[SlavicAssasin224]

I'm gonna put it out there.
I've been playing GTA since i was 5 and there is nothing wrong with me and I understood most things mentioned in the games mostly because I was and still am into the mafia, wars, gangs, guns etc. So no I don't think there is a problem with a kid playing GTA as long as he/she is mature enough.

[NikoBellicLovesHotpockets]

I've been playing the games since I was 6. I didn't understand them back then of course, but they haven't affected me that much. I like to think of myself of a calm and somewhat intellectual person.

I've written many papers about this topic though. And to me it seems it isn't the game that is the problem, it's the person who is playing it and their mental stability. It seems that kids who grow up in hectic families and play games as violent as GTA seem to take that all in much more than calmer kids do. People make the argument that video games cause deaths and such but to me that's just weak humans trying to blame violence on yet another form of media. It's just simply dumb.

[spaceeinstein]

I don't think maturity factors into this at all. Mature kids wouldn't use their time in front of their TVs/monitors wasting their time away playing games. Mature kids would be doing their homeworks and help their parents around the house. The way I think of this, it's the sensitivity of the kids that is the major factor. Those who are sensitive do not copy violent games because seeing someone else hurt also hurts them. They play violent games not for the violence but for the escape of reality. Those who are insensitive do not care for other people, and tend to learn from violent games instead. Whatever looks cool to them, they learn from it even if it's useless to them in society, maybe harmful at worse.

Example: I've been occasionally looking at Yahoo! Answers, looking to see if there are common questions not answered in the wiki. I have seen some answers to questions from young kids, at the end of their answers, saying Grove Street for Life. I know it's harmless saying that, but how useful it is to show your loyalty to Grove Street Families in real life? Why did these kids learn to say that? I doubt mature kids would feel loyalty to an in-game gang of criminals. Extrapolate this to worse actions like killing by an extremely unstable and insensitive kid.

If a game has a negative effect on your life (is Zee still criticizing R*?), then the game had been inappropriate for you at the age you started playing it. Mental instability is at the extreme but they shouldn't be the only ones who shouldn't play these kinds of games.

This post has been edited by spaceeinstein on Monday, Jan 30 2012, 16:53

[copperrobber]

i played GTA:san andreas when i was 9 ! though i didnt went around and killed people ack then, i cheated and sh*t

[senor_huevos_benedicto]

Played San Andreas when I was 10.

Haven't jacked a car so far!

[Allen14n]

All kids are different. They have different levels of maturity. I wanted Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas the time it first came out, when I was nine and ten (two ages because I turned ten in 2005). I was in fourth grade. I can still remember all the hype revolving around that game. I was reading PSM, a PlayStation magazine, and I got really excited about it. I didn't know at all what sex was at the time, but I know it involved inappropriate stuff.

The main reason I wasn't allowed to get that game was because of the sexual content, which is optional in Grand Theft Auto games. I remember really wishing I had Grand Theft Auto IV when I was in eighth grade. I was thirteen and fourteen in eighth grade. This was during the 2008-2009 school year. I didn't get any Grand Theft Auto game until my freshman year of high school, however. That was when I got Grand Theft Auto IV. I was fourteen, and it was either before or during the holiday break. I was so happy. It was certainly worth the wait.

If you're going to give a kid a Grand Theft Auto game, make sure he or she is actually mature enough for it.

This post has been edited by Allen14n on Tuesday, Jan 31 2012, 17:10

[Gst0395]

I was 7 the first time I played a GTA game, but it wasn't until I was 14 when my parents felt I was mature enough to have possession of them.

[Vanzant]

It seems like a good 90% of you are missing the point. The rating of M+17 is meant to control your kids from seeing of hearing the content period. Not about them playing it growing up and shooting people in anger or being a boltless dipsh*t.

Personally I don't subject that stuff to the kiddos. They enjoy kid friendly stuff better I imagine anyways. There's always that silly argument they see it on movies and TV, that's bullsh*t. If you're a parent you should monitor what movies and TV they watch as well as it's part of being a parent.

[CheesyJ]

It depends to be honest. I went around and did free roam stuff in the game when I was still very young, and it hasn't done me any harm at all.

To be honest though, I think it's better that the missions and storyline stuff are better left alone at the very young ages the OP talks about. Not only will the child playing not fully understand it, but they will also have to see a lot of content that's not really suitable for them at that age, compared to the free roam which is generally not as bad because it's just random gore.

[King Mystery]

I think it depends on how old the kid is. They need to understand that this type of violence is unacceptable in real life, and that it's simply a game.
I started playing the GTA series when I was fairly young, maybe 10 or 11, but at the time I had already pretty much lost most of my innocence so it was really nothing new to me.

However, if the child is significantly younger and more innocent (about 7 or so and under), then I don't think GTA is a very appropriate game for them. Stick to Sesame Street, kids.

