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At what age do you think kids should be allowed to play Mature level games?

Male
Seen November 11th, 2022
Posted November 2nd, 2014
113 posts
9.7 Years
Hi all, i'd like to see what you guys have to say on this particular issue. My brother has been asking my parents to let him play games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Assassin's Creed IV, and I think they might actually let him play them. He's only ten, and I really don't think he should be playing Rated M games yet. I was allowed to when I turned 12, and I think thats a pretty good age, but I was wondering what you guys thought. At what age do you think kids should be allowed to play Rated M games?
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Seen November 4th, 2017
Posted May 18th, 2017
2,301 posts
9.7 Years
It all depends on the child really. If I feel I have a responsible 10-year-old that isn't fazed by the violence or adult stuff and more importantly, won't react to or reenact things immaturely then I'm fine with exposing them to that sort of stuff.

And I guess from personal experience, games like COD were major time drainers. If I disallowed video games, it'd be so they don't lose focus on like homework or stuff.
Male
Seen November 11th, 2022
Posted November 2nd, 2014
113 posts
9.7 Years
It all depends on the child really. If I feel I have a responsible 10-year-old that isn't fazed by the violence or adult stuff and more importantly, won't react to or reenact things immaturely then I'm fine with exposing them to that sort of stuff.

And I guess from personal experience, games like COD were major time drainers. If I disallowed video games, it'd be so they don't lose focus on like homework or stuff.
Yeah i can agree with that, i'm just saying as the average age, but a mature child could handle that sort of content then i would have no issue with them playing the game
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Age 30
Male
California
Seen February 16th, 2021
Posted May 16th, 2019
9,528 posts
10.5 Years
Kids should be able to play mature games when they're at the recommended age said mature games have on their ratings, which here on the U.S. is 17. It's a way to keep kids from ruining M-rated online games which we keep encountering over the years.
Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
I voted for 17 because that's how old you have to be to purchase them and that's what is recommended. However I also feel that it should be on a case by case basis. People tend to overlook the fact that M games can be M for a whole lot of different reasons, and certain reasons are more appropriate than others in my opinion. I would probably let my kids play Call of Duty, an M game for violence and a few swear words. GTA is also an M game, but for A LOT of reasons. These games hold the same rating, yet one has plenty of things I would never want my child to see, while the other has a few questionable things that I think I could handle my kid seeing.
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T!M

Four Category MoTY (VG) Winner

Age 31
Male
Georgia, United States
Seen May 20th, 2016
Posted April 25th, 2014
1,422 posts
14.4 Years
I don't think chronological age determines when one is mature enough to play a particular game. Instead whether one is 10 or 21, if they show maturity in a game where you run people over and can play those games without doing it themselves, then they're ready. Further, if someone can play a game and truly understand its just a game, you're also ready.In conclusion age should have nothing to do with the ESRB ratings.
Male
Seen November 11th, 2022
Posted November 2nd, 2014
113 posts
9.7 Years
I don't think chronological age determines when one is mature enough to play a particular game. Instead whether one is 10 or 21, if they show maturity in a game where you run people over and can play those games without doing it themselves, then they're ready. Further, if someone can play a game and truly understand its just a game, you're also ready.In conclusion age should have nothing to do with the ESRB ratings.
I'd like to respectfully disagree with you T!M. I think age can express average maturity, for example i personally think that most 10 year olds should not play M rated games because i don't think 10 year olds are generally mature enough to handle these games. That said, i will agree with you that if a mature 10 year old does understand the concepts you discussed and can handle those concepts, there is no reason why they shouldn't play these games.

