.

 

Many here are too young to understand, hence my opening posts insults, and for the most part those insults have been vilified by many of the childish replies from the large number of people incapable of reading and comprehension to grasp what I had written.

 

"Yo Yo lulz wut? I am t3h 14 and I play GTA and I dun have no problumz" ... yeah, I bet you never talk to girls much too which is why you are so expressive on the internet and whack it to Kim Possible hentai. Sheesh, you are 14, you have nothing to prove to me, I already have a 14yo I have seen it all before you.

 

I want my 14yo to grow up to be a little better adjusted than the majority of kids society is producing today, this doesnt mean I ban sex from his life, it means I control it and prevent unrestricted access to what the world has to offer. Is Penthouse/Playboy magazines (again note, not Hustler style etc) any better than the sex in GTAIV ... for both myself and his mother, thats a resounding YES. The sex in GTAIV is poorly contextualised (associated with a thug who murders people and throws down at strip joints and finishes it off with hookers) ... as opposed to stylised models posing naked, no associated violence ... this will cause an uproar in itself I assume, again from those incapable (or perhaps too desensitised) of making an articulate and intelligent evaluation of the information presented when viewed in context.

 

So before too many here run off at the mouth whining about me being a bad parent, first of all go get a girl pregnant (LOLWUT?), take care of the kids till they hit puberty, then come back and let me know how things go.

[Mykester]

And I have also lied that since it has the same rating as Halo 3 and CoD 4, it's the same thing, just violence. And I won't be picking it up, my mom will, and I convinced her to lie about either my age or the game is for herself. That is what I called genius.

 

Devilish, aren't I?

Lying to your parents isn't something to brag about, just proves your imaturity. It would be better if you tried to be honest with her, tell her it has sex in but also explain SA did too. Better that way than her reading the back of the box in the store and then deciding you cant have it because of the "strong sexual content".

Erm, I doubt she knows there even is an ESRB, and that there is a rating on a box. I'm bragging about it because it's hard to get your parents to do something for you. Both my parents work until the evening on the weekdays so they won't find out. Plus I'll only play multiplayer when they're around...

[carlson071]

i just turned 16 and im going to get gta4. My parents know whats in the game but they feel i'm mature enough to play it. I agree some kids around my age shouldn't play it. My parents are pretty liberal and didn't hide too much from me and just told me the truth about things at a young age. They never lied to me about sex or drugs. I think that's the reason kids can be screwed up from these kinds of games. Their parents don't teach them anything first. The american society is to blame. If parents would just be truthful and not shelter their kids from things then kids might not be some messed up

Edited April 28, 2008 by carlson071

[taxiviolence]

Can I ask how old the OPs kid is becuase if he/she is over 14 they've seen anal, blowjobs and even boobies. Guaranteed. Welcome to the 21st Century

 

R* don't need to tell you whats in the game because the M/18 rating means its not suitable for your kid so be responsible and don't let him/her play it. Its an 18 game and contains violence and sex, get over it. Your kid knows what they are anyway.

Absolutely he has, and alot worse ... which is my problem. He once had unrestricted internet with a bond of trust not to do anything stupid. Being 13/14 he was stupid and did the wrong thing. Now his computer has an excellent content filter which he hasnt been able to bypass, and now as a result his computer spends more time turned off than turned on, he is also out playing with friends in the afternoons and weekends, so double win for me there.

 

Dont misunderstimate me, I am a computer engineer (and this bit may be hard for kids here to comprehend) but I know more about computer than him and all his mates put together, believe me they have spent weekends trying to crack the various filters I have put in place from the MAC filtering at the router, through the filtering proxy server, and finally the content filter on the PC itself.

