Yeah and zombies ORIGINATED in africa anyway.

yea just sayin, if parents care that much about what their kids play, why dont they play the game first then decide wether their kid should play it.

Parents to decide what your child should be playing don't trust this website unless you decide otherwise after the test at the end of my comment/review.

First a message to ESRB and Common Sense Media, a drop of blood and a few swear words are not going to scare or change children. Plus you child probley hears the same words on their bus or at school.

Now parents to rate a game dont look at the letter on the front of the box, play it or ask your friends/family. Finaly the test to see if you should trust Common Sense Media! Listen to the song Fireflies and rate what age children should hear it, if 10 or higher is your choice trust and use this website if 9 or lower do not use Common Sense Media.

Thanks for reading my review!!

RE5 isn't racist, its made by asians about a white guy in africa. If you think thats racist you need your head checked

ok as an 18 year old gamer i've been playing video games since i was like 4 i remember playing Super Mario World and other games of that nature, i also remember playing Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 even now i play most of these "violent" games but that is what they are nothing more than video games, i wouldn't know anything about GTA4 or any game like that because i think it would be a great waste of my time and i have thought that since i ever heard of grand theft auto. i don't care for it therefore i would never play it,that and saint's row 2 its pretty much the same i wouldn't know spacifics because i've never picked up the controller and played it. i have played Gears of War and Gears of War 2 i have never had the desire to go out into the world and shoot a person to death and walk away that' just stupid, i play MW2 and i don't have the impulse to go join the army and go kill another human being if it was needed of me, i play these games because it is fun. i will never commit a murder simply because i saw it in a video game i once played, thats just not logical,
and RE5 when i first saw the preview for it the first thing that came to my mind was "yes its finally going to come out haha" i never thought it had to do with racist ideas or anthing like that. IT IS SET IN AFRICA THEY ARE BOUND TO BE BLACK. its not like the character at the start was like "yeah im going to africa to kill me some black people" no he was there to help stop bioterrorism haha its funny how people take things the wrong way,

any racism is racism in my case. and there are white south africans . um hello? charilze theron is south african. and you can have hidden racism in a game. and not all black people are ghetto. booty shorts and long fake nails are normal in this world among all races. although you will see darker skinned people in a african contry, there are white afrikaans as they call them

any racism is racism in my case. and there are white south africans . um hello? charilze theron is south african. and you can have hidden racism in a game. and not all black people are ghetto. booty shorts and long fake nails are normal in this world among all races. although you will see darker skinned people in a african contry, there are white afrikaans as they call them

Alright, people need to get over the stupid RE 5 contraversy. Yes, we get it, its a white male killing poor blacks. Racism? i think not, because you are in a poor African country. You're not going to be killing whites in an African country.

Also, its not only aimed at blacks, The earlier titles had zombies of all races, Resident evil 4 was all Spaniards, but thats not racist because they aren't black.

Finally, what i believe to be the most racist out of everything, is that people were getting upset that Sheva, the lead female, was not "Black enough". Really? they made an African woman a playable character and she's not "Black enough?" Did you want her to be wearing ghetto booty shorts with press on nails or a dashiki? i dont think so. Dont forget that almost all the swat members were black.

in conclusion, i just want to point out that Resident evil was an amazing game with a great concept to potentially finish the storyline. However, the only thing some people could focus on is the opening for racism.

I leave you with this question:
Is it more racist to play the game shooting zombies that just happen to be black, or constantly look for anything and everything that could be considered racist and blow it out of proportion?"
only one of them is focusing on race, and its not the guy shooting zombies.

oh my fav is the grand theif auto!!!!

If you are mature, play the games as much as you want. It's not like violent video games make serial killers

Okay, first off the alternatives are absolute junk. Gears of war is not substitutable by halo wars. GTA is nothing like infamous. RE is not like uncharted. Also,I'm a teen who sees games like grand theft auto are awful influences. But parents need to make their desicions based on the point of the game. GTA is about killing innocents and taking whatever you want. But other 'violent' games like modern wf2 are about soldiers, not criminals. Lastly, teens don't turn into drug taking murderers because they played halo. There are many factors in that, but games are not one of them. That's like saying WW2 started because someone played too much Risk...