I voted for 17 because that's how old you have to be to purchase them and that's what is recommended. However I also feel that it should be on a case by case basis. People tend to overlook the fact that M games can be M for a whole lot of different reasons, and certain reasons are more appropriate than others in my opinion. I would probably let my kids play Call of Duty, an M game for violence and a few swear words. GTA is also an M game, but for A LOT of reasons. These games hold the same rating, yet one has plenty of things I would never want my child to see, while the other has a few questionable things that I think I could handle my kid seeing.
Your right, i personally think the M rating is very broad, and I think it should be split into two groups. I think games like GTA require a higher level of maturity than games like Call of Duty, mostly because of the sexual content
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Male
Somewhere.
Seen September 22nd, 2014
Posted July 10th, 2014
930 posts
12 Years
Depends on the maturity of the child. If the kid's maturity level is around the maturity level of most kids who play online COD (You know, the ones who screech racist slurs into the microphone and claim to be 22 years old), then they shouldn't play them. But if it's a younger kid that's still mature, then sure. No reason not to expose them to things in the real world.
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she/her
Houston, TX
Seen February 1st, 2023
Posted February 1st, 2023
I was given my first M-rated game at 10 years old, because my dad keeps telling me "Mija, it's just red-colored water. It's not real!" Well, back then, when playstation games had semi-crappy graphics and stuff, I always thought that the blood in the M-rated games were not really blood, like my dad mentioned. But he never warned me of the semi-nudity scenes that contained in the game. So I was pretty....shocked right there haha.

I voted for 17, because I believe it should always be that way. I don't want to end up like my dad who gave me that game because "oh it's not really blood." Graphics in games have changed drastically in the span of 10 or so years. Today, they seem more realistic, as if we're experiencing it in front of us. Blood looks real, gory & nudity scenes are getting even more realistic. It ruins the perception of the child playing said game. Alas, every parent is different in the world. If they would like their child to play said game, then go for it. No one can't stop them, they'll have to face consequences when it comes to raising that kid through violent video games.

Puddle

Mission Complete✔

Age 27
Male
Jacksonville, Florida
Seen November 17th, 2019
Posted September 5th, 2014
1,458 posts
9.4 Years
Realistically, because of the scenes in these games, it has to be 17+ without parental consent or they could easily be viable for law suits and stuff. Anyways, as long as you aren't going to be playing the rolls in games like this, I don't see a problem with playing rated M games at around 12. There's nothing on these games that really change your perspective on life or anything. And high school is 10 million times worse than any game you can buy, so really, it's pointless to me.

However, I do understand that some parents are overly protective and would like to shelter their children away from all the bad things that go on in the world. So it makes sense for that 17+ warning to be there.

Here, you have to be 16+ and show that you actually got that age to buy a M-rated game without parental consent, and im okay with it. I played mature games at a really early age and i didnt really care about the blood (since it all looked silly back then xD). There are people however who can get so sucked into a mature game that they start to imitate the game in real life. But then again there are worse things in life than mature video games being played by kids.
Seen September 18th, 2020
Posted February 18th, 2018
7,741 posts
16.6 Years
15, I'd say, and no limit beyond 20 certainly. Really though, it's up to the discretion of whoever minds the child, and how mature the child is.
Regardless, if they don't understand the 'adult themes' of a game, it's likely to go over their head just like it does in pantomimes and family films.
Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
Anyone else here ever have their parents come in and watch them while playing GTA when you were like 10 - 12? I always tried to be "good" so that nothing inappropriate would happen on screen lol.
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Age 30
Male
plushies resort
Seen May 30th, 2019
Posted February 28th, 2019
5,557 posts
13.4 Years
I would when you can actually buy them which is 18 here. I have seen an 7 year old an M rated and the parents did not care when he imitated what he had been playing (call of duty) with his 3 year old sister.
Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
I would when you can actually buy them which is 18 here. I have seen an 7 year old an M rated and the parents did not care when he imitated what he had been playing (call of duty) with his 3 year old sister.
We're not talking about a kid going pew pew and making a gun with his hand jokingly, we're talking about kids and teenagers acting out exactly what they see in video games in real life...
I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.