 

Let me clarify, I am not a wowser religious nutjob (I am as far from religion as you can get) however I dont believe a 14yo should be allowed to have unrestricted internet. I would MUCH rather buy him Playboy/Penthouse (NOT Hustler etc) for his manual pleasure as (believe it or not) those magazines are far more tasteful and acceptable to both myself and his mother for sexual gratification, on top of that I can read the magazine and see the whole content without any "hidden" features unlike what could potentially exist in GTAIV if certain scenes arent adequately patched out. The models in those magazines are less objectified (marginally, but its enough) than you would see on most internet websites, and its with this knowlege that I have made the decision long ago to keep those magazines around the house for him. On top of that, he actually READS the magazines as well, as opposed to just glueing the pages together (yes, I joke at him about that, the relationship isnt strained as many of you people here make out)

 

There needs to be controls and boundaries in place in a teenages life, especially when it comes to sex etc as they do not have enough real life experience with girls (um seriously, a few years at most isnt enough) to be able to form adequate skills in any form to relate and communicate with girls on the same level as even a 17yo can. People here need to realize this, and its obviously very hard because my opening insults repeatedly proved themselves by the small majority of posts here.

 

I repeatedly try to convince him to talk to more girls outside of school I am all for encouragement, however before t3h pub3rty hit, one year alone he went through 4 girlfriends (awww how cute) ... now though he is too shy and doesnt know how to talk to them etc ... if he is unable to talk to girls at 14 and the height of puberty, how is hardcore porn on the internet, or hooker sex/stripper action in a game going to make things any easier.

 

Many here are too young to understand, hence my opening posts insults, and for the most part those insults have been vilified by many of the childish replies from the large number of people incapable of reading and comprehension to grasp what I had written.

 

"Yo Yo lulz wut? I am t3h 14 and I play GTA and I dun have no problumz" ... yeah, I bet you never talk to girls much too which is why you are so expressive on the internet and whack it to Kim Possible hentai. Sheesh, you are 14, you have nothing to prove to me, I already have a 14yo I have seen it all before you.

 

I want my 14yo to grow up to be a little better adjusted than the majority of kids society is producing today, this doesnt mean I ban sex from his life, it means I control it and prevent unrestricted access to what the world has to offer. Is Penthouse/Playboy magazines (again note, not Hustler style etc) any better than the sex in GTAIV ... for both myself and his mother, thats a resounding YES. The sex in GTAIV is poorly contextualised (associated with a thug who murders people and throws down at strip joints and finishes it off with hookers) ... as opposed to stylised models posing naked, no associated violence ... this will cause an uproar in itself I assume, again from those incapable (or perhaps too desensitised) of making an articulate and intelligent evaluation of the information presented when viewed in context.

 

So before too many here run off at the mouth whining about me being a bad parent, first of all go get a girl pregnant (LOLWUT?), take care of the kids till they hit puberty, then come back and let me know how things go.

I posted my opinion relating to your original thread a couple pages back but dont blame you if you did not trawl through everything thats been said and missed it.

 

I just wanted to comment a little on the latest post you have made on this subject, firstly by saying that I think quite a few people reading this understand where you are coming from and that you are doing your best to raise your child according to what you feel is appropriate for them and which I respect.

 

I do take issue with some of the comments made in your posts and would like to add my own take on things.

 

To say that sex is badly contextualised within a clearly adult themed narrative seems blinkered to me - You have no problem with the story itself, a man enters a new city where upon he embarks on an illegal and violent journey through the liberty city underworld through gameplay controled by the player. Yet the inclusion of sex to this story somehow then shifts this into a situation where the creators find themselves being asked to explain their content because it now has an element to it which you feel may have a negative influence on certain individuals playing it.

Quite frankly if you are a person who is negatively influenced by the in game sex scenes they can choose to take part in occasionally then I'd be far more worried by their time spent on prolonged bouts of violence they are encouraged to initiate to progress their staus and quality of life.

You did state it was the inclusion of both sex and violence and the fear of assocation between the two was the real problem but the only way they are associated is if the player chooses to associate them which the game cannot do for them intentionally.

The amount of things to do in the game offers players any number of options as part of their 'life' in liberty city and does not extend to only sex n' shooting.

Going to a comedy club, having a meal or playing pool are all things people may choose to take part in if they choose of which prostitution is one other option.

If you can accept that this is the case then the whole conditioning statement becomes a tad stale in that you are controling the situation by selecting one of many possible situations to be involved with rather than being subjected to it out of limited other options or external control by the game.

