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[edged]

The game content is not the issue, it's people buying these games for people younger than the intended audience.  Until parents learn to say no once in a while instead of buying their little darlings whatever they want, there are going to be complaints about what goes into a game.

[rockedthecasbah]

Do you think movies like texas chainsaw massacre and fasttimes at ridgemont high should be banned from retail?

[blitzkrg]

QUOTE(IlcoopIl @ Dec 7 2005, 10:38 PM)

I like the game but some of the shit just goes to far.  Being able to kill cops?  Try this for just as a test.  Play need for speed underground 1 or 2, or any other similar real life racing game.  Play for a couple hours if you can.  Now go get behind the wheel of a car and drive on the highway.  Tell me if you notice any difference in your behavior.  Chances are your driving was effected by the game and you did drive more dangerously than you usually would.  Anyway thi s is just my example but think what this game does to people that play it consistently.  The game really does have an affect on people's behavior.  I don't think the game should be banned and I totally agree with enforcing the age limit.  Some companies just take things too far.

i played all the gta games from start to finish..
i never once went out and killed a cop or even thought about it.
the rest of the world cant be held accountable for what one idiot does.
that's the same as saying nobody can have mc donalds because some people got to fat eating it.

[is this name taken too?]

what really gets me is that it seems like violence, drug abuse and other CRIMINAL things are more acceptable than sexual content, ESPECIALLY between consenting adults. look at the controversey over the janet jackson superbowl thing, yet you can turn on court tv or FX or even Fox any time of the day and watch "Cops", a show where you can see people getting beaten in REAL LIFE. if you ban these games, i never want to hear or see rap songs/videos that PROMOTE being a "gangsta" and the degradation of women. the old saying goes, shit or get off the pot. if one thing deemed offensive is banned, it all should be. this is NOT what America is about. those of us intelligent enough to know right from wrong and to raise our children to respect the law and be responsible people SHOULD NOT have to sacrifice our rights for stupid people and irresponsible parents.

[J0RD4N 007]

Well, in my opinion, banning mature rated games would be wrong. There's no question about this. It doesn't take a rocket science to figure out that a game called Grand Theft Auto might have something to do with breaking the law. When my kid wants to buy a game that is titled with a felony, I think  I might investigate it just a bit before  I buy it. I mean if the game was called "Knife Dem Hoes Takin Ma Crack Head Clients," would they still buy it without question? The problem isn't with games, the problem isn't with movies, or even music (which actually hasn't been under the gun for a while - knock on wood). The problem is with the American psyche and also with the fundamental flaws of a democracy (I am American, I am a registered Republican, I love my country).

A large group of Americans today think on three basic principles, what is the government going to do for me, how much does it cost, and how little work must I accomplish to get what I want. This is not true of all, but it is of most. As shameful as it is I slip into these categories from time to time. Government is not there to do for YOU! Dammnit, I wish I could beat this into some people. Its there to do whats right for the good of the nation. When some ignorant mother sees fame, a quick check from a large publisher, and the empathy of a nation she goes straight to the governement to get what they owe her. She wants action, her child's mind has been violated, she thought  games were for kids and this game was horrible. how was she supposed to know that Grand Theft Auto was a game that featured criminals breaking the law? Games should all be safe for kids, busy parents can't be expected to figure out which games are safe and which ones aren't. That's how it all starts. She's too lazy to monitor her children and expects the government to do it for her. She is enchanted by the fame and pity she gets through the media. Her wallet begins to swell with settlements from publishers trying to dodge the bullet.

In a democracy no press is bad press. If someone in a political office, a political campaign, or even just a lawyer can make the news, good or bad in most cases, it is a success. If a politician or lawyer sees a way to make headlines and get there name out, they will jump on it. Do these people dislike these games? Probably. Do they really care enough about what legitimate adults do in there free time as long as it doesn't affect others? Probably not. But will talks of banning games outrage a minority but entrance a majority on the news? Most definately.

But is banning games legal? Well in the most strict view of the constitution it is illegal to ban them on a federal level, but its illegal to ban marijuanna and other illicit substances on a federal level as well but we see how that went. On the state and county levels however its up to the individual legislatures. Hopefully there are enough adults gamers or not that are smart enough to make intelligent decisions about who they vote for, but that is just about all we can do short of forming a militia and marching against the senate while stealing cars, raping hookers, shooting cops, and buying weapons with our drug money....gasp I've been changed! Damn that GTA! lol

So to recap, any form entertainment should be available to adults. Available. Not forced, but just available. It is legal for a state or county to ban games, but quite unethical, and it is up to the citizens to make sure it doesn't happen. Stopping asking the government to make special decisions to help YOU out. Help yourslef and follow the rules so we can  get the hell out of this pit of socialism we've fallen into. Don't just boo politicians that take up stupid crusades that you don't like, boo all politicians that take up stupid crusades!

Thats the end of my rant, but one more thing whoever talked about a freedom of choice....IT DOESNT EXIST! NO WHERE IN THE ENTIRE CONSTITUION WILL ANYONE FIND THE RIGHT TO A FREEDOM OF CHOICE! DO NOT QUOTE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT! THIS IS HOW IGNORANCE GETS SPREAD - I HATE IGNORANCE!

[webMASTER P]

ban it? no way!
i am all for enforcing the sales of the game though, and fining the stores for selling it to minors. Just like it's done with cigaretes and pornagrophy.

[syrius]

Its not like any of these games don't depict stuff that happen every day across the nation.  Sure we don't like people playing GTA because its violent and teaches kids bad values, but what do you tell the people in inner city america that play the game for real every day just to survive?