Kikaito plush

Angeline plushxKikaito plush

Age 30
Male
plushies resort
Seen May 30th, 2019
Posted February 28th, 2019
5,557 posts
13.4 Years
We're not talking about a kid going pew pew and making a gun with his hand jokingly, we're talking about kids and teenagers acting out exactly what they see in video games in real life...
Sorry had just woken up when I posted that. Anyhow still should be when they can buy them themselves.
Male
Seen November 11th, 2022
Posted November 2nd, 2014
113 posts
9.7 Years
We're not talking about a kid going pew pew and making a gun with his hand jokingly, we're talking about kids and teenagers acting out exactly what they see in video games in real life...
Exactly, I personally think its an issue that most parents have no education in what games their children are playing. FOr example, my younger cousin has been playing Call of Duty since he was like 7, and when we were both over my Uncle's house (different Uncle, not his father) he kept trying to argue that America was currently at war with Germany. He went on for like 20 minutes and we STILL weren't able to convince him!
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SoulSilver(8/16)
Age 28
Male
Cincinnati
Seen June 30th, 2014
Posted June 30th, 2014
673 posts
11.9 Years
I picked 10 since I probably became ready for them around then. It depends on the person, of course, but I don't think 10 is an uncommon such age.

Anyone else here ever have their parents come in and watch them while playing GTA when you were like 10 - 12? I always tried to be "good" so that nothing inappropriate would happen on screen lol.
I've never played GTA beyond an old copy of GTA 2 I picked up a couple of years ago, but I always did this when watching Family Guy or American Dad, via yelling when I expected them to curse and generally turning the TV off otherwise, so that they wouldn't tell me I couldn't watch them (or, more specifically, that my brother couldn't, and he was always nearby). Eventually I slipped up (specifically, Roger said something about a "Persian stud" on American Dad unexpectedly) and for years afterwards they wouldn't let us near a TV around the time American Dad was on.
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Male
Seen March 13th, 2014
Posted March 7th, 2014
37 posts
9.8 Years
I'm sure my parents would let me, but you know, I have a younger brother, so there might be restriction on when I can play. I'm not a fan of violent or mature level games, that's why I've always stuck with Nintendo. The unfortunate part is that ALOT of people in my grade at my school play these games. they all have Xbox's and PlayStation's but my few friends and I have Nintendo games. on my opinion (even though im under this age) I think 15 or 16 would be best.
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Male
Basement
Seen February 25th, 2017
Posted February 25th, 2017
4,173 posts
9.8 Years
Well, 17. That's what the "Mature" content means, right?

Sure, there may be mature enough 10 year old kids but they're too few and far between. I've yet to come across a 10 year old that has the maturity level of an adult.

countryemo

Kicking against the earth!

Age 29
Male
Littleroot Town
Seen February 9th, 2021
Posted September 10th, 2018
2,367 posts
13.5 Years
Were were fine with my younger brothers playing the Deer Hunter series on PC. But stuff like GTA or CoD should stay off limits until 15 or so. While 17 is mature, we all know they get the stuff around 13 though.

curiousnathan

Male
Australia
Seen October 18th, 2020
Posted October 5th, 2020
7,753 posts
13.7 Years
It honestly all depends on the child. if they are mature enough to understand adult themes and to know that it's probably not a great idea to emulate some of them in real life then I think they're more than entitled to play mature games. Development for all individuals varies between individuals so it's impossible to find a perfect age restriction.
Age 30
Female
USA
Seen February 19th, 2022
Posted February 12th, 2022
252 posts
9.7 Years
I know my kid won't be playing those games until at least the age of 14-15, and even then it depends on how I think he would respond to all of the violence. They have ratings for a reason. I don't even play those games myself, there are plenty of fun games that are rated E or Teen. I'll definitely ask his daddy to not play the bad games in front of him either, he does do it now, but my kid doesn't really pay much attention to the TV..if he wants to start playing the games later on, I will have to make him not see them being played.