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[Big Nikus]

Why? Unless you buy into the US false hysteria of violent media is the reason why there are so many crimes, and yet ignore why that same media in Canada or the UK doesn't cause the same crime statistics. I was 4-5 when I was doing fatalities in Mortal Kombat or playing Doom etc. My 9 year old cousin bought and played GTA V and is now on Overwatch. Violent games don't make violent criminals.

That's not the point.
Watching porn doesn't make you a sex addict, but go ahead and make a pornhub account for your kids, sure.

 

[Head.spawn]

Click on this thread, got to "Florida" and it all made sense.

 

[PtM]

Why? Unless you buy into the US false hysteria of violent media is the reason why there are so many crimes, and yet ignore why that same media in Canada or the UK doesn't cause the same crime statistics. I was 4-5 when I was doing fatalities in Mortal Kombat or playing Doom etc. My 9 year old cousin bought and played GTA V and is now on Overwatch. Violent games don't make violent criminals.

Okay, Madness.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

There are so many people here on GAF that really haven't played GTA or other violent games when were younger? (Carmageddon, Duke Nukem...) When I was younger pretty much all my friends used to play it all. Even though GTA V is, imo, the worst of the franchise for kids not only because it's more graphical, but because there's Trevor (I always thought that Rockstar stepped a bit too far with Trevor in many instances of the game).

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying parents shouldn't be cautious about what their kids are playing, watching and listening though (cause they totally should). I'm just saying that this isn't anything new and as controversial as the main issue posted on the OP, and yet it became the main topic.

Anyway... it doesn't justify, in any extent, drugs being found inside the game. That's an absurd which don't admit different interpretations.

 

[The Albatross]

GTAV was particularly graphic. It's one of the first game where I truly felt like "I don't think I'd let my kid play this game..." The terrorism torture mission, the very first introduction of Trevor, it's just things that kids should not be playing. A meth-addicted woman getting used by an abusive drug dealer while her meth-head boyfriend gets kicked in the head by you, the player is like ... too much. There's even more in there that I don't think an 11 year old should handle. Not things like running down cartoon-depictions of people in a car or even shooting guns out the windows at virtual targets or blowing up FBI helicopters with rocket launchers. Adult concepts like rape, realistic depictions of drug addictions, fairly explicit depictions of hard drug use, an obviously innocent person being tortured by the player with no way to skip the mission in order to do something that you know is wrong. As an adult I get it, and I get that GTAV is almost a parody of itself. But it's something that I don't think a young child (someone under 13 or 14) should really be experiencing in "game" form.

I always had the perspective of... My parents let me play Doom, Mortal Kombat, Duke Nukem, etc., which were the offensive games du jour, things that Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and Parents Entertainment Council were harping day in and day out were horrible and turning kids into monsters, and I became an upstanding member of society. So, I've always thought, "eh, kids are always more mature than we think they are..." But... playing GTAV as a 30 year old, I thought to myself "this is too graphic." The things about running over cops or going to a strip club, I'm like, whatever, they're cartoonish depictions that are way over the top and they're the first things I tried to do in games like "Driver," as a 13 or 14 year old. But the mission content in the game is really, really mature.

That said, 11-year-old here is probably going to be playing GTA Online. I think the allure of GTA Online is much greater than the allure of the main story mode for most 11-year-olds. GTA Online, surprisingly, is a lot more tame than the main game. Sure, you're involved in drug hits and Lester is a creep, but there's nothing abhorrently anti-social about the game like the single player, which I think cross the line into "eh... this is pretty bad..." territory. I don't think I'd let me 11 year old play it. Maybe 14.

 

[frankie_baby]

There are so many people here on GAF that really haven't played GTA or other violent games when were younger? (Carmageddon, Duke Nukem...) When I was younger pretty much all my friends used to play it all.

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying parents should be cautious about what their kids are playing, watching and listening though. GTA V is, however, the worst of the franchise for kids. Not only because it's more graphical, but because Trevor.

Anyway... it doesn't justify, in any extent, drugs being found inside the game. That's an absurd which don't admit different interpretations.

There are many on GAF (like me) for who graphically violent games such as those you mention didnt even exist til they were already teenagers

 

[Z..]

That's not the point.
Watching porn doesn't make you a sex addict, but go ahead and make a pornhub account for your kids, sure.

