grand theft auto san andreas is now adults only

[Frenetic]

well... I don't like the idea of my sons playing this game.  I went through my son's game collection when they came home from New England, and what did I find?  Grand Theft Auto San Andreas!  I have NO complete idea how he was able to purchase it with a 'M' rating, but he did...  (mind u,..that I was in Georgia). 

I told him to put it in my room,..and he BETTER not touch it.  I'm either selling this game or letting him trade it in at GameStop. I don't care how much money he loses, but he won't be playing it again...

peace,

cookie

←

Then you're kid shouldn't watch violent movies, listen to violent music, not go outdoors and def not tell him about the fact that crime does exist in reality..

[Bracesup]

The thing is that sex and violence is everywhere now. Forget about videogames, movies, internet, music, magazines, TV, etc. Just a comic book itself contains lots of sex and violence which I'm sure most of the parents would be unaware of. If you ban one thing, there is always easy access to another with similar content. So in this era where sex is considered as the biggest selling item, there's not much of an escape for kids.

[3cookies]

Then you're kid shouldn't watch violent movies, listen to violent music, not go outdoors and def not tell him about the fact that crime does exist in reality..

←

What are you talking abt! Thats NOT living in a world of REALITY by not telling THEM crime don't exist. We talk about these things quite abit, and I don't covet them or hide the fact that there is violence in the world. Theres violence in the news everyday, and I can not and will not hide facts of everyday life circumstances, but take my ROLE as a mother and educate them while I have the opportunity to. Once they are mature enough, and have the RIGHT mentality to know their choices in life are about making their own decisions, (weather right or wrong)...then it's my responsibility AND choice to monitor what my kids do, including the video games they play. period.

So dont chastise me like i'm some kind of hipocritical person just because I monitor my children's activities as best I can. Things do slip by parents, (like this GTA game) and we can't be there every moment of their lives... You may not see wrong in it, but thats your proud choice to dedicate urself to, but my opinion differs when it comes 2 MY children...

I make an attempt to solicit alternative 'escapes' for my kids extracurricular activities, not draw their attention to things they will naturally learn abt as they're growing... This game is for ADULTS. Im upset that some adult sold the game to a minor not to mention your sarcastic comments frenetic... :thatsux:

peace,

cookie

Edited July 24, 2005 by 3cookies

[sonic1988]

3cookies has some good points about that but I think that alot of moms problems with the game is that you are on the wrong side of the law, I know that is the main reason why it gets alot of news. I know alot of moms who would let their kids watch Bad boys 2 which is alot more voilent than any videogame I have ever played for the simple fact that the heroes are cops and those same people won't let their kids watch movies like scarface and New jack city because the guys who are on the wrong side of the law are the stars never minding that in both movies the star dies and they show the bad side of the drug world (especially New jack city) and if you look at scarface and NJC where's all the violence? I would like to say that I'm not trying to get on your case 3cookies I'm just saying how alot of moms I know are when it comes to GTA.

although I have to say that 3cookies is good by having her son get outside instead of spending his childhood playing videogames.

[Schnazz]

well... I don't like the idea of my sons playing this game.  I went through my son's game collection when they came home from New England, and what did I find?  Grand Theft Auto San Andreas! 

...

I told him to put it in my room,..and he BETTER not touch it.  I'm either selling this game or letting him trade it in at GameStop. I don't care how much money he loses, but he won't be playing it again...

←

Sounds like you did what a good parent should do! You care enough to see what he's playing and you knew enough to take that game away from him.

Im upset that some adult sold the game to a minor

←

Absolutley. Just like movie stores shouldn't allow kids to rent R movies or adult movies with out their parents consent, game stores shouldn't let kids get M and AO games with out their parents consent.

[WesSyde]

whoa whoa whoa let's calm down. Frenetic, who are u 2 be telling cookies how 2 raise her kids? she's a pretty accomplished mother from what i can tell, and u probably have never raised a kid b4. i think she can manage by herself. i dont think u should be suggesting 2 her what she should and shouldn't do as a parent, that comes off as quite rude to me at least

cookies, i think u did the right there. how old is he? 10, 11, 12? i'm glad 2 see some parents out there doin the right thing. my parents are very strict about the games i play, the movies i watch, and even the music i listen to, even tho i would never act on the things i see or hear. it's always made me kind of mad, because nobody else's parents ever seem to care that much, but i'm glad to find somebody who does and who values raising their children right. ur sons are gonna be quite smart and make something of their lives if they have positive activities to do now.

for me, i don't play video games except baseball or basketball. games like this, while they sound fun, just waste ur time really. so much more can be gained from music than can be gained from a stupid video game. i hardly ever play video games at all, they just brainwash u and use u, and that's something i will not let be done 2 me.

