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[Nerokis]

I was playing Doom II when I was 11.

The only real complaint I'd have is that the kid will undoubtedly be shitting up online play by screaming into the mic.

Well, not necessarily. I imagine that if any significant percentage of kids did things like scream into the mic during online play, it would be far more unbearable than it is now. Chances are he's going to be perfectly harmless, and that often times it'll be a late teenager or adult being the obnoxious one in a room.

Come on. We were all kids once. If, say, Doom II had the same online capabilities, would you have been the kid annoying everyone back in the day? I think the default assumption that an additional kid playing = more annoyance reflects that we're getting old more than anything else.

 

[EBE]

thats a rad cake. replace all the COD stuff with Halo plasma grenades and warthog and no one would make a fuss about it.

now i want that cake.

 

[Firecrest]

I'm kind of partial to the whole thing.

I mean, on one hand, guns and glorifying violence are bad... mmm'kay?

On the other, myself and many others grew up playing with realistic cap guns and toy soldiers while becoming immersed in games like Mortal Kombat and Eternal Champions. As far as I'm aware, these have never resulted in me killing anyone in real life, showing violent tendencies toward anyone, or any trauma whatsoever.

Why? Simply because I was taught the difference between right and wrong. Clearly, this isn't an isolated instance either because I've heard the same many times over.

 

[Paranerd]

Obligatory:

Funny. A friend made me this for my last birthday...

You know, it's easy to judge this kid's parents, but I played my fair share of violent games in elementary. I was more grossed out that Kitana would kiss you than how she would make you explode. Good times

 

[G-Fex]

man I want a Doom II cake for my birthday

 

[plasmawave]

What's the big deal?
Don't tell me you guys didn't play violent games when you were that young.

Maybe that cake is a little ridiculous tho...

 

[Prophezz]

Obligatory:

lawl so much truth.

 

[G-Fex]

Alright alright hold on. Cause I'm not defending CoD necessarily, I'm just saying kids or whoever can like whatever they want.

No matter how much any of you don't agree with it.

Disregard my pokemon comment cause I guess that isn't going to work.

 

[RaikuHebi]

So can we criticize 20/30 year olds getting pokemon cakes or buying the games or would that hit a little too close to home?

At least those games are good and have a heart and soul.

 

[IcyBlueStrawberry]

I got GTA III for Xmas when I was 11 years old, Goldeneye when I was 7, and I played Mortal Kombat for the first time when I was 5 or 6. I understand the urge to criticize his parents' decision given the large 18 on the box, but it really not that big of a deal. COD is mild compared to the DOOMs and MKs of yesteryear, and the people who played those as children are fine.

And, honestly, I'm 24 years old and I would have killed for that cake on my birthday.

 

[G-Fex]

I got GTA III for Xmas when I was 11 years old, Goldeneye when I was 7, and I played Mortal Kombat for the first time when I was 5 or 6. I understand the urge to criticize his parents' decision given the large 18 on the box, but it really not that big of a deal. COD is mild compared to the DOOMs and MKs of yesteryear, and the people who played those as children are fine.

Honestly, I'm 24 and I would have killed for that cake on my birthday.

CoD is Extremely mild compared to the gore back then, CoD doesn't even have gore, I think the criticizing comes from the fact that people think CoD steers a little close to the realistic line. Maybe it does in story and maybe accuracy of military operation and terrorism and all that. But simulator I don't really think so no.

 

[fernoca]

Cake looks awesome, love the little details.

At 10 I was playing Mortal Kombat back then which caused more uproar because of its "photorealistic violence". Heck it was one of the reasons the ESRB was created.

But my parents were always there for and with me. Don't know the parents of this kid, but one can hope that they spend time and play with their kid and this cake is more of a celebration of that.

 

[SpookyFries]

Seems to be a pretty accurate portrait of the Call of Duty fanbase

 

[echoshifting]

I know a woman in Texas who makes custom cakes...every time she puts up a pic of a "game cake" it makes me smile. She always researches carefully...she knows nothing about games but intentionally made the Minecraft cake "blurry" to match the game.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

The cake is tacky as hell but its not inherently bad parenting to let a kid play something like CoD. As has been mentioned over and over, plenty of us played stuff like MK and Doom around that age. And if your biggest gripe is the online shit talking, that can be muted (not like anyone talks on ps3 anyway) fairly easily. And hanging around arcades as a kid a LOT during the height of the MK/SF era, there was plenty of shit talking kids and teens playing each other, calling each other "faggots" and generally just being douches. That shit wasn't created by call of duty or xbox live. Twitter and Facebook should tell you guys that assholes don't need anonymity to be assholes.

