Now, you all know that I am not a prude about the content of games or the mass media in general as my numerous entries about Grand Theft Auto and The FCC can attest to. However, the above story really bothers me. Yes, I am not a parent so maybe I don't have the right to criticize someone else's choices when it comes to raising their child. I mean, I've been witness to scenes similar to the one above in real life and I didn't say anything to the people involved.
But I just think if you wouldn't let your 7-8 year old child watch, say Kill Bill, then you shouldn't buy them an M-rated game like God of War. For the most part, this whole thing doesn't really affect me. Oh wait, in some ways it most certainly does.
How does it affect me you might ask. Well, think about the last time you saw a rated R movie at the theatre and some dear soul decided to bring their young kids to the movie. Remember how much fun that was. I am sure that everyone who is reading this and has played a Mature-rated console game online with a headset knows the agony of being sworn at by someone whose age hasn't hit double digits on more than one occasion.
And of course, the idea that kids are getting their hands on games that are clearly not appropriate for their age gets a lot of people's panties in a bunch... you know, like a certain Florida Attorney who is on the razor's edge of disbarment, a couple of prominent senators like Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, and groups like Focus on the Family who want all games to be kid-friendly(or more likely, not to exist at all).
It seems to me that the old stereotype that games are for kids still permeates the culture, despite ample evidence to the contrary (like that fact that the average game player is 35 and 75% of gamers are over 18). So why should my enjoyment of this medium be spoiled because some parents choose not to follow the clearly printed warnings on a label?
Now I am not advocating a law that makes it illegal to sell games to children by proxy (through their parents), but I do think that if these same people bought the games without reading the ratings card, they have no right to complain about the content of the game. They had the opportunity to be an informed consumer at the point of purchase, and by buying or renting said item, they are consenting to whatever is accessible on that disc, and thus, they shouldn't be entitled to wreck it for everyone else who is gaming responsibly.
I discussed the matter with my sister, and asked if she would allow my niece when she was 7-8 to get an M rated game, and she said categorically that she would not, and I think a lot of people who play games would answer the same way because we understand that like movies, there are definitely limits that every parent has to set for their child, and as long as those limits don't affect me or the general population at large, well, everyone should be happy.
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