Parents group: still too easy for kids to buy M-rated games

Want a M rated game?
Under 18?
Retailer won't let you buy it?

Buy it online. Lol.

Pay attention to your kids more?

Don't bitch about it when you can't?

Thank you.
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New Zealand may be looking at a law addition we're parents who buy they're kids 18 rated games, may face prison.

..lol?

Have governments still not figured out the whole "the less governing, the happier the people" part yet?
Everyone is so quick to shirk their responsibilities nowadays. *lesigh*

what's responsibility?

I don't have kids, but they are guests in my house from my mothers, my siblings or my own friends. The first thing the parents do with their kids when coming over is send them to me, because I have videogames... and as a collector... I have a LOT of them.

Because of this I put my games on a shelf that only I can get to, because yes, my titles range in ratings very drastically. That way, they have to go through me or a parent to get to them, and even when I get the "I have that game at home and my parents let me play it." my response is "Lucky you, unfortunately in this house your too young for the game, so you have to pick something else." Leading to a frustrated response, followed by acceptance of the rule.

My point is, there are things you can actively do as opposed to just complain about the issue. If your kid buys it online... well first punish them for using your credit card information and thoroughly explain to them what identity theft is. Second get rid of the game, and I don't mean to hide it or throw it out, the kid will just get it back that way. Go into a used game store and trade it in, even if you don't get money for it and just get store credit at least it is out of your house and in turn your children's hands.

It's work, yes, but children as a whole are work, and parents need to accept that.

Kura I think you and me just might get along

I think that just like drugs, kids will get video games. Rated M or not. You prevent the purchase by killing the habit, before it becomes a habit. Keep close to your kids, and keep them off the games. Its that simple.

You are also forgetting, how many kids just go over to a friends house to play.

damn kids always shootin and rapin everybody round the corner... it's gotta stop man

Alcoholic drinks can be sold and shipped to minors online, and we're worried about M-rated games? :I
They probably get worse exposure from other aspects of the media anyway. In fact... games are arguably the easiest form of media to control your kids' exposure to. You have to shell out good amounts of money for them, you'd have to leave your kids alone for hours on end to not notice that they're playing them, and hey--if you're really suspicious, it's not like they can hide their save files from your vigilant eyes.

A kid gets an M rated game, big freakin' deal. If you raise your kid right, they will not be influenced by it. If you raise you kid wrong and he/she starts shooting people, it's your own fault for not paying attention. Not Nintendo's, not Sony's, and not X-box... well... why would you even think about blaming X-Box which clearly has THE most M-rated games than any other console?

I mean this goes back to the Anime thing too. The tie is: [blank] is suppose to be for children! Which is a very common misconception in both situations but the most obvious hypocrisy is in the cartoons. You get angry when your kid watches an Anime that is clearly meant for adults and yet you refuse to let your child watch Family Guy and The Simpsons. Same could be said for games. If you would not let your child hold a real gun and shoot fake people, why are you letting your child slip away and get a hold of a virtual gun to shoot virtual AI in a graphic environment?

Has anyone thought about actually talking to their kids about this stuff? Saying: "Fine, you got a hold of it. But if I see you mimicking it, I am grounding you and you will not be able to play the game until you are old enough to buy the game," or something to that effect instead of buying a Wii/PS3/X-Box and naming it Baby Sitter.