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[The Albatross]

I think you did the right thing. When I played GTAV there was a lot in that game that I absolutely thought "this is not appropriate for a younger person." A teenager, sure, as long as they're mature enough, but the story scenes in this game are way too adult for a kid.

Heck, when they introduce one of the main characters, they do so by him butt fucking his strung out motorcycle buddy's girlfriend, while both of them are on pills, and then when his strung out buddy protests about it, the main character bashes his head in with his boot and kills him.

The obsession with violence, sex, and drugs in the story elements of GTAV is simply too adult for kids in my opinion. Teens, okay, but not kids. The game leaves nothing to the imagination. I used to be of the mind that "well, I played violent games like Mortal Kombat when I was 8 years old, and I turned out fine," but GTAV is much more adult than anything that has come out before it.

*edit*

Many young kids also don't know about the adult nature of GTA and they do play it just to steal cars, drive around a virtual city, and go off jumps, and shoot people with rocket launchers. The kid probably does not know about the very adult, nothing-to-the-imagination storyline of GTAV, he just sees his friends driving around, going off jumps, punching people, and thinks that's what it is. The simulated violence in GTA doesn't bother me that much... To me, shooting a guy with a rocket launcher or blowing up a bus with a grenade launcher is cartoon videogame violence. YEs, the first person "shot gun to the face" stuff is graphic, but not as graphic as it's portrayed in games from a decade ago (like, say, Soldier of Fortune or heck even GTA:SA whee you could shoot a cop's head off and watch blood spurt into the sky), but the context that GTAV wraps around these scenarios introduces a lot more adult themes into the games than past GTAs.

 

[Arkhanor]

You are a horrible person.

Spoiler

Kidding. You did the right thing.

 

[groshkar]

I would have probably busted out my mobile device and showed the mom esrb.org and pegi.info, browsed to the game, and showed her the information on the Rating Summary from esrb.org.

Hey look you can get all the information you need, right at your fingertips, at the store.

" In this open-world action game, players assume the role of three criminals whose storylines intersect within the fictional city of Los Santos. Players can switch between each character to follow his storyline, completing missions which often include criminal activities (e.g., stealing cars, executing heists, assassinating targets). Players use pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, and explosives to kill various enemies (e.g., rival gang members); players also have the ability to shoot non-adversary civilians, though this may negatively affect players' progress as a penalty system triggers a broad police search. Blood-splatter effects occur frequently, and the game contains rare depictions of dismemberment. ..."

The kid will have cursed my name throughout the rest of his childhood.

 

[Kazuhira]

You only told her the truth and she made the decision about not buying the game for her kid.
It's not like you said 'don't buy the game! It's too violent' or something like that.
Don't feel bad about it.

 

[fedexpeon]

The kid lied. You did the right thing.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

What a hero.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Hi OP I'm that kid.
Fuck you.

lol YES!

 

[EBE]

So would you let an 8 year old kid watch porn too?

is there pornography in GTA V?
id let an 8 year old watch a violent movie.

 

[Hazmat]

I came in expecting the kid to be like 13 and have it be a tough call, but an 8 year old really shouldn't be playing GTA5. Good job, old man.

 

[Rockman Wright]

well, you told the truth to the mom, that's the most important, that's her call what to do next! I played GTA when i was 8, but it was the first one, and at the time i didn't spoke english at all, so i was just running driving and shooting people!

but GTA V is far more realistic... So i should say it depends of the kid and the parents... Some kids know it's not reality and parents know how video games works... but yeah 8 year old is really too young for GTA (if it was resident evil for exemple i wouldn't see the problem)

but here the kid lied to his mother about just driving, that will teach him a lesson! You did the right thing

 

[Clawww]

you only informed her of the content of the game. she made the decision.

precisely.

 

[Coolade]

Hmm, I was playing Doom and 007 on my N64 at the same age. Then again with technology and fidelity the way it is now maybe it's not same as when I was a kid playing rated M games. I don't believe it impacted me negatively but every child and his/her maturity is different.

 

[DavidDesu]

I would have let him get the game. It's not like he won't see violence anyway on TV.

Hmmm, so if a parent came up to you in a DVD section with a copy of Saw or Drive or any other violent 18 rated film and asked for your opinion would you be the same? I still think everyone, gamers included have some warped way of justifying games of any rating given to anyone of any age. It's bizarre.