 

I do not know what to make of your comments on how you percieve the majority of today's youth other than I feel it devalues your comments as a whole and is a very broad generalisation to make.

 

But hey, you got your views and hope you do eventually play the game with your child..once they eventually get out of the bathroom with their copy of playboy of course...

 

 

 

 

[sattizahn]

I'm Catholic and I've busted a nut thousands of times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't just assume that we're all the same

[Lex Icon]

"But mom, Johns mom bought it for him so it must be OK".

 

 

.....so what your saying is john's mum is a bad parent, this is why we have this problem, weak minded parents give into their childs every demand then complain that its to violent, why would you buy your 13 yr old an AO game and complain he shouldnt be playing it, state the f*cken obvious, just don't buy your son the game. and have fun with your my little pony or whatever. who is at fault the company that made the game for 18+ or the parent that bought it for their child.

[Kiinted]

 

To say that sex is badly contextualised within a clearly adult themed narrative seems blinkered to me - You have no problem with the story itself, a man enters a new city where upon he embarks on an illegal and violent journey through the liberty city underworld through gameplay controled by the player.  Yet the inclusion of sex to this story somehow then shifts this into a situation where the creators find themselves being asked to explain their content because it now has an element to it which you feel may have a negative influence on certain individuals playing it.

Quite frankly if you are a person who is negatively influenced by the in game sex scenes they can choose to take part in occasionally then I'd be far more worried by their time spent on prolonged bouts of violence they are encouraged to initiate to progress their staus and quality of life.

 

See, and this is where you miss the point, and the key element of the past few pages (and ultimately the edit of my original post).

 

This is NOT an AO game in Australia, its rated MA15+ Strong violence, Strong coarse language, drug and sexual references (reading directly off the cover in front of me)

 

Note, the exclusion of "Strong sexual content" and other similar comments on the ESRB covers.

 

Now, I have a 14yo that I consider to be quite mature, for the most part ... and if Australia got the uncensored version of the game its a very simple no brainer that "No, you will NOT be playing it, I have seen the content and I am not comfortable letting you play it" ... however the version in Australia is in fact censored and toned down for an MA15+ rating.

 

I dont have a problem with him watching MA15+ movies, however, and this is the absolutely key element, so pay very VERY close attention ...

 

Rockstar has not clearly indicated the differences between the uncensored and censored version of the game I can only base my parental decision on the uncensored version, which would exclude him from playing it ... however, if Rockstar would indicate what in fact has been censored this could allow me to reevaluate my decision and deem the changes acceptable enough for him to play it ... meaning one happy teenager as opposed to one pissed off teenager who cant play GTAIV no matter how desperately he wants because of an asshole father.

 

So please people, begin paying attention. This isnt about my personal parental reasons for not letting him see certain content over another (just accept the fact that I have very clear lines designed by myself and his mother which the uncensored version crosses in a number of places).

 

I would like to be able to say "Sure, you can play it" but only if I know the precise content, stuff I found, but more importantly the stuff that I personally HAVENT found ... and its only through Rockstar letting people know the specific changes that I can be comfortable knowing what content has been changed that I havent found.

 

Honestly, I love the game, but I can't sit there playing it for 8 hour like kids can, at most I can play an hour or two each day on a weekend before real life kicks in and drags me away ... so I dont have the time to explore the entire content in detail myself (which is still more than those parents that just plain dont play at all).

 

Can people see/understand now? ... I am betting not unfortunately.

 

 

You did state it was the inclusion of both sex and violence and the fear of assocation between the two was the real problem but the only way they are associated is if the player chooses to associate them which the game cannot do for them intentionally.

 

No, and this is the thing the 20something non parents don't realise. If something is available to a teen, they will do it ... no matter how good a parent you are, teens always invariably think they are somehow smarter than you and it would be a great idea to give it a go ...