@RomanianRichard
I dislike Gears of War, but the only similarity the game has to Halo Wars is the title... GoW is to Halo Wars as gladiatorial combat is to chess, basically.
Maybe Mirror's Edge would have been a better alternative then.

1. Manhunt - I have not played this one.

2. Resident Evil 5 - Ah yes. Resident Evil 5 is one of my favorite games of all time. I love it and I have played the first Resident Evil at like 6 years. It's not that bad as other resident evils, and it doesn't even show your head being chopped off by the chainsaw dude. If you must choose an alternative? I would not know.

3. Dead Rising - Another favorite! Dead Rising makes you use ANYTHING in the mall to survive. and yes, there is blood and limbs, but Dead Rising is really fun.You can also use a camera to take pictures. It's not as bad as other games.

4. Resident Evil 4 - This is a doozy. Resident Evil 4 is more gory and bloody then Resident Evil 5. The game is okay, not the best, but there are more graphic death scenes in this one.

5. Grand Theft Auto - Oh yes. THIS series. Why waste my time. It's all based on Maturity. I played GTA the other day and I had fun, but yet I am not affected by it.

6. God of War II - did not play.

7. Mortal Kombat: Deception - Back on the Deception train. MK:D has about 24 characters to play as and a Konquest mode along with puzzle and Chess. It's very good, but they could have more characters.

8. MadWorld -Never played it.

9. Gears of War - It's mindless violence in this game. I would go play Halo 3 than this game. No interest to even try this game out.

10. Saints Row 2 - Eh, it's a gang game. What do you expect. Have not played it but I would look at this game.

These games have no realationship! They are different, therefore bad alternatives. These games are not the most violent games. There are others more violent, some of the ones listed aren't that bad at all!

good for nobody should use violent stuff ok for nobody

The alternatives are incomparable to the 10 most violent. Manhunt - Mirrors edge? Dead Rising - Prince of Persia? The only ones that I think could compare are #7 and maybe #9.

These alternatives are useless! Almost none of the games and their alternatives on this list are related! Make a good list.

Mega super huge shooter, stealth, action & adventure and Suvivor Horror gamer, I also like Fantasy. Iv played almost ALL of thoose games (Including Alternetives) But my mom was always weary of teh games I broght (Well my dad did and i played them) and she never let me play certain games, and i apreciated her for taking charge, Im happy that assassions creed or assasions creed 2 because they have quite an educational value in the game. So theres my view...PIECE OUT!

you haters need to stop saying that this wensite is horrible! theyre just looking out for your best interest, trust me! i should know, these games scared me half to death when i was five and they still haunt me today!

this list is kind of dumb , but has some good games to stay away from like manhunt and gta , however god of war and god of war 2 are not that bad

Dear CSM,
This list is completely insane. Games like GTA are violent, yes, but are more or less a morality play. In Manhunt you main character is not glamourized, but shown rather as a creep. This is awful

I am a huge video game fan, as is everyone in my family. Yes, I'm a 42 yo mom but I have played 7 of the 20 games on this list (and not just the alternatives). And I totally agree with your warnings. All of those games are completely innappropriate for my 9 year old son and even my 22 year old son realizes that there's more to making a good game than just throwing lots of blood and violence around. But I have to agree with the other posters. Your alternatives weren't good. Yes, many of them are great games. (I was a little uncomfortable with the gunplay in Uncharted when my 9 year old played it but it's such a great game with a great story that it didn't seem gratuitous.) But they are not alternatives for the games you're warning against. You probably should have gone down to Game Stop or Electronics Boutique and run your ideas by some of the store clerks. They could have helped you match things up more appropriately. As others have said, if your kid is asking for Manhunt and you give them Mirror's Edge I just think you'll look pathetic. And rather than convincing them that there is worth in exploring some more creative, less gory games, you'll just convince them that you just don't get it.