Edit: for the guy above mentioning Doom, that was pixellated cartoon violence. When Trevor gets introduced in GTAV he's a psycho who stomps on someone's head until they die, for little to no reason. Then we take control of him and play a lot of the rest of the game as that character. Kids, especially an 8 year old should not be seeing that. No wonder we have hyper violent thuggish 13 year olds shouting faggot at us in online games...

 

[Gek54]

Nothing in GTAV that every one of my eight year old friends were not watching on HBO/Cinemax back in the day and we all turned out better than most. It was usually the highly sheltered weirdos that turned into mal adjusted sociopaths. Those are the kids I am scared of.

 

[Unbound By Death]

How to make a kid miserable.

 

[Shaanyboi]

You did exactly as you should've. The kid is 8 years old.

 

[Arby 'n' the Chief]

I would just told her the same thing but also added that most people play it mostly for multiplayer and have fun..

kid not getting the game isn't going stop him from playing it, it's obvious his friends have it too so he'll just play it with them or just watch it on youtube since most kids have smart phones these days.

and lol at all these "you did the right thing" post yeah sure like GTA is going to ruin his life like it did mine/s

 

[jacobeid]

Nothing in GTAV that every one of my eight year old friends were not watching on HBO/Cinemax back in the day and we all turned out better than most. It was usually the highly sheltered weirdos that turned into mal adjusted sociopaths. Those are the kids I am scared of.

I'm more worried about kids who get away with misleading or lying to their parent's faces. That to me is likely more damaging in the long run than the violence or language...if kids want it they'll find it.

 

[NCR Redslayer]

OP did no evil.

 

[Creaking]

You just didn't lie on the kid's behalf. No need to feel too conflicted.

 

[cartographer]

i'm surprised that the overwhelming consensus seems to lean towards the "good traditional parenting" side on this issue.

weren't we all ripping peoples' heads off in MK when we were 8 years old?

Spoiler

the almost-a-daddy in me is still conflicted though

He wasn't the one making the parenting decision here though. A parent looking for more information asked him a simple question and he answered honestly.

You did the right thing, OP. You didn't overstep any boundaries and you were honest. I likely would have responded in a similar manner. No shame in helping out a uninformed parent. Good on the mom for asking for help, too.

 

[paragonpro]

Good, it has nothing to do with appropriatness, but we dont need that parent going "this is why we should hate video games!!"

 

[WickedLaharl]

You were just an information box. If it were me, I would have let her know the games involve drug dealing, prostitutes, and killing cops. I think the games are garbage for all ages, personally.

At least there is no cannibalism in the game.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Poor kid. Hopefully the mother bought him some cigarettes, booze, and porn to make up for it.

 

[SeanTSC]

You did the right thing, but...

How the fuck does a parent miss the ESRB rating on the back of the box? It very clearly states:

Mature 17+
Intense Violence
Blood and Gore
Nudity
Mature Humor
Strong Language
Strong Sexual Content
Use of Drugs and Alcohol.

Why on earth would a mother ignore that and have to ask a stranger what it's about?

 

[Shining Sunshine]

The fuck? 8 year old?

Get him away from that shit.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

is there pornography in GTA V?
id let an 8 year old watch a violent movie.

Oh i take it you're from america and think titties are more dangerous for a kid than violence ok.

And yes there is some stuff in the game, like this:

http://abload.de/img/gta-sex-scenegkubq.jpg

Edit:

I don't even want to start this debate but fact is GTA is not a game for a young kid, be it for sex scenes or violence.

 

[Aske]

because as adults, we realize that we were often wrong about these things as kids, and that it should be the parent's call not ours or the kid's

...Do we? I learned bad words at school, I saw disturbing imagery in commercials for charities and to scare me away from smoking; and sex meant nothing to me until it meant everything, and I had to track down pornography which - while usually softcore - was more explicit than anything you'd see in a mainstream movie.

Hiding things from kids is as pointless as sex ed which does nothing but push abstinence. Good parenting is about ensuring kids understand the cultural contexts in which vulgarity, sex, and violence exist. And obviously taking them to a good psychiatrist if they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

 

[Griss]

12 year old kid? Maybe I help him out and keep my mouth shut.

8 year old kid? No business playing that game.