This post has been edited by King Mystery on Tuesday, Mar 6 2012, 19:27

[ccrogers15]

My opinion these are what ages you should be for these:

GTA1- 5+
GTA2- 5+
GTA3- 10+
GTA VC- 13+
GTA SA- 18+ ( yes im 17 and first played when i was like 9, oh wells)
GTA LCS- 13+
GTA VCS- 13+
GTA IV- 18+
GTA CTW- 5+
GTA LAD- 18+
GTA TBOGT- 18+


Either way though, as long as your MATURE and know its not ok to go shoot your grandma in the face, your fine.

[Slamman]

N O, NO, Absolutely not, only kids think they can handle such things, only kids cry and scream about not getting their way, but there's a reason they don't and should not

[Bad Azz]

IMHO 6 years old is a little young, at 6 years old I wasn't interested in video games at all and all I cared about was to go outside and do a snowman.

I myself started playing GTA SA when I was 8 years old (16 now BTW) and didn't do a friggen mission until I turned 11, because I wasn't mature enough to understand the story. All I did was free roaming and using cheats to fly with my car.

The age of a kid playing GTA doesn't matter, as long as he's mature enough to understand that it is just a game and he's mature enough to understand the story and the background of the game. Because, if a child is playing GTA but don't understand the story, all he understands is that he must kill peoples, then the game might not be suitable for him.

So, if you see that your little boy is mature enough, there's no problem. I agree with everyone stating this here.

[Hydro_PlayboyX]

i've been playing gta since i was 7, and it didnt influenced me in bad way, just like my other friends, you need to be pretty f*cked up to jack a car or similar crime just because you played violent game, thats like you say someone becomes rapist because he saw it on movie

[HeNDo6750]

I don't think they should, but if they played GTA back in good ol' days before CoD etc, then fine as nothing could beat GTA back then or now

[bucsfan]

I started playing GTA when I was 5 as well. I think as long as they're good parents it's fine for kids. It's the parents responsibility to educate their children on what is right and what is wrong and what is ok in real life and fantasy. To me, the worst parents are the ones who refuse to place the responsibility on their children or themselves and try to blame it on entertainment or other people. I've been playing GTA since elementary school and I haven't committed a crime in my life (other than dipping in some of Little Jacob's habit). Of the millions of people that play GTA aren't inspired to do anything wrong, but 1 kid is, then I'd say that's on the kid and his parents. Sorry for the rant.

[Flesh-n-Bone]

QUOTE (spaceeinstein @ Monday, Jan 30 2012, 17:50)

I don't think maturity factors into this at all. Mature kids wouldn't use their time in front of their TVs/monitors wasting their time away playing games. Mature kids would be doing their homeworks and help their parents around the house. The way I think of this, it's the sensitivity of the kids that is the major factor. Those who are sensitive do not copy violent games because seeing someone else hurt also hurts them. They play violent games not for the violence but for the escape of reality. Those who are insensitive do not care for other people, and tend to learn from violent games instead. Whatever looks cool to them, they learn from it even if it's useless to them in society, maybe harmful at worse. Example: I've been occasionally looking at Yahoo! Answers, looking to see if there are common questions not answered in the wiki. I have seen some answers to questions from young kids, at the end of their answers, saying Grove Street for Life. I know it's harmless saying that, but how useful it is to show your loyalty to Grove Street Families in real life? Why did these kids learn to say that? I doubt mature kids would feel loyalty to an in-game gang of criminals. Extrapolate this to worse actions like killing by an extremely unstable and insensitive kid. If a game has a negative effect on your life (is Zee still criticizing R*?), then the game had been inappropriate for you at the age you started playing it. Mental instability is at the extreme but they shouldn't be the only ones who shouldn't play these kinds of games.

I highly doubt showing loyalty to a video game gang shows anything bad. It just means you have fun playing the game. I always humorously rep GSF or a neighborhood just because the game is one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in life. My first taste of GTA was at the age of 10 and I became a regular player when I was 13 but although I'm highly insensitive which I think is a great thing, I am yet to hurt anyone or even do anything that justifies cops to chase me around.

In the end, it depends on the person, I guess. If they have enough maturity to not take the content seriously, they should be fine.

[MrDanceWithLance]

I played my first GTA when I was 9 and it hasn't influenced me in any bad way. You would need to be pretty f**ked up in the head to jack a car or shoot civillians or commit any similar crime just because you played some violent video game.

How appropriate GTA is for kids depends on the game:

GTA Classics: 6+

GTA III Era and GTA Chinatown Wars: 12+

GTA IV Era: 16+

[Phrill]

I played Gta as a kid, turned out to be a Christian. I never commited any crimes.

[gionascm2]

Well considering I was playing GTA III when I as 6 years old, have been a huge fan ever since, and haven't committed any crimes, I think GTA is appropriate for kids unless the kid is mental/psychotic.


On another note, 400th POST FTW