 

Rockstar and the game dont MAKE you associate sex and violence, however they give you the tools to do so like handing a loaded gun to a toddler, and unfortunately for teens (and yes, I generalise for a reason as evidence shows the majority far outstrips the minority on this one) unfortunately for teens, they are very inquisitive and will do many things at least once just to try, and in something innocent like a computer game which has no direct physical effect, the repeated use of a hooker and then either killing her, or beating on her during or whatever could have untold effects further in life, including as I pointed out in my opening post, the objectification of women and a lessening of intimacy etc.

 

The game doesnt make them, but it provides the necessary tools with almost a step by step manual on how to use them, and this is all the little encouragement teens need to do it.

Edited April 29, 2008 by P1aGu3

[gta95]

The way I see it, as long as your child is mature enough, as deemed by their parents, they should have freedom to play this game. I have played GTA games since I was atleast 11, and I am the least bit violent. Its not bad parenting that kids will be allowed to play this game, but I do think parents have to know what the game contains, and know their kids before letting them play.

[RONIN1191]

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill- you said it yourself, you control your kid's access to such content- SO DO IT. Don't let him play the game. It's that simple.

[NinjaJones]

I can't wrap my head around people thinking SEX is the worst thing in the game.

Exactly! How do parents figure "I'll go buy CoD4 (basically a war simulator) for little jimmy but god forbid he see something he will learn about within the next few years if not already!"

[xer0er]

Uh.. If Rockstar tell you, for example, it was only the hookers bouncing up and down on your lap (depicting intercourse), that has been cut, how would that help the decision?

 

It doesn't tell you what is still in the game.

 

Edit: And why is everyone acting as if the OP is rallying to get the game banned? S/he is just trying to work out if it is suitable for a minor.. Quite obviously not, but not point trying to explain that.

 

Yeah, it's MA15+, but it shouldn't be. It should be 17+, but we don't have that rating here.

Go take it up with the OFLC, not Rockstar.

 

And if you get it banned, well, not my problem.. You're going to make a lot of enemies pretty quickly, and forever be immortalised online for such stupidity.

Edited April 29, 2008 by xer0er

[taxiviolence]

To say that sex is badly contextualised within a clearly adult themed narrative seems blinkered to me - You have no problem with the story itself, a man enters a new city where upon he embarks on an illegal and violent journey through the liberty city underworld through gameplay controled by the player.  Yet the inclusion of sex to this story somehow then shifts this into a situation where the creators find themselves being asked to explain their content because it now has an element to it which you feel may have a negative influence on certain individuals playing it.

Quite frankly if you are a person who is negatively influenced by the in game sex scenes they can choose to take part in occasionally then I'd be far more worried by their time spent on prolonged bouts of violence they are encouraged to initiate to progress their staus and quality of life.

 

See, and this is where you miss the point, and the key element of the past few pages (and ultimately the edit of my original post).

 

This is NOT an AO game in Australia, its rated MA15+ Strong violence, Strong coarse language, drug and sexual references (reading directly off the cover in front of me)

 

Note, the exclusion of "Strong sexual content" and other similar comments on the ESRB covers.

 

Now, I have a 14yo that I consider to be quite mature, for the most part ... and if Australia got the uncensored version of the game its a very simple no brainer that "No, you will NOT be playing it, I have seen the content and I am not comfortable letting you play it" ... however the version in Australia is in fact censored and toned down for an MA15+ rating.

 

I dont have a problem with him watching MA15+ movies, however, and this is the absolutely key element, so pay very VERY close attention ...

 

Rockstar has not clearly indicated the differences between the uncensored and censored version of the game I can only base my parental decision on the uncensored version, which would exclude him from playing it ... however, if Rockstar would indicate what in fact has been censored this could allow me to reevaluate my decision and deem the changes acceptable enough for him to play it ... meaning one happy teenager as opposed to one pissed off teenager who cant play GTAIV no matter how desperately he wants because of an asshole father.

 

So please people, begin paying attention. This isnt about my personal parental reasons for not letting him see certain content over another (just accept the fact that I have very clear lines designed by myself and his mother which the uncensored version crosses in a number of places).

 

I would like to be able to say "Sure, you can play it" but only if I know the precise content, stuff I found, but more importantly the stuff that I personally HAVENT found ... and its only through Rockstar letting people know the specific changes that I can be comfortable knowing what content has been changed that I havent found.

