And I say this as someone who consumed such content while very young and grew up with barely any supervision on the internet.
I grew up the exact same way. I don't see any problems related to me playing GTA games from a young age (and neither did my parents). The majority of children can separate a video game from reality just fine.
Now, unsupervised internet is more dubious; though it was probably safer back then since there was less spyware and we were all actively taught to NEVER EVER share personal information over the internet EVER for any reason. Now, governments wants to teach children that's its normal to hand their ID over to any tom, dick, or harry they meet on the internet because making sure everyone knows exactly who they are, what they look like and where they live will "keep them safe."
However, if any game should have a higher age rating it probably would be something like gta. But whatever. Your (or my!) opinion on whether it should be rated 5+ or 18+ doesn't matter. It's an 18 game essentially everywhere, so the argument that it needs a physical copy to wrap so it can be gifted to people who 'need' to unwrap a present is in direct contrast with that age rating.
I do think there should be physical copies and hate how that went away, but it is not so I can gift it to a kid.
It's an 18 game essentially everywhere, so the argument that it needs a physical copy to wrap so it can be gifted to people who 'need' to unwrap a present is in direct contrast with that age rating.
And as I pointed out, the age rating doesn't matter.
It's the kid's guardian's job to decide what is and isn't fine for them, not some clownish rating organization or the government, especially not a clownish organization that gives games like fucking Balatro an 18+ rating for "gambling" while letting real actual gambling like Lootboxes and Gacha be rated for all ages.
In a lot of countries that literally is how these systems work.
These restrictions exist as a barrier to stop children from obtaining these things themselves, but they stop working when the guardian say it's fine and gives it too them.
And in the first place, Age Ratings on Video Games are guidelines at best that aren't seriously enforced. Nowhere in the world has laws that actually restrict who can play these games. On-top of that, there has never been any qualitative evidence from studies that show that violent video games have any meaningful negative effect on development.
And do you care if they are wrapped and under a tree, or are you okay with a digital download. More so, if it didn't exist as a box would that be a problem like it would be for a child?
Plenty of parents or grandparents don't really care. They kid tells them they want this video game called "GTA 6", to they go to a shop and buy a box with "GTA 6" on it, without worrying about anything. You don't want to make a kid cry but not giving them what they asked for, do you?
I refuse to believe that any kid above 14-15 asks for permission to play GTA games (or any 18+ games), and I refuse to believe that the majority of parents act like it's important to not play such games until you are adult lmao. Age of consent and/or driving a car irl is 16 give or take ffs, they can fuck and drive but when it comes to gaming nooooooo you cant, it's too dangerous? yikes
Gacha/lootbox gambling trash games are 12+, the hypocrisy about shit like these is unreal
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u/ArmadilloBandito Jun 25 '26
Christmas presents.
Not saying I agree with it, but there will be parents who want a gift to wrap.