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Is Black Ops 3 appropriate for a 12 year old?

I played through metal gear solid when I was 10 and now I'm a metal gear fan, so I highly recommend against it. Don't let that child become a monster like me.
 
Just get him Rocket Leagues.

DId the same with a 12 year old cousin and he's happy with it.

But please disable voice chat.
 
For a 12 year old, I'm not ok with an NPC civilian cowering in the corner begging not to be killed and then shooting them in cold blood square in the face.
I am ok with the unrealistic jumping off a 12 story building to land elegantly and execute someone.
Realistic violence V comic book violence. You don't understand the difference. It's ok.

So jumping off a building in AC is "comic book", yet leaping around using jetpacks and having robotic limbs in COD is not? You may shoot people in the face in BO3 (I have not played it), but let's not pretend that Assassin's Creed is not heavily violent as well, with stabbing people in the head and slicing their necks all over the place - as you can see here. I don't see why killing in first person would be seen as 'realistic' but you consider the prevalent third-person murder in AC to be 'comic book'.
 
Practically a teen, so I would be inclined to say yes.

It's a game. Primarily it's entertainment and I don't see what negative impact there would be in playing it.
 
Didn't know it had a content filter but I imagine its still filled with f-bombs at every possible opportunity.

If I had a 12 year old I'd definitely not let him come near it.
 
I also think it would be interesting if those saying it's fine disclose whether they have kids. I have a five year old and a two year old, and I don't think COD is appropriate for a twelve year old.

But then, maybe I'm a hypocrite because I let my daughter play Dragon Quest Heroes: TWTWATBB, which I was surprised to just learn has a PEGI 12 rating.

I've got kids and my 7 yr old son already plays COD.
 
I played through metal gear solid when I was 10 and now I'm a metal gear fan, so I highly recommend against it. Don't let that child become a monster like me.
MGS is one of the best games ever, never tries to be realistic and never hides the fact that it's a game.
 
I tend to stick with the ratings as a guide. ESRB content descriptors are also helpful when advising parents.

I just went through this process at retail with a dad and his two sons. After reading the rating and the content descriptors aloud to the dad, he asked his sons why they chose such a game before declining to buy it for them.

Results do vary, though. Some parents buy the games anyway, just to placate their kids. Others honestly don't give a flying fuck about the ratings.

I know that, if I had kids, they wouldn't be playing BlOps 3 as there's significant violence (and even dismemberment) early on in the campaign. The game isn't meant for kids.
 
There's no way the majority of NeoGAF posters didn't play GTA or Mortal Kombat before it was appropriate to.

I wish I could go back in time and make all the "no"'s have to play Spongebob games at 12.
 
Although he mostly just plays zombies and online I do let my 10 year old play it. When I was his age I was watching R rated movies so I dont think this is much different.
 
It will definitely have questionable content, but there is no such thing as one size fits all parenting. She has to decide if she thinks her son is capable of handling that material herself. The best thing for her to do would be to watch some footage on youtube.
 
I was playing Duke Nukem 3d, Warcraft and Doom at like 7 and I turned out fine. Some of you guys are just too meh. I'm also a pacifist.

this

TQTgeDL.jpg

vs this.


We have come a long way when we are talking about graphics.. the games today go for a more photorealistic scheme.

The way that games have evolved really makes a difference.
 
I am legit surprised by the vast majority in this thread encouraging the 12 year old should not play it.

Did not expect that. Way to go gaf.
 
has the said child, presented their parents with the appropriate PowerPoint presentation giving the pros and cons of such a purchase? 😉
 
has the said child, presented their parents with the appropriate PowerPoint presentation giving the pros and cons of such a purchase? 😉

As funny as this is there is an interesting thought behind it.

By allowing him to play the game he gets the temporary satisfaction and enjoyment from it. However, your risking introducing him to extremely violent content and strong language on a daily basis.

By not allowing him to play it, he is bummed and frustrated with the decision but will soon forget all about it. And you have thus, in a perhaps small way, protected your child from strong violence and bad language.

What parent would not want to do that?
 
this




vs this.




We have come a long way when we are talking about graphics.. the games today go for a more photorealistic scheme.

The way that games have evolved really makes a difference.

I don't think so at all. No matter the graphics you're still seeing demons from Hell, killing strippers, ripping off alien heads, etc. I'm more concerned with 12 year olds being exposed to sex than violence. I'd rather let my daughter at 12 play whatever violent game she wants than to read shit like 50 shades of gray and twilight which is what you see middle schoolers carrying around. As long as the kid doesn't have rage issues or depression I don't see any problems.
 
Honestly it all depends on the parents. I played Turok dinosaur hunter at the age of 7-8, I find that game much worst than COD.

If I had a child, I would not have a problem. Then again I was raised with older siblings that were 10 and 8 years older. So i was introduced to "older" things at a very young age.
 
I'll side with the consensus and advise her accordingly.

Would she let her kid watch Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Would she then be okay with him playing it?

I have a young niece and nephew, but am not a parent myself, so take that for what it is.

If I had a 12 year old kid I'd probably be okay with it, for limited periods of time. They wouldn't be allowed in to online chat and it would be monitored time, and we'd discuss what they saw in game, but I'd allow it.