 

Honestly, I love the game, but I can't sit there playing it for 8 hour like kids can, at most I can play an hour or two each day on a weekend before real life kicks in and drags me away ... so I dont have the time to explore the entire content in detail myself (which is still more than those parents that just plain dont play at all).

 

Can people see/understand now? ... I am betting not unfortunately.

 

 

You did state it was the inclusion of both sex and violence and the fear of assocation between the two was the real problem but the only way they are associated is if the player chooses to associate them which the game cannot do for them intentionally.

 

No, and this is the thing the 20something non parents don't realise. If something is available to a teen, they will do it ... no matter how good a parent you are, teens always invariably think they are somehow smarter than you and it would be a great idea to give it a go ...

 

Rockstar and the game dont MAKE you associate sex and violence, however they give you the tools to do so like handing a loaded gun to a toddler, and unfortunately for teens (and yes, I generalise for a reason as evidence shows the majority far outstrips the minority on this one) unfortunately for teens, they are very inquisitive and will do many things at least once just to try, and in something innocent like a computer game which has no direct physical effect, the repeated use of a hooker and then either killing her, or beating on her during or whatever could have untold effects further in life, including as I pointed out in my opening post, the objectification of women and a lessening of intimacy etc.

 

The game doesnt make them, but it provides the necessary tools with almost a step by step manual on how to use them, and this is all the little encouragement teens need to do it.

I did get your original points on the lack of clarity from R* on the austrailian cut of the game and that element of the discussion you wanted to have, sorry if it looked like I was jumping on you without taking into account all of your points.

 

I posted my comment in response to what was mentioned by yourself on certain issues because I did not agree with them. You can't expect to make a number of comments within one thread then only ask to have replies to the opening points that are made. If you don't want people to make comment dont say it in the first place.

 

I really dont agree with the assumptions regarding teenagers you have spoken of but dont think anything I say within this forum will change this - I just feel it is a pity and that you may want to spend more time in the company of some in a neutral environment for a period of time to find out if your views are as justified as you think - and I don't mean with your own child when I say this.

 

I dont want to draw this out any further than need be but feel that you really may have missed the point on why I got in touch in the first place.

 

Hope you are finally able to make that decision from the version you have and I would be interested in finding out what it was in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kiinted]

And if you get it banned, well, not my problem.. You're going to make a lot of enemies pretty quickly, and forever be immortalised online for such stupidity.

If it gets banned I will be just as pissed off as everyone else, I also play the game and have done so since the original GTA (I still have the original CD if anyone wants a photograph)

 

This decision comes down to being able to play the game with the son together taking turns on missions and sh*t like that, things that I want to do together. Unfortunately I can't feel comfortable doing that knowing that if I have to head out for an hour I can't leave him alone playing it worrying that either he will discover something or learn through school a method to circumvent the censorship. I know thats a case of "Well don't do it" but its a little more complicated than that (enough teens here would chuck a tantrum if told to get off the game even if having played it all day alone)

 

Meh, its a moot point ultimately, now that the game has been released, if anything nasty can be done in the AU released game it will be found soon enough I guess ... just means he has to wait a couple of months before being able to play it so I can feel comfortable knowing that there isnt any circumvention or unknown easter eggs for the more unsavoury content from the uncensored version.

 

Pretty simple really, but he is going to be upset and pissed off at me for not letting him play it. He already asked yesterday if I bought it yet - No was the answer - till I finish the game myself and allow time for hidden things to come to light.

[Erados]

Sex: It's how you got here.

Drugs: It's how you'll be here.

Violence: It's how you'll get out of here.

 

[release]

Im 25.

 

Read all that you wrote.

 

"The problem is when you combine the sexual acts with either immediately preceeding or following violence that it becomes a serious issue"

 

I would agree with this if the kid would get an actual blow job as he sat there playing the game right after he offed a Russian or something. Its simulated sex between 2 cartoon characters. No naughty parts are showed. Yeah they move up and down and talk dirty, but i really don't see how watching that in-car act between Niko and a 300 pound woman, then immediately killing said street rat would trigger something so profound in the mind of a teen that would scar them.