[Frenetic]

Then you're kid shouldn't watch violent movies, listen to violent music, not go outdoors and def not tell him about the fact that crime does exist in reality..

←

What are you talking abt! Thats NOT living in a world of REALITY by not telling THEM crime don't exist. We talk about these things quite abit, and I don't covet them or hide the fact that there is violence in the world. Theres violence in the news everyday, and I can not and will not hide facts of everyday life circumstances, but take my ROLE as a mother and educate them while I have the opportunity to. Once they are mature enough, and have the RIGHT mentality to know their choices in life are about making their own decisions, (weather right or wrong)...then it's my responsibility AND choice to monitor what my kids do, including the video games they play. period.

So dont chastise me like i'm some kind of hipocritical person just because I monitor my children's activities as best I can. Things do slip by parents, (like this GTA game) and we can't be there every moment of their lives... You may not see wrong in it, but thats your proud choice to dedicate urself to, but my opinion differs when it comes 2 MY children...

I make an attempt to solicit alternative 'escapes' for my kids extracurricular activities, not draw their attention to things they will naturally learn abt as they're growing... This game is for ADULTS. Im upset that some adult sold the game to a minor not to mention your sarcastic comments frenetic... :thatsux:

peace,

cookie

←

That's where we differ, I come from a home where I've never been punished or banned from doing or playing things cause I (and my parents) believe more in dialogues than banning things.

I mean even though the game is violent it is not more bloody than horror movies, it's not more violent than any action film or even tv-show. If this is the case then our children should not watch all these teveshows with violence, they shouldn't be allowed to listen to gangsta rap or watch violent movies.

For those who haven't got the GTA idea shoudl really read this, it's a neutral description of the game:

It's the early 90's. You're this guy that's a former gangmember that stopped and went to another city. He comes back to San Andreas/Los Santos (San Andreas is supposed to be a Area with Los Angeles, San fransisco and Las vegas), Los Santos is LA. He comes back cause of the death of his mother. When he left Los santos the ghetto was in better shape without drugs and so much violence, the gangs had their terriotorys and no gang wars. But when CJ (the character you are) comes back, the area has exploded in gangwar drugs and so on.

CJ gets shocked and gets back with his brother to find out who kills the mom and kill the bosses of those gangs or groups. As the game moves on CJ has to infiltrate gangs, mafia and FBI, NSA CIA to find out who killes her mom and who is behind alot of things in his old neighbourhood. In the game CJ kills drugdealers, mob bosses and curupt policemen during the LA riots. The game has a very hiphoporientated soudntrack with the g-funk era music and old school hiphop + SAmuel L Jackson and The game star as voices to characters.

The thing that differs this game from others is how much it's based on reality. Yuo gotta eat, workout, rest, swim, drive, visit your girl, sister and so on just as in reality. But reality is a bitch, so there is also hookers, pimps, drugs (but you can't do drugs) and bad language in the game. GTA is not more violent than any wargame, it's not more sexinfluenced than SIMS.

GTA is just a thing used by politicians to make them popular... someone please remember the trials against NWA or Bill O'rileys hiphop hate crusade? Same thing.

Stop the madness. And once a again: That sexscene is not in the original game! It's a way to hack the game and then yuo can do that. And as Scnazz said: if your kids can do that then they can also download som porn much realer than that.

[Frenetic]

whoa whoa whoa let's calm down. Frenetic, who are u 2 be telling cookies how 2 raise her kids? she's a pretty accomplished mother from what i can tell, and u probably have never raised a kid b4. i think she can manage by herself. i dont think u should be suggesting 2 her what she should and shouldn't do as a parent, that comes off as quite rude to me at least

cookies, i think u did the right there. how old is he? 10, 11, 12? i'm glad 2 see some parents out there doin the right thing. my parents are very strict about the games i play, the movies i watch, and even the music i listen to, even tho i would never act on the things i see or hear. it's always made me kind of mad, because nobody else's parents ever seem to care that much, but i'm glad to find somebody who does and who values raising their children right. ur sons are gonna be quite smart and make something of their lives if they have positive activities to do now.

for me, i don't play video games except baseball or basketball. games like this, while they sound fun, just waste ur time really. so much more can be gained from music than can be gained from a stupid video game. i hardly ever play video games at all, they just brainwash u and use u, and that's something i will not let be done 2 me.

←

When the hell did i tell her how to raise her kids?