The concern over parenting and a child's well being in this thread strikes me as projecting because the game in question is not all that popular among enthusiasts like us. If it was a Dark Souls or DayZ cake or some other M rated game that has a little more cred with diehards I think the reactions would be far different. You guys sound like Tipper Gore.

 

[Dart]

Cake looks awesome, love the little details.

At 10 I was playing Mortal Kombat back then which caused more uproar because of its "photorealistic violence". Heck it was one if the reasons the ESRB was created.

But my parents were always there for and with me. Don't know the parents of this kid, but one can hope that they spend time and play with their kid and this cake is more if a celebration of that.

Same here, looking back those where some of my most fond childhood memories.

My younger brother who's around 8 loves playing Little Big Planet, PlayStation All stars & too my surprise recently completed inFamous 2. He has his little friends over almost every weekend, however two of them always insist on bringing their own games. COD or some other shooter usually. They call my brother a pussy or a little bitch for playing baby games. It so frustrating hearing that type of language from people let alone children.

That said I really do believe that parental involvement plays a role in a child's perception of violent video games.

 

[TransTrender]

 

[Arozay]

Playing an fps on a console, what a little shit.

 

[Saintguine]

Kid likes games targeted at his age bracket, what's wrong?

Back then it was Mortal Kombat and Doom.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

I got GTA III for Xmas when I was 11 years old, Goldeneye when I was 7, and I played Mortal Kombat for the first time when I was 5 or 6. I understand the urge to criticize his parents' decision given the large 18 on the box, but it really not that big of a deal. COD is mild compared to the DOOMs and MKs of yesteryear, and the people who played those as children are fine.

And, honestly, I'm 24 years old and I would have killed for that cake on my birthday.

Are you sure?? See what it's done to you!

 

[TUROK]

The kid is 10.

So? As a kid, I had Terminator and Robocop toys. I played Doom and Turok. I watched Schwarzenegger and Stallone movies.

Kids always like things beyond their age range.

 

[Riposte]

I don't look down on people playing Pokemon at any age (I'd play it myself if it I liked it more), but people posting that Pokemon/CoD audience picture are either fooling themselves or perhaps just making a comment on who they hang out with.

At least those games are good and have a heart and soul.

O.K.

 

[Snakeyes]

It's pretty sad that kids are growing up with CoD these days instead of say, Persona 4. Narukami is a much more educational character than Lt. Brad McJohns.

 

[RELAYER]

Playing MK2 as a 9 year old made me a sexual deviant.

I'm into muscled shirtless dudes exploding. Only way I can get off now.

 

[aly]

It's pretty sad that kids are growing up with CoD these days instead of say, Persona 4. Narukami is a much more educational character than Lt. Brad McJohns.

Meh. Different things appeal to different people though. Persona would be a hard sell to most people.

I'm surprised bu the reactions here though. We don't know this kid or his family and it's not unusual to get cakes that represent a kids interest. I'm impressed actually and it looks neat. When I was 10, my princess cake was lumpy .

 

[reebok]

It's pretty sad that kids are growing up with CoD these days instead of say, Persona 4. Narukami is a much more educational character than Lt. Brad McJohns.

What an absurd statement.
What is so valuable about Persona 4 that it's "sad" that kids play Call of Duty instead? It's a fucking dungeon-crawler dating sim. You stare at a screen for 60 hours pressing the "x" button and pretend that an anime girl likes you.

If you want go in that direction, just keep it real and say something like "It's sad kids these days are growing up with Persona 4 instead of say, books."

 

[davepoobond]

i dont know what looks more scrumptious, the controller or the gun

 

[Hoo-doo]

How does this make anyone sad?

Dude loves Calladoody so his parents got him a themed cake. Awesome parents.
And please, let's not act like we were all playing bible adventures when we were 10 years old.

 

[Huggers]

I remember a 12 year old me getting Mortal Kombat on 'Mortal Monday', (yeah they called it that). It never did me any harm but then again, we were well balanced kids. Perhaps more impressionable children could be damaged by such games?