First and foremost, the light-skinned African American companion from Resident Evil 5 you speak of has a British accent. It's hard to point out racism when you appear to be so ignorant, so stop trying.

Secondly, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune would be a much better alternative to Gears of War than the suggested Halo Wars. Unfortunately, they're exclusive to two separate systems. Then again, Uncharted isn't exactly the least violent game either, you are killing other human beings.

I don't know why any of you parents give into your children's demands and buy them these photo-realistic games. Any parent who cared about their child's well being and mental capacity would not only severely limit their video game playtime, but look into titles that actually require reading skills and critical thinking.
Older games with story progression that is conveyed through text fit this category perfectly. An old Super Nintendo had dozens of these titles. I'd definitely look into series such as Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda, and if your child finds them to be too difficult, then he/she is too young to be playing video games.

Why parents believed Benjamin Spock's book to be the Bible on childcare is beyond me. Stop catering to your children's every whim and start wearing the pants in your relationship.

First off, there is 0 evidence of a causal relationship between video game violence exposure and those behaviors mentioned. People with Agendas will tell you otherwise, but those people are either biased, or failed Psych 101. I can forgive it in a site I consider to be so enlightened (Common Sense Media), because as a gamer, I agree 100% that children are not ready to be exposed to certain things, and argue this position with plenty of non gamer parents allowing there children to play gamer which, I believe, they shouldn't be playing. However, to make this argument by claiming a causal connection between violent video games and behavior is simply unsupported, and does a disservice to those trying to become informed buyers.

As a side note, RE5 is extremely violent, and deserves a place on this list for many reasons, but racism is NOT one of them. The only example of racism in regards to this game is people who think that establishing that there is black people in Africa is somehow racist.

My, from reading all the comments complaining about the above list--from young players and adults both--you'd think that suggesting that parents consider elements of a game before allowing their children to play it was akin to ensuring total ruin for their young lives! We're all talking--some are arguing--about computer GAMES, people!!! Gee, get over yourselves and show some magnanimity toward those of us who are just "crazy" enough to have wanted to love and raise children. I, as a parent, use information on this website, along with other sources (e.g., other reviews in print and on the internet, my son's opinion, and sometimes even playing or watching it being played myself) to decide whether I believe the game to be appropriate for my child. That is my JOB as a parent. I am not there to be his friend, buddy, pal, facilitator, or any of that other pseudo-psychiatric nonsense that people--particularly younger people--invoke as justification for their getting what they want simply because they want it.

As I eventually realized myself when I was young and was told things I could/couldn't do by my own parents, I would soon be old enough to do WHATEVER I WANTED, play whatever game I desired, and be as productive--or unproductive--as I desired and would have to answer only to myself (and of course, legal authorities and the creator, if I decided to do "wrong" things). While I did not appreciate or agree with all my parents' decisions for me, I was not so presumptuous to believe that they were involved in some massive conspiracy to deny me or negate my individuality, my freedoms, my decision-making processes, or any other "right" that I thought I had. ("Good morning, my dear. How can we really screw up junior's life today, since that is our sole purpose in life?") As I matured and demonstrated to them that I could make reasonable decisions/choices, sometimes even contrary to theirs, I was permitted more control of what I wanted. Oddly, I often found that something I just "had" to have or do when I was the ripe old age of 13, or 14 or 15--and had ALL the answers already--was not so critical when I managed to make it to 17 or 18.

One other thing for all of you who tend to lump us "old folks" into the category of being so "dumb" that we make all game choice decisions based only on this website: I really do look at a whole variety of sources of information about things that my children wish to do--gaming and otherwise-- and even consider my own experiences and those of people I know. I then make my decisions, even if I do not necessarily make my children aware of all the information I may use. That's my prerogative as an adult, just as theirs are to try to make their cases--over and over and over--that they must be allowed to do this or play that or whatever the popular "thing" may be among their peers.