The save your child from "bad language" is pretty funny. There are no genuinely hateful things said in Call of Duty games (although I haven't beaten this campaign). If you think you are protecting your child from F bombs well I guess that's up to you but kids are going to hear these words and personally I'm not worried about anything as long as they stay out of voice chat in MP.
 
As funny as this is there is an interesting thought behind it.

By allowing him to play the game he gets the temporary satisfaction and enjoyment from it. However, your risking introducing him to extremely violent content and strong language on a daily basis.

By not allowing him to play it, he is bummed and frustrated with the decision but will soon forget all about it. And you have thus, in a perhaps small way, protected your child from strong violence and bad language.

What parent would not want to do that?

A parent who thinks their child can handle it?
 
Then again, I was playing Resident Evil 4 with just a few more years to my name so maybe this shit doesn't matter at all.
 
This is on PEGI's website

Do games have an influence on children?
The research on the impact of videogames has been focused primarily on violence. Numerous studies have been published, but until today there is no evidence that playing violent video games causes any long-term or lasting increase in aggressiveness or violence among players.

Just saying. If you truly believe this to be inaccurate, then you should discredit the age ratings they also provide per game.
 
Also, I may be wrong. But the fact she asks you probably means she knows its a first person military shooter.

I don't think Battle Ops 3 has anything beyond what similar games has, does it?

As people said. If she is ok about the kid watching people getting shot and cursing in movies, there may be no difference in CoD.

However she needs to keep an eye on the kid, specially playing online. 12 years should, in my honest opinion, be under parents supervision whichever online game he plays.
 
Technically it's not appropriate but the kid is 12 and has been on the internet for at least 6-7 years now. I'm sure he's seen things way worse then anything CoD can throw at him.

Just tell your friend that there's a fair amount of blood and gore and let her make the decision.
 
It's not a novel concept.

There are parents who don't feel the need to "protect" their 12 year old children from 'strong violence' and 'bad language'.

Yeh, some people are just way overprotective, which in itself could have some long-term repercussions
 
I don't think so at all. No matter the graphics you're still seeing demons from Hell, killing strippers, ripping off alien heads, etc. I'm more concerned with 12 year olds being exposed to sex than violence. I'd rather let my daughter at 12 play whatever violent game she wants than to read shit like 50 shades of gray and twilight which is what you see middle schoolers carrying around. As long as the kid doesn't have rage issues or depression I don't see any problems.

ehhhh

you should try to check your hormone level. Look like we have a macho here.

you would rather have your daughter watch mindless violence than watch a fantasy movie with werewolves (ot whatever those movies/books are about) or read a book with some sex scenes.... ..

see let me teach you something... one of those things.. Sex or violence .. will be part of her life later on (hopefully). And you should try to make sure that it isn't violence instead of trying to keep her from watching or reading stuff with sexual undertones or content.
(with sound guidance from the parents)..

Btw. I'm a 40 year old man. I have 3 daughters aged 5,10 and 11. I might mess up my kids life somehow, but for now, I make sure that they have a great life and are guided well untill they can make decisions for themselves.
 
Minor spoilers for first mission
robots tear your arms from your body in first person as you scream in pain

It's literally like a horror movie. I thought it was terrifying and awesome but not for most 12 year olds.
 
I dunno. Responsible parenting suggests nope. But I was rolling with a steady diet of Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Dario Argento at 12, so what do I know?
 
Most 12 year olds today are exposed to a lot of mature content. So I'd say COD won't be to big of an issue for the kid.

Chicken, meet egg.

Seriously though while I don't see an issue so much with the content, its probably no worse than the average action movie these days (but correct me if wrong), if anything the online community around such games is so often absolutely poisonous if I had a kid that age I'd rather keep them away from that. Expose them to all the idiots shouting sexual and racial abuse and sadly they might learn a few bad traits that could take years to surface and be hard to change.
 
There's no way the majority of NeoGAF posters didn't play GTA or Mortal Kombat before it was appropriate to.

I wish I could go back in time and make all the "no"'s have to play Spongebob games at 12.

Dunno about anyone else here, but I was still playing Sonic at 12. Little Johnny waiting a couple more years to have his very own novelty ultraviolent game probably won't kill him.
 
The way that games have evolved really makes a difference.

Relative to the time, that was as photo-realistic as it got. If not that, then all the Evil Dead and other action/horror movies I watched since being in the single-digital age range.

I have 3 kids. I play Blops 3 with my 7-year old. It's fine. It's very crazy with sci-fi and robots, etc.

if anything the online community around such games is so often absolutely poisonous if I had a kid that age I'd rather keep them away from that. Expose them to all the idiots shouting sexual and racial abuse and sadly they might learn a few bad traits that could take years to surface and be hard to change.

This is what we do keep our kids away from though. No online play alone. He's dying for Xbox Gold, but it's not gonna happen.
 
Minor spoilers for first mission
robots tear your arms from your body in first person as you scream in pain

It's literally like a horror movie. I thought it was terrifying and awesome but not for most 12 year olds.

Yeh, some people are just way overprotective, which in itself could have some long-term repercussions

You think not letting your kid play a game like this is being overprotective?
 
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