Some things that happen in GTAV:
-You (the player) chases a feminist caricature of a ballbusting lawyer into an air hanger where she's sucked into an engine and turned into mulch, pretty much played for laughs;
-Your player character (Trevor) rapes his male cousin and then later viscously murders the cousin and the cousins partner, against a feminist alpha-female type. Both these things happen 'off-screen' with you seeing the aftermath but still. This one not played for laughs;
-You (the player) has to torture a guy, and you pick out the implements he does it with. No detail is spared. Turns out the guy you were torturing knew nothing, but fuck it.

I could go on.

...Do we? I learned bad words at school, I saw disturbing imagery in commercials for charities and to scare me away from smoking; and sex meant nothing to me until it meant everything, and I had to track down pornography which - while usually softcore - was more explicit than anything you'd see in a mainstream movie.

Hiding things from kids is as pointless as sex ed which does nothing but push abstinence. Good parenting is about ensuring kids understand the cultural contexts in which vulgarity, sex, and violence exist. And obviously taking them to a good psychiatrist if they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Was this happening at 8 years old? Exposure to the extent of the examples I've given above? For most of us it wasn't. It's not until 12 years old and puberty that you start finding out about this stuff. I'm not talking about simple bad language here.

 

[Walpurgis]

I was that kid once. I tried to get San Andreas when I was 12 and the cashier ratted me out. Go to hell, OP.

 

[Malreyn]

i'm surprised that the overwhelming consensus seems to lean towards the "good traditional parenting" side on this issue.

weren't we all ripping peoples' heads off in MK when we were 8 years old?

Spoiler

the almost-a-daddy in me is still conflicted though

But its not parenting per se, its more "Should the OP tell a lie so the kid can get what he wanted, or be upfront with the 'parent' and confirm her suspicions about the game."

 

[Golgo 13]

Man, you did the right thing, there's no question about it. If I was an uninformed parent, I'd appreciate someone giving me the lowdown on the media I'm about to expose my (8 year old!) child to. Grand Theft Auto 5 is a brilliant piece of entertainment, but it's not something that should be consumed by an 8-year old mind. Period.

 

[cyba89]

i'm surprised that the overwhelming consensus seems to lean towards the "good traditional parenting" side on this issue.

weren't we all ripping peoples' heads off in MK when we were 8 years old?

No, not really.

And would you say this

is the same as this?

 

[Doctor Decimate]

and lol at all these "you did the right thing" post yeah sure like GTA is going to ruin his life like it did mine/s

Except he did do the right thing. Even if you would let an 8 year old play GTAV, what place do you have to undermine a parent's authority by lying to them about the content of a video game?

 

[jacobeid]

You did the right thing, but...

How the fuck does a parent miss the ESRB rating on the back of the box? It very clearly states:

Mature 17+
Intense Violence
Blood and Gore
Nudity
Mature Humor
Strong Language
Strong Sexual Content
Use of Drugs and Alcohol.

Why on earth would a mother ignore that and have to ask a stranger what it's about?

I have a feeling that a person who doesn't already know the type of content that GTA contains probably doesn't know that video game boxes go into detail about what prompted the ESRB (or PAL, etc. etc.) rating. She probably just felt more comfortable asking a peer.

 

[nekkid]

Would have told her I didn't care, it ain't my kid.

Edit: Unless you're an employee at a game store or something. Then yeah, I would have told her what it was. Don't the games have advisory warnings for that stuff on the back anyway?

Nice and helpful response, there. Do you tell strangers it's not your problem when they ask directions, too?

First post is right IMO, but I would probably have given an indication of the content without making the decision for her.

 

[The Albatross]

is there pornography in GTA V?

Pretty much. The opening scene for Trevor features a crackhead having him perform anal sex on her so that she can score drugs from him, only for him to go and curb-stomp her boyfriend as she drug addict cries over his dead body.

It's a graphic sexual scene.

Also, you can hire a prostitute to give you a very noisy blowjob, with a sound effects that are straight out of the most lurid porn movie. I'm a grown ass man who's watched plenty of porn, but I finally went ahead and did that in the game and thought to myself "Jesus chris this is graphic..."

Another mission has you sneak into the back of a mansion and take photos of a celebrity also having anal sex with her boyfriend.