And, here's a news flash: I often decide based on what I thing my child doing this or that would enhance his life and contribute to his well-being. (Pretending to shoot people, talk trash, and being generally anti-social are not some of the things that instantly go into the "life-enhancing" category.) I managed to make it this far because I either made good decisions, or simply was not too adversely affected by bad ones. But, in retrospect, while I admit to thinking that my own parents were pretty "dumb" when I was a teenager, I learned later that 1) they did the best they knew how to help me grow into being a responsible, productive adult and 2) their doing #1 was the reason that I was able to become that type of adult.

When you younger people decide to be parents, you'll find yourselves doing and saying the same things for your children as you are railing against your parents' doing right now. So, demonstrate some maturity beyond your years and realize you don't have all the answers--I don't either, by the way, likely just as your own parents don't--but that fact doesn't excuse your laboring under the misconception that your desires, wishes and beliefs are any more valid than those of the adults primarily responsible for your welfare...and besides, THEY ARE THE ADULTS. They doubtless are listening to you; it's just that they don't agree with you. That doesn't mean they disrespect you or your feelings and desires, or don' t love you, or don't wish for your well-being. It just means they don't see things the way you may see them.

I don't agree at all with Resident Evil 4 and 5, God of War 2, and Gears of War being on this list. I can think of at least ten games that are so much more violent than those four games right off the top of my head. Parents, please don't refer to this list and its alternatives. It's really not a good list. It does have a few games that deserve to be on here though. I've never played Manhunt 2 or Grand Theft Auto, but from what I can tell, Manhunt 2 is an extremely violent game with the only goals being to murder people and from what I've seen of Grand Theft Auto, it might not be the violence of it so much as the immorality of it that puts it on this list. In addition, it really depends on the age and maturity of the person playing these games. I wouldn't recommend any of these games to kids under fifteen.

r all of u dumb

@Darkneo48

I can totally emphasize with you. Me and my Mom were at the local gamestop one day and I showed her a copy of Modern Warfare 2 (a "violent" game that CSM bashed) and told her that nearly every kid at school had it. In a sarcastic manner she looked at em and said "violence and language,hmm". I then told her that I was even more mature than most kids at school. I then realized that PARENTS are the ones that let kids play "violent" video games. And some parents will decline a mature enough kid, while another parent will let an immature kid get any game he chooses. When people on this site think of the M rating, they think 17+. But what does the M stand for? MATURE, the 17+ is just a suggestion. This website is truly obscene.

Oh and by the way, CSM is good for movies, but it is obvious that NONE of these games have even been TOUCHED by CSM staff. as shown by the alternatives. Resident Evil 4's alternative it ghostbusters??? I am shocked. absolutely shocked at how horrible this website is.

I myself am an avid gamer, have great relations with my parents and friends, and have never gotten into a fight. I play many shooters and other violent games, and it has taught me that violence is horrible, but there is still a strong difference between say, punching someone in a game, and hitting someone in reality. parents, being naturally protective of their children, obviously don't want them to be exposed to violence. Unfortunately, that leads to them thinking that if their child sees violence, gore, or blood for that matter, means that they will grow up to be a mass murderer. what I'm saying is that kids around the age of thirteen or so probably see more violence and hear more profanity at school and while watching t.v, or even while reading the newspaper than anything else. sure, if a kid say, under the age of 8 or so sees lots of violence, they might think its okay, but many parents seem to think that their kid is still only eight year old when they're really fourteen. kids mature faster than you think.

-Max Taylor, Age 13, son of parents that think he's still 4.

Gears of war for halo wars... yeah, word of advice to authors: people are never going to take you seriously until you learn the material yourself first. You never take into account maturity levels of teens and you don't even put games in the same genre together.

I take that back, some will take you seriously. But only parents who come here thinking you are experts and know what you are talking about. Please quit deceiving parents like that who need an honest opinion or at least an educated one...

#2 really should be postal 2...it's basically the same thing as manhunt but you get to use molotov cocktails

This is bulls***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are by-far some of the best games ever made shame on common sense for doing this

@mommy2many
We're not angry or addicted. We're just defending our point of view. That's all. We simply think that CSM is persecuting our medium and have reacted in kind by expressing our opinions.