Terrible analogy and you know

I'd like some elucidation on what the point is, though. I was 10 years old when the original GTA released and EVERYONE around me was playing it (everyone pirated everything around here those days). Same for GTA 2 at 12.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Well, Doom came out when I was about 16, so believe it when some of us say we didn't. I'd also suggest that GTA V does not compare to Doom in terms of realistically simulated violence.

We can all laugh off playing GTA as a child as funny because it's normal, but there are a lot of other "normal" behaviors in this world which people don't find funny. I don't think it's anymore sanctimonious to question a kid being allowed to play GTA than it is to question a lot of other things.

You have every right to question it. However, I don't think this says anything about how good of parents people are. There are parents that protect their kids from contents like this and they grow up and rebel in absolutely crazy ways once they finally get freedom. On the flipside, there are those that are allowed to play these games and grow up just fine. It's not a sign of how good or bad parents are.

There's a world of difference between the graphicness of those and modern games, plus i was 12 when MK launched in the arcades and 13 when doom released, might not seem much but theres like a lifetime of extra maturity in a year or 2 at that sort of age

But it's not just games, how many people were watching ultra violent movies when they were young? Terminator, Predator, Bloodsport, Robocop and so on? Kids throughout the years always want to watch and play what they aren't supposed to. I'm certain many of us did it. This isn't new.

 

[Ibuki]

DOOM: Arcade demon slaying.

GTA: killing innocent people and police officers. Constant perversion and sexual deviance. Nudity, prostitution, drugs, theft, etc. All glorified in a visually/audibly realistic manor.

Yeah, not comparable for most. I don't even think most adults are wise enough to even process these things properly, let alone impressionable kids/teens with confused moral compasses.

But alas, that's not a "progressive" thing to say is it?

The person I quoted did say the 'first GTA', but either way I was joking.

 

[ASaiyan]

These preorder bundles are getting ridiculous.

Still not as bad as EA's brass knuckles debacle.

 

[Hermii]

Sure, but how many of us played GTA games at that age? I did. Or at least before 17.

Yea but when we played GTA it looked like this;

 

[ShyMel]

As someone who has traded in games and bought used games at GameStop, I have to wonder how no one noticed this before the case left the store. You would think the bag would slide to the bottom of the case, even if stuck between instruction booklet pages, over time.

 

[Modoru]

1) This is the sort of parent that buys shit randomly and then ends up complaining that video games ruin children's minds. 11, really?

2) how did a bag go unnoticed? Wouldn't it have shifted in movement? Anything? What the heck.

3) lol @ the poor DM who had to call about replacing the game.

 

[ToysAndMoreClub]

My kids know better than to ask me to buy GTA V.

Either way, there's two issues here:

1) Did the mom deliberately buy the game for her son knowing what was in it?

2) Did the Gamestop employee sell it to the mom knowing it would be for her 11 year old?

 

[chronic_archaic]

No clue what I would do if I found meth in my used GTA V - probably throw it out just on the grounds that selling hard drugs is disgusting. Weed, coke, psychedelics, pills... well, might need to assess the situation further.

 

[DPtheGod]

These preorder bundles are getting ridiculous.

lmao

Can someone make an advertisement graphic for this please?

PRE-ORDER GRAND THEFT AUTO V FROM GAMESTOP FOR EXCLUSIVE METH!

 

[Z..]

There's a world of difference between the graphicness of those and modern games, plus i was 12 when MK launched in the arcades and 13 when doom released, might not seem much but theres like a lifetime of extra maturity in a year or 2 at that sort of age

You were 7 years old when Leisure Suit Larry became a thing... are you gonna tell me kids weren't dying to get their hands on it at the time? It's quite simple, if you are a millennial (born 1980 or after), then violent adult themed videogames were a part of your childhood, if you yourself were not exposed to them you are but the exception to the rule. This may be somewhat different for US citizens since the NES was actually popular there but globally this is very much a thing and none of it had any consequences.

My kids know better than to ask me to buy GTA V.

Either way, there's two issues here:

1) Did the mom deliberately buy the game for her son knowing what was in it?

2) Did the Gamestop employee sell it to the mom knowing it would be for her 11 year old?

If the answer to #1 is yes then #2 is completely irrelevant.

 

[Zojirushi]

Rockstar is in the empire business.

 

[RionaaM]

Wtf is a mother buying GTAV for a 11 year old anyways?
I thought the meth was a pre-order bonus?

I played Vice City when I was 12. Sure, graphics didn't look as good, but it was still pretty violent. I don't think it's that bad, provided your parents give you a proper education and teach you that the things happening in the game are bad.