 

To be quite honest, the new hooker interaction did really surprise me. Rockstar really should have mentioned that or have done a better job at letting parents know that would be in. In a commercial or something. All this is gonna do is invite fox news to openly bash the game and get enough momentum to possibly (now this will probably NOT happen) ban the game out right in the United States or elsewhere.

 

Aside from the previous stated issue i had with your post, i do agree that something should have been done by rockstar or esrb or even retailers that this kind of visual upgrade to the old "car bouncing for 10 seconds with moaning" thing from the old games should have been let known to the parents.

 

Hiding something possibly harmful like this just brings bad news, and this time I'm afraid rockstar may lose when the media picks this up.

[noobmate]

 

Uh.. If Rockstar tell you, for example, it was only the hookers bouncing up and down on your lap (depicting intercourse), that has been cut, how would that help the decision?

 

And if you get it banned, well, not my problem.. You're going to make a lot of enemies pretty quickly, and forever be immortalised online for such stupidity.

If he gets it banned???

 

Banning a game comes from a group of people... not one person. Concerned parents are what we need.

 

Your point however still remains correct.

 

Sex is such a taboo however seeing blood splattered against the wall after a bullet through the head is nothing to worry about. I think Rockstar rightfully should fuel the fire as much as they can. People need to wake up and realize what they are re-enforcing when they purchase an M rated game for little Jimmy.

 

As for you aussie's, you need a board to step up and give you more appropriate ratings... maybe that is what you should really be fighting for.

[noobmate]

 

Hiding something possibly harmful like this just brings bad news, and this time I'm afraid rockstar may lose when the media picks this up.

You can't hide anything from the people that rate the games. If the material was too intense for the MPAA they would not have rated it M in the US. Fox News can bash MPAA for that but honestly someone looked at it and said, "That's not bad enough for an Adult Only Rating.

 

Edit: In conclusion I still believe the only ones responsible for their childrens "Scarring" is the parents. You should do your research. GTA IV will hit headlines for the next month. It has been on headlines for the last month. Everyone should know who Jack Thompson is.

 

Most of the time if you paid a little more attention to their lives and how they are developing as a child you would know whether or not they are mentally capable of grasping the concept of a video game. Of course you realize that what is appropriate and un-appropriate behavior is up to you to teach them... no matter what they are exposed to. Be parents, not baby sitters.

Edited April 29, 2008 by noobmate

[Erados]

Hiding something possibly harmful like this just brings bad news, and this time I'm afraid rockstar may lose when the media picks this up.

You can't hide anything from the people that rate the games. If the material was too intense for the MPAA they would not have rated it M in the US. Fox News can bash MPAA for that but honestly someone looked at it and said, "That's not bad enough for an Adult Only Rating.

 

Edit: In conclusion I still believe the only ones responsible for their childrens "Scarring" is the parents. You should do your research. GTA IV will hit headlines for the next month. It has been on headlines for the last month. Everyone should know who Jack Thompson is.

 

Most of the time if you paid a little more attention to their lives and how they are developing as a child you would know whether or not they are mentally capable of grasping the concept of a video game. Of course you realize that what is appropriate and un-appropriate behavior is up to you to teach them... no matter what they are exposed to. Be parents, not baby sitters.

100% truth. I love this forum, some people actually make good points.

 

The guys who rate this game play the game, and they know what they're playing, so they're sure to check out all the hot spots for increased age limits.

 

These guys know.

[Bernzz]

Okay, listen, I'm 15 years old, played and own San Andreas, and want GTA 4. My parents saw the rating on the box, they don't care, they think I'm mature enough, so do I. I started playing San Andreas when I was 13, at my friends house, and we laughed when we picked up hookers to see them both sitting there in the car doing nothing.

 

I'm mature enough to play the game and stuff, it's not that my parents are at fault or anything. So, while I do agree with most of your post, I don't agree with anything people say that anyone under 17 who buys the game immediately has bad parents. I don't, okay?