PS3 Fighting games and kids

Dustykitten

DS2 (13.5) has been asking for a PS3 for ages (thanks for all of those who have given advice on my thread asking about that).

He has been asking today why I won't allow 'fighting games'. According to him just about all the kids at school play them online with each other and that I am really mean as I've always said no to them.

My reasons are quite simply, I just don't get the fighting thing (I hate violence), why would people want to 'play at fighting' and killing people

Also my youngest son is only 7 and I don't think those sort of games are appropriate for him to see. I don't want to police the living room as to when the younger one can go in there.

In fairness, I've never seen any of these games in action but the fact that they all seem to be 15/18 puts me off.

I know the decision is mine to make but I'd really appreciate other people's views as to whether I am being OTT.

geewhiz

As long as they know it's just a game it will be fine, when you say fighting games do you mean like Call of Duty, there's a big fuss about that but it's no more than you see on the news just now anyway!

I certainly don't see any problem with a 13 yr old playing any of these games or a 7 year old really, in fact I play them in front of my kids who are younger than both of yours.

You will know your kids well enough to decide if they can deal with it. I would definately get the PS3 anyway, there's alot more to it than fighting games !

4743hudsonj

i would suggest little big planet but as mentioned i dont see shooters and stuff a problem

tekken for example is a boxing martial art fighting game that kids love espehially ones i know anyways, its not particularly violent, the fun cloaks the fact that its violent, besides i dont see any kids running around calling themselves king, wearing leopard heads and jump kicking each other
lol

-TangleFoot-

Dustykitten wrote: »

In fairness, I've never seen any of these games in action...

You really should, if only to make an informed decision on the matter. Playing some of them might help too.

In debate with John Fitzgibbon, 1st Earl of Clare, Fizgibbon refuted one of Curran's arguments by saying "If that be the law, Mr. Curran, I shall burn all my law books." To which he replied "You had better read them first, my lord."

Also, a little research:

• Video game genres - Wikipedia
• Video game journalism - Wikipedia
• The Escapist: Issue 153 - Protect the Children

-Ad-

At that age I still had my head in mario and mariokart, the most violent thing in the life then was flashing like an invincible technocolour star.

It's ovbiously your choice as a parent in what you deem suitable, but unfortunately these days kids really are terrors!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't advice Grand theft auto, but something like Tekken or other fighting games have been played by kids for many manh years and from a very young age. I for one played street fighter 2 as soon as I got my SNES and knew plenty of others that did around then. We arn't all kickboxing drunken asbo lords

Dustykitten

Thanks for your comments.

Just to clarify I'm not actually concerned that he will turn into a knife carrying thug for a minute. I simply can't get my head around how such games are 'fun'.

timmmers

I had ows and arrows, pellet guns, alsorts of real life toys that we used to use on each other playing ...and I havem't killed many people since.

Some of the games are rated so you can tell how suitable they are...and not worry.
Just like movies. Do you ban your kids from the cinema..or use those rating to jusge what's for them ?

A mate of mine has a sig in a game forum that says " If playing video games as a kid infuenced us in later life, we'd all be running around mdly with load repetitive music popping pills ..like PAcman.

If you look at the real life murderers and bad boys...most of them tend to be loners with no mates...so maybe your kid is better off with mates and under your supervision than that?

t

timmmers

Dustykitten wrote: »

Thanks for your comments.

Just to clarify I'm not actually concerned that he will turn into a knife carrying thug for a minute. I simply can't get my head around how such games are 'fun'.

Do you watch CSI? Seen Saving Private Ryan or silence of the lambs?

How is their subject matter and realism fun ?

"Got to rush home to watch someone brutally murdered in graphic detail" :rotfl:

t

trets77

Dustykitten wrote: »

Thanks for your comments.

Just to clarify I'm not actually concerned that he will turn into a knife carrying thug for a minute. I simply can't get my head around how such games are 'fun'.

i cannot get my head around why girls spend so much on shoes , or why women watch programs like strictly come dancing. probably because i'm a male and we all like different things .

IMO it is perfectly normal for your son who is nearly 14 to want to play games like Tekken ect . i mean would you frown on kids in playground playing Soliders or Cowboys and Indians , these involve people pretend dying ect .


they are just games that his peers play , you cannot expect your son not to want to join in and i would be more worried if he was shunning playing with his friends . and the games are age rated too . the only real game to avoid is Manhunter, but i doubt his mates play it anyway as it is a bit crap to be honest .

i think you may have read a few too many Daily Mail articles . me and my Brother used to play games like Doom and Street fighter 2 when we were his age and it has never done us any harm , in fact it inspired my brother to pursue a career in computing , which he now earns a a six figure salary for.

and we both still play these game now are in our 30's .



boys will be boys , and boys like fighting games amongst others. you cannot wrap you children up in cotton wool and impose your own taste's on them i'm afraid .

ALIBOBSY

What we did was get a PS3 for Ds (and his Dad) and me and the little girls got a Wii.

Eldest is 12 and does play some of these fighting shooting games, as do all his mates.
We choose which games he can have- grand thefy auto no way. But he loves things like castle wolfenstein, and assasins creed. Some games you can set to tone down the blood and gore.
We ensure he only plays for a limited time, never in front of the younger ones and he is fully aware it is fantasy not reality.

You have to assess your child themselves. EG Ds has a cousin who is 2 wks older than him, but is on the autistic spectrum (but attends mainstream school) he cannot even tolerate watching the news as he has issues around reality and fantasy.

On the other hand the biggest thing in my son and his mates life at the mo seems to be those match attack collection cards. His mates turn hp with massive piles and do the "got it, got it, need it" shuffle rofl

I went through a stage as a younster likeing horror films and scaring myself to death, but and am perfectly normal now.
To me more of a danger is a child having a PC/console in their bedroom alone. I also watch who he is chatting to and he uses a fake name and details online etc. He is well aware of the dangers.

You can rent games out to try first to see what they are really like, but remember boys and men have always ran around shooting each other (cowboys and indians,paintball etc) and they see that as fun.

DD2 (age 6) loves little big planet though.

ali x

Dustykitten

timmmers wrote: »

Do you watch CSI? Seen Saving Private Ryan or silence of the lambs?

How is their subject matter and realism fun ?

"Got to rush home to watch someone brutally murdered in graphic detail" :rotfl:

t

No that's the thing I don't (to be honest I don't watch hardly any tv). Older two kids mainly watch Top Gear, Simpsons and Car/Road wars.

We do have a wii which is mainly played by my youngest although we all have a go.