Well, it is a game for adults.. Why would anybody store drugs in videogame cases though?

I once... I mean, a friend once put a pair of LSD blotters inside the PS3 Sonic 2006 case. Partly for storage purposes and partly for laughs. Sadly those doses weren't very strong or good, so they actually fitted the game they were stored within.

 

[88random]

Lol, at the time my whole class was hooked on GTA 3 and Vice City when we were 11. We all grew up to be perfectly normal people.

 

[ToysAndMoreClub]

You were 7 years old when Leisure Suit Larry became a thing... are you gonna tell me kids weren't dying to get their hands on it at the time? It's quite simple, if you are a millennial (born 1980 or after), then violent adult themed videogames were a part of your childhood, if you yourself were not exposed to them you are but the exception to the rule. This may be somewhat different for US citizens since the NES was actually popular there but globally this is very much a thing and none of it had any consequences.



If the answer to #1 is yes then #2 is completely irrelevant.

True, so this shouldn't just end at 'There was meth on the game', and instead should expand to why is this parent getting this game for their kid and why is the store selling it to them.

 

[MCN]

True, so this shouldn't just end at 'There was meth on the game', and instead should expand to why is this parent getting this game for their kid and why is the store selling it to them.

Because not everybody listens to Jack Fucking Thompson and is capable of making their own decisions as to what their child can play without it being any fucker else's business?

 

[EricTheRed]

It's one thing to play GTA at 11 years old, it's another thing entirely to have your Mum buy you a copy to play.

 

[Piggus]

I played Vice City when I was 12. Sure, graphics didn't look as good, but it was still pretty violent. I don't think it's that bad, provided your parents give you a proper education and teach you that the things happening in the game are bad.

Again, the only similarities VC shares with GTAV is the violence, and even that is significantly more brutal in V.

Spoiler

Torture scene? Trevor stomping a dude to death and flicking a chunk of brain off his shoe?

Do you want to explain to a kid why a teddy bear has a hole in it and is covered in white stuff? Or what waterboarding is? There's nothing wrong with parents letting their kid play something like GTAV as long as they understand what's in it and are confident that their kids are mature enough. But you cannot compare GTAV to VC and use that as reasoning.

 

[PtM]

Because not everybody listens to Jack Fucking Thompson and is capable of making their own decisions as to what their child can play without it being any fucker else's business?

Whoa, chill. Maybe lay off the video games a bit?

 

[GurgleBot20]

You know, it's possible to both believe that:

1). Video games don't automatically make kids violet criminals

and

2). 11 year olds should not be playing GTAV

and not be a hypocrite or Jack Thompson.

 

[Via Purifico]

You know, it's possible to both believe that:

1). Video games don't automatically make kids violet criminals

and

2). 11 year olds should not be playing GTAV

and not be a hypocrite or Jack Thompson.

This is all that needs to be said really. Not sure why some of us are acting brand new.

 

[DAREALGUMMY]

As reported by Kotaku, a Florida

Yup.

 

[ToysAndMoreClub]

Because not everybody listens to Jack Fucking Thompson and is capable of making their own decisions as to what their child can play without it being any fucker else's business?

I'm sorry. I don't want my kids to be like those obnoxious 10 year olds playing Call of Duty and cursing every five seconds, killing the enjoyment that others more mature or that adults are having.

 

[Yukinari]

Lol, at the time my whole class was hooked on GTA 3 and Vice City when we were 11. We all grew up to be perfectly normal people.

My friends in middle school showed me games like Alien Hominid and Conker Live and Reloaded. Its more common than people realize.

 

[Budi]

Wow so many freaking out that this kid got GTA. We have a gaffer who lets his 4-6 year old daughter play/watch Bloodborne.

 

[BebopMcJigglypuff]

This is all that needs to be said really. Not sure why some of us are acting brand new.

It's also possible to believe exposing an 11 year old to GTAV is not really that bad, and is a far cry from automatically making one a "bad parent". No one can show me any data proving that an 11 year old being exposed to GTAV is unequivocally bad. It's extraordinarily condescending to imply the problem is that the article thinks the meth is the story instead of what a horrible mother she must be being the story.

 

[JigglesBunny]

Fox News could have a field day with this.

 

[RecRoulette]

Sure, but how many of us played GTA games at that age? I did. Or at least before 17.