@mommy2many

It's not a testimony,we're just stating our view on the topic, providing our opinions. And the name of the article isn't "Why video games affect children". It's amazing that on this website an 11 year old can provide a better satement than most alduts.

wow! the anger and addiction of the kids and teens who post responses to why violent video games don't affect them is a testimony in itself.

JJust because a game is violent, dosen't mean it's not okay for kids to play. Some games (particular shooter) have blood. Some blood is okay, but alot in's. These reviews aren't accurate. (or at least that's what I think).

Bravo, although that Mirror's Edge puts the fact that the main character:

Looks cool + has tattoos and KILLS THE SWAT TEAM! I have no clue why even you put that in there as a sub!

And the racist thing on Resident Evil may be a bit bad, because my dad bought the game for me and I think that there is even SOME black survivors. The only thing that will make it racist if you put a black man in Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead2 and watch him get clobbered by a Tank. And I wonder why you didn't put Left 4 Dead in it? What is the matter with you?

really,
really???!!!
here's something you adults should know... kids dont choose vidiogames just because there violent. SHOCKER!!!
I like spore and civilization 4 just as mutch as god of war 2 i dont like overly violent vidiogammes, there usually is no plot to them,
but that is just my oppinion
also just because there is a violent vidiogame dosn't mean that kids will start going around with an ak-47 there is a huge difference
also most rated m games are overated anyways
call of duty 1,2,and 3 were all rated t but call of duty modern warfare (one of the best games ever) and call of duty 4 were rated m even though they had the same ammount of violence as the other ones.
also if assasins creed were to become a movie but because it is a vidiogame it is way to violent

also i dont have no life, i spend a great ammount of time with my friends and family and only play vidiogames 2-3 hours a day, on weekends

Finnaly about the "racial undertones" just because you are fighting black zombies DOSN'T MEAN IT'S RACIST.......IT TAKES PLACE IN AFRICA!!! really people instead of taking the ESRB's ideas and making them sound way worse than they actually are ......... PLAY THE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone ever noticed that CSM is harder on video games than any other medium? It is because it's something relatively new and CSM, and hundreds of other paranoid parents are just afraid. Don't get me wrong, if you're dumb enough to let a six year old play something like Manhunt or Dead Rising, you probably shouldn't have had kids in the first place, and most of these games probably should not be given to anyone under a mature fifteen or an immature eighteen. All I'm saying is that everything the ESRB says is not set in stone, contrary to what CSM seems to think. If Assassin's Creed was a movie, the MPAA would've given it a PG-13 rating and CSM would have given it a 14+. But since its a video game, ESRB gives it an M and CSM gives it a "Not for Kids." It's a big fat double standard. Another example, Heroes is rated TV-14. It is incredibly violent, you see bodies broken in the most graphic fashions including decapitations, burnings, and just plain gory aftermaths of brutal murders. Infidelity and other tricky sexual subjects are tackled on Heroes, although no nudity is shown, we see cheating husbands, strippers, and a woman who has sex with a politician in return for the safe return of her child. Then, we have Mass Effect, a game with little blood except in one scene, and a forty second sex scene at the end between two consenting adults, neither of whom is married. Heroes, once again, TV-14. Mass Effect, M for Mature, 17 and up. Absolutely ridiculous.

i totally agree. and that is just crap because the people who actually made that report probly havent ever played the actual game. and ide find it rare that they even did their research on youtube or whatever.

While some of the games on this list are rightfully on here (MadWorld, Manhunt, God of War, Mortal Kombat, Gears of War, and I don't know about Saints Row 2 'cause I haven't played it), some definitely should not and it is clear that Common Sense Media has not even played them. Saying that Resident Evil 5 has racial undertones is COMPLETELY ludicrous because it is SET IN AFRICA. Africans live in Africa. Africans have dark skin. How could that possibly be racist!?! And there is never an opportunity to use a chain saw in the entire game, so that part is a complete lie. I would definitely replace that with Fallout 3, in which you can target people's heads and watch them explode AND later in the game you can make it bloodier. It's also obvious that CSM hasn't played Resident Evil 4: "Cursing and sexual dialogue?" There are at most five curse words and I don't recall any sexual dialogue.

