Once a Mature Game always a Mature Game?

[crazyjackcsa]

It's been asked before, but I couldn't find the topic, so I'll re ask.

All things equal, are the mature games of the past comparable to the mature games of today?

Specifically I'm thinking MadWorld for the Wii Vs. Mortal Kombat on the Genesis.

You see, my son is a year old, and soon enough, he'll be playing games with Dad. Now, MadWorld, and games of it's ilk are still a ways off, but it's got me thinking.

When Mortal Kombat came out, my Dad got it for me, I had just turned 13 at the time. It was the most violent and controversial game of its time. It had lots of blood and the most realistic graphics as well. When I asked my Dad years later why he got me this game, he told me that he felt I was mature enough to understand it was just a game, and as a father he felt that it was his responsibilty to teach me that individuals should make the choices for themselves, not for governments to decide what is good for the population. In essence, I was old enough and Dad wanted to say "screw you" to everybody who wanted to limit his rights as a man and a father.

Fast forward to MadWorld. I'm a Dad now, and like my Dad I believe that kids are a lot smarter than the average lawmaker thinks.

However I'm having second thoughs about a 13 year old playing MadWorld, but I'm afraid I'm getting old.

So to boil it all down to one thought: Is Mortal Kombat, in it's time, comparable to MadWorld today?

[walrusmonger]

I've never played MadWorld, but violence is violence- some is more extreme, but even cartoons can inspire kids to hurt each other.


Example- I watched the last Matrix movie with my cousin, who was around 14 at the time- after the movie he was running around and doing karate-style moves, and even almost hit a few random strangers.

Was the Matrix more violent than Mortal Kombat? Not really, but it had a lot of action sequences that got him pumped up.

So it really depends on the kid, not the source material. If you know how your kids act, you should be able to determine what is good for them to play- you will see when your child is 5 how he acts, if he is easily excited from action on the TV, then a game like MadWorld is probably not right for him.

[Richter Belmount]

Why not let him play a few games your father let you play as a kid , however more modern mature games I can see you have a problem with. The mature video game rating continues to evolve , more mature content is allowed cause game developers push the rating more and more. The Getaway was allowed to use ''fuck'' to be said throughout the game , God of war had extreme violence but also full frontal nudity (the good kind not the kind you see on gta's lost and the damned >_>)

Everything from the 90s seems rather tame these days compared to what your choices are on the market now.

[PapaStu]

I think its more what is the socially accepted norm.

I present this example. Go and watch There's Something About Mary and American Pie (the first one). At the time those were incredibly raunchy movies. Movies that couldn't be topped for their gags. They've been supplanted by many movies since. Hell Superbad blows all those out of the water now.

Games are no different, MK was a game for its time that was showing violence in ways never before seen (primarily because of the 'lifelike' motion capture graphics and the blood. Now it gets put to shame for its tameness compared to just about anything.

Your dad made a judgement call for you, because he felt you were capable of understanding the right from wrong about it. You have to make that same distinction for your kid(s) when the time is correct for them. Some are mature enough, others arn't. Welcome to being a parent.

[Pezcore343]

I've been playing MadWorld and I'm not sure it's something I would let my kids play at that age (if I had kids, I'm still a ways off from having my own spawn). While Mortal Kombat is bloody and violent, it never really bothered me much even as a kid. MadWorld has some pretty disturbing visuals in it even for adults. Even more so the language and sexual innuendo and drug references and all that might make me wait til the kids were a bit older.

However, ultimately they are your kids and you will know them better than anyone giving advice would. Two of three years might make a huge difference in the maturity your kids show, or they may be mature enough at 12 or 13 to experience those things. I think when the time comes, you'll know whether or not you're comfortable with your kids playing game X or Y. You're at least taking enough responsibility to think about what you're going to let your kids play so I commend you for that.

[Ed Oscuro]

Death Race is pretty sad.

Also, could anybody call Custer's Revenge a "mature" game with a straight face?

I think its more what is the socially accepted norm.

Bingo, this is why in the States we use "community standards" for determining what's acceptable or not.

[BydoEmpire]

Mature is the wrong word - there isn't too much that's mature about either title.

I think there's a little bit of an analogy between the two titles, though MK was obviously a bigger deal in its day. There wasn't much else like it even though it seems relatively tame by today's standards. With MadWorld, there are already a million other violent/bloody games so it doesn't really stand out much in that respect even though it's much more violent than MK. The question shouldn't be "is it today's MK" it should be "is it too violent for my kids?"