[WesSyde]

Then you're kid shouldn't watch violent movies, listen to violent music, not go outdoors and def not tell him about the fact that crime does exist in reality.

if i'm not mistaken, ur telling her what her kid should and shouldn't be doing, when it's only ur opinion. anyways it's cool i'll just wave it off and let cookies say what she wants, it just sounded a lil rude when i first read it. maybe u didnt mean 2 word it that way.

[Frenetic]

Then you're kid shouldn't watch violent movies, listen to violent music, not go outdoors and def not tell him about the fact that crime does exist in reality.

if i'm not mistaken, ur telling her what her kid should and shouldn't be doing, when it's only ur opinion. anyways it's cool i'll just wave it off and let cookies say what she wants, it just sounded a lil rude when i first read it. maybe u didnt mean 2 word it that way.

←

I was really sarcastic. Her children ain't none of my business. but since she is the counterpart of my opinions in this matter I wanted to provoke her to write something really good.

[3cookies]

It may have been all in how he worded it,...but it came across to me the same way it did to you Wes. My son is 13, and his little brothers (8 and 10) enjoy watching him 'beat' games... When I saw his comment to me as to why I took this game away...naturally I was upset...

They don't need to think its cool killing ppl in games to get the mission accomplished... BUMP that!

peace,

cookie

[bigted]

The stuff in those games are too graphic for young kids to play, I could see maybe a teenager in high school could play it 'cause they're having sex around that age anyway and know the difference between right and wrong but should a 10-year old play it? Hell no! I personally don't care about these kinda video games, I like the sports games better, those games are as just as useless as porno to me, I don't find it entertaining, if I wanna see shooting I throw on "Bad Boys" DVD, lol.

[Schnazz]

I think that, in general, when a parent decides to take away a game (or music, movie, books, whatever), the parent is usually over reacting. Most kids understand the difference between tv/movies/games/music and reality. I do agree with Frenetic that a dialogue is a better method.

There are, however, certain kids who are not mentally/emotionally ready for that kind of material. I doubt it's anywhere near the quantity that parents believe, but they're definately there. The parent is definately the right person to make those kinds of decisions. They just seem to err on the side of being overly cautious.

Now, back to reality, let's really look at what goes on when a parent monitors and removes certain media from a kid. This parent is actively involved in the kids life. They're actively seeing what the kid spends his/her time doing and attempts to keep it in line with what they think will be healthy for the kid. Sure, it's not always right, and they're being overly cautious. But I'd rather see that happen then see parents who don't care at all. If every parent was that involved and concerned, the world would be a better place.

So, at the end of the day, I think parents are overly concerned, but I'd rather them be overly concerned then not concerned at all. Just as long as they don't force it on me by regulating what kinds of games can be made and (when I have children) what kinds of games my kids can play.

/Edited portion

I should out right say this: A parent can raise their kid any way they want, it's their business, not others. There are probably two circumstances where this isn't true, if the child is being harmed by the parent or when the child will grow up and cause problems for society. By no stretch of the imagination does removing games fall into either of those two caveats. :)

Edited July 24, 2005 by Schnazz

[bigted]

This is a sensitive situation, I think the media does wrong by making a lot of this stuff appealing to kids, even this gangsta rap stuff shouldn't be aimed for kids either, only adults and teenagers should listen to it, just like when Destiny's Child gave lapdances at the BET Awards with kids watching, it's not that graphic of course but 10 year olds shouldn't be thinking about sex yet, it's up to the parents though how they choose to raise their kids in the final say, some parents like Will and Jada would let their kids listen to gangsta rap but some parents won't, it's important though for people to not let entertainment educate them the most 'cause when that happens every other word they say in a conversation will be s*** and they won't be able to put a sentence together and they'll be alcoholics by 14, lol. It's disturbing though to me that this entertainment should be for older folks but kids are the ones that wanna buy the game more or the parents buy the game for them not even being aware for what it is, just like most of the people who buy G Unit CDs are underage, which doesn't tell us much about society and since this entertainment is aimed for a younger audience we need more people like JJFP as entertainers that all ages could be entertained by, people would learn to respect hip-hop more if there was more balance out there, 99.9% of hip-hop albums having parental advisory on them is hideous, video games have balance already since there's plenty of games where everyone could play.

Edited July 24, 2005 by bigted

[Lerkot]

I'm a kid and I have played games for many years. Im not a murder. To be a murder, its not enough to have grown up playing games; you gotta have a real wrong in your head since the beginning. No games does harm kids, and thats my point of view and forever will be.