You forgot Fallout 3. You can choose which body part you want to blow off or dismember and then watch it happen in ultra-gory and graphic slow motion. Oh and about Resident Evil 5's "racial undertones" that is just a stupid remark. Of course the victims are mostly black because it's set in Africa and in Africa people are mostly black. So it's stupid to point out something like that.

One more thing for parents, and although its kind-of off topic, its something important to get around: If there is any movie or documentary you should ever watch, its "War on Kids". It shows the oppression that is going on within America against the new generation of young adults, and it might just open your eyes to what could also be one of the hugest factors of violence and depression among our young society, think twice before just blaming students and what they watch for everything:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlnwm11d6II Trailer for the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6WXl2kAG7Q : A clip of several interviews from the movie about the school system.

one more thing to add

the whole "racial undertones" thing in Resident Evil is stupid.
let's see why?

1. it's set in africa. and surprise, surprise, that means that most of the people there are going to be black.

2. i'm pretty sure that there are very few kids barbaric enough to really enjoy a game more because they're killing black people rather than whites or any other group.

3. recognizing this, the game companies are unlikely to produce a game where the enemies are mostly black just because it would be racist. they're creating a game set somewher in the world where the majority of the populace is black

4. what would the reception be if the game was a black hero vs. mainly white enemies? would they still say there were 'racial undertones'? i dont think so.

5. like 3, i just want to restate in a different way that the game companies are not intending "racial undertones" as far as i can tell. would you like them to set it in africa but have most of the people be white? i dont think that would be quite as realistic

but whatever. since when is commonsensemedia logical?

@FreedomFromCensorship - Thanks for the quote. I'm enjoying your posts; you have good points and you state them eloquently.

@nolemming - As I said, I am not an idiot. I don't buy games based on the amounts of sex and violence they contain; I buy them for the quality of the gameplay and/or the story. Yes, there's some small novelty fun to be had in blowing up some faceless little cartoons, but overall, I'd rather play Tetris than Infamous if the violence was the only draw to the game.

Do you even play the games before putting this stuff out and why should they dictate what is best for your kids every kid is different and not every kid who watches friday the 13th or gears will go on a homicidal killing spree.I have played gears of war ang gta4 and i watch almost any movie as long is it dosent have nudity and i am a straight A student i am christian and a pacifist. seriously trust your kids mor common sense media dosnt think we should be allowed to watch or play anything thats not sugar coaded and totally clean by making us play and watch stuff like that how can we ever be expected to survive in real life a place full of drugs murder unfair bosses and selfish people. dont let common sense raise your kids only you can.

sooooo...let me get it straight...
i hear assumptions that the following are true:

1. kids who play video games didn't spend time with their parents.

why it's not always true: i've played. i spend a LOT of time with my parents, we have a great relationship.

2. Violence in video games/media DOES cause violence otherwise, 100%.

why it's not always true: let's see, wrong? the simple fact is that you're letting the few who do act on what they have learned about violence, POSSIBLY from videogames/media, not necissarily, speak for the hundreds of millions of others who play video games and have NEVER done and WILL NEVER do any of those things.

3. Because somebody had the sense to assume that video game violence ("pressing X") and real-world violence are very, very different and killing in real life is different than video game killing, their comments should be ignored and and dismissed as not true.

4. ESRB=god

why that's not true: ESRB is not god. they are not all knowing, all seeing or whatever else god is supposed to be. they guess. they hypothesize. they make educated assumptions about what kids can be exposed to and at what age.

5. people who play games are zombies who eat up the garbage that the game industry throws out at them

why it's not true: well what do you expect them to do? they're gamers. one person condescended on gamers because they "are all just being played like those games [they] play, the [game industry] just uses [them] to make millions". well excuse me for asking, but why are you accusing them of using what you make for them? shouldn't you be happy that they buy your product so that you can eat and support a family?