 

[soulassssns]

Ummmm ok? Its a cake.

 

[Conor_Fool]

Most of you played MK at 10, heck I played it at 7 or so. I do not see a problem with this at all.

I too played MK at a young age, starting as early as 4 years old, but that was on Sega Genesis. While I won't take a stance either way, I believe the argument has to do with how games have evolved over the years. Throwing someone into a pit of acid or even decapitating someone in 16-bit graphics just seems a lot different than mowing down a group of innocent people in a "realistic" game about modern warfare (as you can tell, I'm not too up to date with CoD).

As far as I'm concerned, the worst part about youth playing Call of Duty is the annoying pieces of shit with microphones.

 

[sono]

Its the endorsed by the parents message that is wrong here.

Can't really say anything, I was playing MK and Doom when I was that young.

Did your parents know and approve of that ?

 

[DracoBlade]

I was playing God of War and Leisure Suit Larry at 11...

I came out decent.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Its the endorsed by the parents message that is wrong here.



Did your parents know and approve of that ?

My father bought me Mortal Kombat when I was well under 10. The only thing he didn't endorse was me playing on his big screen (the idiot at the store had told him it would destroy the picture).

We all played these kinds of things and I'd do it again. It's akin to my father explaining to me what guns are and how they work when I was young and the proper way to handle them (or in the case of being very young) to not handle them. Raise your kids correctly and they won't be murdering because of a game. But then again, they always say it was the rap music, so maybe it is the inanimate object at fault, huh? I'm amazed how many game players sound like Joseph Lieberman.

 

[patapuf]

Not literally, but it introduces some pretty harsh concepts for someone that young.



Competition is fine, aggression is fine. Context and content are important.

It's easy to provide context if you are a parent. Kids are perfectly able to understand that war is horrible and still like MP shooters.

 

[fernoca]

Its the endorsed by the parents message that is wrong here.



Did your parents know and approve of that ?

We don't know the parents or the kid, so it's hard to tell. My parents knew and watched me play MK, Doom, and horror movies back then and while they weren't big fans of the genres (my mom always found zombie movies pretty boring, so she was more shocked at me enjoying it because of that than because of the gore ); they still were right there. And even got me related-gifts and other things while growing up.

But as has been noted around, without knowing much of the family or the child is hard to point fingers or accuse the parents as careless or not been good. The OP didn't posted any details..and haven't posted at all since. All we can see is an awesome cake and a mother that knows her 10 years old likes Call of Duty Ghosts too much.

 

[Card Boy]

Obligatory:

Heres the other one.

 

[maquiladora]

stay frosting

 

[TransTrender]

So? As a kid, I had Terminator and Robocop toys. I played Doom and Turok. I watched Schwarzenegger and Stallone movies.

Kids always like things beyond their age range.

Pretty sure I saw Robotop on HBO or VHS at age 8. It was really close after the theatrical run ended. Maybe laser disc as well.

 

[Huggers]

I too played Just seems a lot different than mowing down a group of innocent people in a "realistic" game about modern warfare (as you can tell, I'm not too up to date with CoD).

No no. That's pretty accurate

 

[Vintage]

Don't know which makes me more sad: the fact that most of my opponents online are spoiled 10-year-old brats or the fact that I've never had a cake even half that awesome for my birthday.

 

[slapnuts]

Dunno whether this belongs in Gaming or OT, but it made me pretty sad. I didn't comment on it though, no clue what to tell the parent who's ecstatic about her son's birthday

thats cool....and whats wrong with this?

 

[def sim]

I'm not going to judge the kid or the parents over a cake. This seems mean spirited.

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

The kid will be playing with people his own age anyway. I played 18 games when I was young too, it was way before the time I could tell people I fucked their mom's over the internet though.

 

[Alienous]

Perhaps the best visual punchline I've ever seen.

"Wait, does that say... lol, wow".

 

[Waluigilicious]

I was going bowling the other day, and I kid you not, a group of kids no older than 10 were with all their strength throwing eachother to the ground and then sitting on their face and shouting teabagged.

 

[itsgreen]

thats cool....and whats wrong with this?

You aren't a proper gamer if you don't hate CoD or something like that..

 

[level44]

Wow, surprised that it's not an xbox controller.

 

[scitek]

10 year old man...

Fixed.

That's why the cake maker didn't have a problem.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

That controller has the wrong stick placement