My folks would buy and let me play almost anything as a kid, except GTA. That was their one big exception lol

 

[MCN]

I'm sorry. I don't want my kids to be like those obnoxious 10 year olds playing Call of Duty and cursing every five seconds, killing the enjoyment that others more mature or that adults are having.

Then teach them to be better people instead.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

I miss this gif, reminds me of a time before Trump.

 

[biggersmaller]

I had a copy of Doom and MK at 11. Had watched R rated movies by then.

*shrugs*

 

[ZAMtendo]

Every copy of GTA V should come with a porn booklet so that parents know what they're buying for their kids.

 

[MrCunningham]

I guess Rockstar is doing a cross promotion with meth factories now? Maybe that's how they get people hooked to GTAV Online?

Bad jokes aside...

As reported by Kotaku, a Florida

Yup.

...used copy

There ya go.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Wtf is a mother buying GTAV for a 11 year old anyways?
I thought the meth was a pre-order bonus?

11 year olds are the target audience for GTA

 

[frankie_baby]

You were 7 years old when Leisure Suit Larry became a thing... are you gonna tell me kids weren't dying to get their hands on it at the time? It's quite simple, if you are a millennial (born 1980 or after), then violent adult themed videogames were a part of your childhood, if you yourself were not exposed to them you are but the exception to the rule. This may be somewhat different for US citizens since the NES was actually popular there but globally this is very much a thing and none of it had any consequences.

I vaguely remember hearing about larry but dont remember it being a big thing, i was born in 80 violent games of my childhood (under 13) were nothing when compared to those of today

 

[ultrazilla]

 

[Via Purifico]

It's also possible to believe exposing an 11 year old to GTAV is not really that bad, and is a far cry from automatically making one a "bad parent". No one can show me any data proving that an 11 year old being exposed to GTAV is unequivocally bad. It's extraordinarily condescending to imply the problem is that the article thinks the meth is the story instead of what a horrible mother she must be being the story.

I think it varies from child to child imo how much that type of media they can handle. I think instantly saying omg getting him GTA makes her a bad mother is presumptuous as she knows her child and we don't.

 

[SwipeLeftHoney]

Wow so many freaking out that this kid got GTA. We have a gaffer who lets his 4-6 year old daughter play/watch Bloodborne.

Ya but Bloodborne isn't teaching your kid drug lingo and selling drugs or human trafficking. Heck earning money to go hang out at strip clubs and groping girls without getting caught as well. comparing the two games is stupid

 

[Woetyler]

These preorder bundles are getting ridiculous.

 

[SwipeLeftHoney]

I think it varies from child to child imo how much that type of media they can handle. I think instantly saying omg getting him GTA makes her a bad mother is presumptuous as she knows her child and we don't.

it makes her an irresponsible mother. most parents look at it as just a game and have no clue what it entails.

 

[Nabbis]

Meth aside.

What kind of a mother buys a game like GTA V for an 11 year old ?

Best mother ever?

Ya but Bloodborne isn't teaching your kid drug lingo and selling drugs or human trafficking. Heck earning money to go hang out at strip clubs and groping girls without getting caught as well. comparing the two games is stupid

If only people didn't play those games, this would certainly not happen.

 

[NastyBook]

These preorder bundles are getting ridiculous.

lmao

 

[rocketskates]

1) This is the sort of parent that buys shit randomly and then ends up complaining that video games ruin children's minds. 11, really?

2) how did a bag go unnoticed? Wouldn't it have shifted in movement? Anything? What the heck.

3) lol @ the poor DM who had to call about replacing the game.

My kids know better than to ask me to buy GTA V.

Either way, there's two issues here:

1) Did the mom deliberately buy the game for her son knowing what was in it?

2) Did the Gamestop employee sell it to the mom knowing it would be for her 11 year old?

Yeah something seems fishy. And the mom's crazed outburst seems to be attention seeking.

 

[Itaremustbedangeres]

To all you defending the 11 year old kid playing GTA, wtf?

I'm sure you all played it at that age but I doubt your mom specifically went out and bought that for you.

This reminds me of that one time a friend's mom went with him, me and 4 other friends to saturn (germany) to buy six copies of CoD2 (we were ~ 15 years old around that time and the game was rated 18 and above iirc) and the cashier looked at her and after that at the six teenagers standing behind her and went like "... aight"

Totally irresponsible on her part but papa bless her cause otherwise I would've probably never been able to enjoy the best call of duty <3