[dannym]

I didn't read the whole thread but I thought I'd add my 2c anyway.
I am fundamentally against the banning of anything. One by one our rights are being stripped away. if they ban GTA what's next? Pretty soon you won't be able to loan a book to someone without some Jackoff wanting royalties.
What needs to be done is restricting the sale to minors, just like cigarettes. And parents using the parental controls when available and monitoring what their little brat kids do.

Because like it or not video games with violence and immorality have a negative effect on children. They do not have the ability do distinguish between reality and fantasy. Also the violence desensitizes them and after a while they begin to think violence is normal and oK.

So NO to banning YES to parental controls.

I would also be for the Neutering/Spaying of certain adults who lack the ability to be a responsible parent.

Danny

[sniper911punk]

its all bad parenting, if you dont want your kids not to play it take it away from it dont ruin it for everyone its dumb their are thouse ratings on there for a reason thier not there for looks duh!

[PC509]

My kids don't even get to WATCH when I play GTA, Ghost Recon, or anything like that. They play games made for their age.

Thank god for emulation! My 4 year old love Thomas the Tank. So, instead of hooking up the Sega and running it from that (I have the original cart), I put it on the XBox. He loves it. He's a smart little guy, too. He can navigate the XBMC to get to the emulator and find Thomas on there. He can find the other emulators and whatever game he wants. He can find the video's through the directory structure (memorization, but still!). Smart 4 year old! My 6 year old...  He loves to read. He's really not into the whole computer/video game thing...

It's all about the parenting. I feel I do a good job (hate to use the word) shielding them from the harshness of the realworld. At least until they get older. If he asks questions, I tell them to his age level. I let him play games relative to his age level. I watch movies PG and up first if he wants to watch them.

Parenting. Not banning. Well, I guess it worked for Hitler!

[ksteiner]

So you guys say a 13 yr old cant play halo2, because its rated M??

[posiedon]

people believe these games influence people and their actions when they do not
if you shoot someone you would of shot them regardless of if you played the game or not
but yes the content is not good for young kids
90% of the young kids at my store that wanted m rated games saw them there on the spot and said "i want"
all we do now is just not put out the game cases on the shelf for display
we still have up all the posters/ads
but for some reason a kid actually seeing the case makes them want it
since we pulled the cases only kids over 15 have been asking

[StepsAscend]

We Americans are too in love with our freedoms to see that they allow too much freedom sometimes.  Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the good of society.  I loved the GTA games, but honestly, I think society would be better off without them.  And claims that someone would kill another person whether they played the game or not are meaningless.  There is no research to back that up and no way to test it.  Err on the side of discretion and cut back games like 50 Cent and GTA.

[nightmod]

QUOTE(IlcoopIl @ Dec 7 2005, 04:38 PM)

I like the game but some of the shit just goes to far.  Being able to kill cops?  Try this for just as a test.  Play need for speed underground 1 or 2, or any other similar real life racing game.  Play for a couple hours if you can.  Now go get behind the wheel of a car and drive on the highway.  Tell me if you notice any difference in your behavior.  Chances are your driving was effected by the game and you did drive more dangerously than you usually would.  Anyway thi s is just my example but think what this game does to people that play it consistently.  The game really does have an affect on people's behavior.  I don't think the game should be banned and I totally agree with enforcing the age limit.  Some companies just take things too far.

Thats why its a game! if you dont know to NOT KILL COPS its your parents fault for not teaching you the basics of morality.. not Rockstar for making a FANASTY WORLD that you picked up and played in and could not leave behind...

[itzkid]

Screw it lets ban it, lets ban all movies with any sorta violence (including cartoons, elmer fudd carries a gun for christs sake!), censor our broadcast networks and lets even jump on cable tv, and anything else that we can blame.

The whole issue is, why are kids doing what they're doing today, it wasn't as bad fifty years ago ... let's think about it, god forbid now a days you physically punish your child that's abuse! send them to time out ... yea that works great. how many house holds have 2 full time employed parents now? but day cares good right? lets shove all the kids in a room together to learn from each other for 8 hrs a day with 1 adult there to watch. What's personal responsibility? You mean we have to teach our kids ... stuff? And there's how many single parents today? stuff gets hard why work it out, the kids don't mind and neither does the divorce lawyers.

end sarcasm;

Seriously now parents stop blaming everyone and everything because you can't raise your kids. If your kids acting up punish them, you have to instill morals and teach them right from wrong, they don't come out of the womb knowing it. And yes I know some families have to have both parents working full time to make ends meet, but don't rely on day care to teach your kids, SPEND TIME WITH THEM and i don't mean come home and veg out in front of the tv that your blaming all your problems on with them, have them do their homework near you, hold a conversation with them you know ... be their parent.

it all comes down to one thing PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, you did the deed to make the child, now it's your job to mold him/her into a productive member of society, my greatest joy is watching my little boy grow up right now, and i let him play any game he wants barring only nudity, and yet you wouldn't believe how many compliments i get on him being well behaved, the reason being he's scared to be naughty (not scared of me, but scared of consequences). Him and i have a very good relationship and we for the most part have a great time when i get home from work. Point being games aren't our problems.

As far as the comment about play need for speed for a few hrs and go driving and see if it's affected that's a crock of shit. If you drive differently after playing a game you do the same when watching a movie, and you have a problem being so easily influenced. Don't get me wrong sometimes it's in the back of mind when something happens that reminds me of a particular part of the game, but i don't go acting on it and start doin 20 over the limit etc... again personal responsibilty, know reality from fantasy, and fear the consequences