Like the previous poster said, you know your kids best, and it's your call. With that in mind, you could give the game a rental and see what you think? My 2c is that it sure doesn't seem appropriate for 12 or 13 year olds. There are so many other games appropriate for all ages, why let them play something so violent? Would you let them watch Friday the 13th or the Saw movies? I'm not asking that to be judgmental, it's a serious question. Are your kids old enough to understand violent movies?

[crazyjackcsa]

Thanks for the input everybody. It comes down to the "mature" rating to me, is the mature of the past, when viewed with it's contemporaries, the same as mature today? I sat down with my wife yesterday and talked about it, and while 13 years old is 12 years away for my son, at this point he can play whatever he wants at that age. That said, he would need to display a level of maturity that I did at that age, (Which is a pretty low standard, but I knew a game was a game, and some words aren't used when Mom and Dad are around)The school playground exposes kids to a heck of a lot, and trying to protect them from everything doesn't do anybody any good.

[boatofcar]

MadWorld has some pretty disturbing visuals in it even for adults. Even more so the language and sexual innuendo and drug references and all that might make me wait til the kids were a bit older.

This. I guess it depends on how your kid's brought up, but I sure as heck wasn't ready for what mad world brings to the table when I was 13.

[crazyjackcsa]

This. I guess it depends on how your kid's brought up, but I sure as heck wasn't ready for what mad world brings to the table when I was 13.

It what respect? I went to a small grade school in a rural setting, and for the most part, almost everything in MadWorld was running around on the playground. The old F bomb was well known by that time and sex ed had pretty much convered the basics. Sure MadWorld beats you down with the amount, but you hear something once, you hear it a thousand times. The sex refrences are crude to be sure, but so is the play ground.

That brings me to another point. What's worse: Violence,Swearing,Nudity, or Drug Reference? Why would hacking a guy in half be worse than seeing a Breast? Would ripping a guys heart out be worse than dropping an F bomb? Hearing an F bomb, or seeing a passing drug reference? How would one make a general distiction?

It's an interesting topic and full of really grey areas. What message are you sending a child if they can play one mature game, but not another? Or watch a movie with lots of swearing and violence, but not play a game like that? Violence is Okay, but a Boob isn't? Or the other way around?

[Darren870]

We never really had rules about mature games in our house. My mom and dad knew that we were smart enough to know its a game. I was 8 when I got Mortal Kombat and I remember showing my mom all the finishing moves and us laughing on how cheesy they were. She knew I wasn't going to try and rip someones head off the next chance I got.

I am 23 now and I have a 12 year old brother who has watched my other brother and I play every mature game out there. Things are no different for him growning up that it was for us. He was playing GTA III at 6 or 7 and we all still laugh about how unrealistic/cheesy it is.

It really all comes down to the parent though. I mean you have to make sure they know 1. Its just game and 2. They are playing the game for the game, not to kill people because its fun...(you get what im saying)

I don't really plan on limiting what my kid sees, but that's how I was brought up...

[boatofcar]

It what respect? I went to a small grade school in a rural setting, and for the most part, almost everything in MadWorld was running around on the playground. The old F bomb was well known by that time and sex ed had pretty much convered the basics. Sure MadWorld beats you down with the amount, but you hear something once, you hear it a thousand times. The sex refrences are crude to be sure, but so is the play ground.

That brings me to another point. What's worse: Violence,Swearing,Nudity, or Drug Reference? Why would hacking a guy in half be worse than seeing a Breast? Would ripping a guys heart out be worse than dropping an F bomb? Hearing an F bomb, or seeing a passing drug reference? How would one make a general distiction?

It's an interesting topic and full of really grey areas. What message are you sending a child if they can play one mature game, but not another? Or watch a movie with lots of swearing and violence, but not play a game like that? Violence is Okay, but a Boob isn't? Or the other way around?

Dude, you're the dad, not us. These questions have no answer. You're the one who controls what your kid is exposed to at home. It's one thing to have kids on the playground talking about stuff, it's another thing to have Dad sit you down in front of a game that contains such things. You'll have far more influence over what he does at that age than his friends.

[JohnnyBlaze]

You know the old saying:

Yesterday's "R" is today's "PG-13". The same holds true for video games. Something that was "Mature" back then would be considered a "Teen" game now.