Video Game Content

I was riding in a car with one of my scouts when I heard him talk about a new video game coming out next week. He wants a copy. The boy is only 11 years old and wants game rated "M" for mature. Normally that wouldn't ruffle my feathers as I let my sons play first person shooter games and most of them are rated "M". Then I looked at the content found in the game.

It is one of those over-the-top titles just trying to be more outrageous than the current crop of outrageous games. While the adult in me can see the humor of some of the content, I'm not sure it is the best game for an 11 year old boy. The problem is that everyone in the boy's neighborhood is anxiously awaiting the release and so he has a lot of peer pressure to get a copy. I talked with the boy's mom and she wants to get it for him but doesn't know what is in it.

I was talking with some video game testers who are familiar with the title and they couldn't believe a little boy wanted such an adult game. It contains all the biggies including, but not limited to: strong language, violence, nudity, drug use, and sexual situations. For some, that is probably the selling point of the game. My recommendation for all parents of video game playing kids is to read the the fine print of the video game rating and discover what it contains. Then if you still have questions, go onto YouTube and download a trailer or two to see some of the content. Once you are informed, you can then let your child know if you plan to get the game. As for me, I think I will avoid the one my little Scout was interested in getting.