 

[Gbraga]

This actually reminds me: My little brother came to visit me, I think it was last year (was GTA V Remastered out last year? I have no idea), and browsing my PS4 library he saw I had GTA V, and he asked me to play it. He was 7, so I wasn't sure if he should play it, he's a pretty understanding kid, so I didn't have to just say no, I said I wasn't sure if he should play it at that age, and he said he played the game at his friend's house, so I decided to let him play it, if things got out of hand, I could easily convince him to play something else by asking him to play Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed with me, and, to my surprise, all he did was drive around, respecting red lights and shit, and I was amazed at this.

I still find it hard to believe the kid wasn't just misleading his mom, but I do have anecdotal evidence that there are kids who actually do just enjoy driving around in the game, for whatever reason, it was the most boring thing ever to watch, but he was having the time of his life. I guess the fact that you can screw up is part of the tension for him? If it was just a racing game it wouldn't be the same, because there is no threat of fucking up and killing someone? I have no idea.

He still doesn't really care that much about the game though, I don't think he would ever ask his dad to buy it over something else. He really loves Strider 2014, Duck Tales, Castle of Illusion, Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed, FIFA and Minecraft, he may have played GTA 3 or 4 times and doesn't care about it anymore. I wonder if it would be ok to introduce him to Dark Souls.

 

[Camjo-Z]

Lol, opened the topic expecting one of those fedora stories where the "enlightened" gamer stops a kid from buying a game they don't like.

I see no problems here OP. It all depends on the kid's maturity level of course, but in general 8 is too young for that kind of stuff.

 

[HardRojo]

I think I read someone post here once a similar story. Though I don't remember if it was GTA or CoD.

 

[Snkfanatic]

I would just told her the same thing but also added that most people play it mostly for multiplayer and have fun..

kid not getting the game isn't going stop him from playing it, it's obvious his friends have it too so he'll just play it with them or just watch it on youtube since most kids have smart phones these days.

and lol at all these "you did the right thing" post yeah sure like GTA is going to ruin his life like it did mine/s

and lol at anyone who thinks a 8 year should be playing GTA, especially with stuff like the torture scene in it.

 

[Ceadeus]

He will grow mad and be a worst human than he could have been.

 

[Vecks]

i'm surprised that the overwhelming consensus seems to lean towards the "good traditional parenting" side on this issue.

weren't we all ripping peoples' heads off in MK when we were 8 years old?

Spoiler

the almost-a-daddy in me is still conflicted though

I still think MK and really any of the violent games of the 80s and 90s pale in comparison to modern violent games.

 

[Septic360]

You beat yourself tho.

Ffs. Stupid phone!

 

[EBE]

Oh i take it you're from america and think titties are more dangerous for a kid than violence ok.

And yes there is some stuff in the game, like this:

http://abload.de/img/gta-sex-scenegkubq.jpg

I am American but I don't know why youd think that. The preoccupation with breasts and sexual activity in media over here is absurd.

That picture is a bit ridiculous but I imagine the scene is done in jest and not for any sort of real titillation (although I am aware that you can visit stripclubs in-game for that exact reason).

I would still allow the child to play it. But then I would be more involved in said play with my children, as I would be involved in the viewing of any violent movie.

 

[WadiumArcadium]

I agree with you to be honest. Eight is far too young for GTA.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Why don't stores separate the games into rating sections like movie rental places did? Put mature games in the mature section to reinforce to the parent that this game isn't for 8 year olds.

 

[Theanine3D]

You did the right thing.

It's easy for us to say "Well, I played games just as bad at that age, and I turned out fine," but we shouldn't assume everyone has that same outcome. Not everyone ends up being well-adjusted later in life.

That kid may hate you now, but one day he's going to have to make the same decision for his own kids, and if he's a good parent, he's going to do the exact same thing.

Either way, as an employee it was your responsibility to inform the buyer about their purchase anyway, so setting aside any moral arguments, you were just doing your job. She asked you about the game, and you responded with the truth.

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

You gave her facts about the actual game and she made the decision on those facts you gave her. You did the best thing possible. and hopefully now she will keep track of the type of games her kid plays.

 

[Unbound By Death]

...Do we? I learned bad words at school, I saw disturbing imagery in commercials for charities and to scare me away from smoking; and sex meant nothing to me until it meant everything, and I had to track down pornography which - while usually softcore - was more explicit than anything you'd see in a mainstream movie.

Hiding things from kids is as pointless as sex ed which does nothing but push abstinence. Good parenting is about ensuring kids understand the cultural contexts in which vulgarity, sex, and violence exist. And obviously taking them to a good psychiatrist if they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Pretty much.