6. all kids are the same. an M rated game shouldn't be in the hands of ANY kid who is underage.

why that's not true either: kids are different. every one of them. some of them shouldn't be seeing those things, playing those things, or whatever because they're not old or mature enough to handle it. but a lot of them are, especially with some good adult guidance.

really people, think before you speak. otherwise i wouldn't have to write this.

-@nolemming

Its not like my father didn't do those things with me either. I'm almost insulted that you would assume I had no childhood life, games just were apart of my childhood. It was on certain occasions that he let me play those games, it wasn't like I spent all my time in my room playing them all day, I grew up like any normal kid would, I just happened to play these games off and on when my father would let me. I didn't see these games as something serious and so connected to real life that I needed to worry about it, I was just having fun, heck I hardly could understand what was going on on the screen at that age. My life is fine, I'm hardly ever depressed, and If I am, I always try to get my self back into a good mood by hanging out with friends, or something along those lines. If I even needed to take anti-depressants, it would be from all the bulling I received through my school years, for years on end. It many not seem like something that would affect someone to the point of depression, but when you mix that with all the other problems at schools (control of thought, horrible rules that have no impact on education, useless homework, some with absolutely no connections to jobs in the real world), you really put a lot of stress on a child, which can greatly affect his or her mind. But did I give into this? No, I didn't. I stayed as positive as I could through it all, and that was all done during the times I was playing whatever video games I chose to buy for the most part. (Also a great thing that my parents taught me, to stay positive through everything).

We like these violent and sexual games because their entertaining, and granted, you have people who will just mindlessly buy them for those tendencies, no matter how stupid or bad the movie/game/video was, but many of these have decent storylines and characters. Take for example the movie, "District 9". It was as bloody and gory as heck but it was an amazing and emotional movie nonetheless. I don't buy a game because it has sex and violence in it, that is not what I look for first, I buy a game because its actually fun to play, no matter what its rated, I'm not saying an "E" game can't be as fun as an "M" game (World of Goo would be a good example), there are many cases in which that is true, it just happens that a lot of "M" rated games are in fact better than others, some don't even deserve an "M" rating (Call of Duty 4, one of the best games to date, could have easily been rated T, it had no gore in it whatsoever, and hardly any blood). And of course there's so much more to life, these games are just what they are: games, nothing more, why would parents be so worked up over them anyway? I could understand being addicted to them (World of Warcraft comes to mind) but if parents and kids can manage time as to not allow games to interfere with your everyday life, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm just annoyed at the fact that so many parents still claim them as being built for mindless "murder simulating". They are just games, parts of the media that rakes in millions of dollars. I could easily live without them, as would many. But that isn't guaranteed to slow rising violence and crime levels that parents keep screaming about, I think its just more fluctuating than anything, as in at some points in history, violence was rampant, and in others, it lowered to a certain point. Did you know that beheadings were once a family outing during the middle ages? I think they still do public beheadings in certain countries in the middle east, as well. These are places where violent and sexual video games are banned, and yet, violence is still everywhere in these countries.

On a random note: I wish CSM had a forum section, that would be nice.

You all think you are so smart. And you are all just being played like all those games you play by the media -
who just uses you to make millions. They put out garbage you buy it, and you love eating it up. I work in entertainment and the only thing the people making those videos and movies think about is using all of you to get richer and richer. And they know that if they appeal to your basic animalistic tendencies... sex and violence they have a sure winner. Especially if you are a kid, because then you really believe you
are pulling a fast one on your parents. I feel really sad for the kid whose parents have been letting him play M rated games since he was 4.
There is so much more to life. Your father should have been taking you for a walk or playing make-believe. You will never get that innocence back again. You have your whole grown-up life to deal with the violence that truly exists in this world. The last thing a young
child should be thinking about as a game is people dying. But then again I guess that is what anti-depressents are for. And now they are
the latest craze for pre-schoolers. I wonder why?