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Rockstar Games Social Club

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 17.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    A place to boast about your GTA rank.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 17–18

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    A statistics-based card game called "Beat It!" is billed as an upcoming feature. But, for now, nothing of educational value here.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Grand Theft Auto, as the name implies, involves crime glorification. There's a contest for anyone who can complete 100 percent of GTA IV within seven days of its release to earn the key to Liberty City and enter the Hall of Fame.

  • Violence:

    Some of the avatars to choose from include men toting guns of all sizes and Mafioso-looking characters. Video footage on the Police Blotter shows tamer clips of the game and guns and shootings, but no blood. Also, players must play Grand Theft Auto IV -- which is notoriously violent -- to post their scores on the social club.

  • Sex:

    A porn star is featured as one of the characters in the intro. Most of the avatars are male, with only four females to choose from and half of those are presented in sexually suggestive poses.

  • Language:

    There are mentions in the site rules about inappropriate language, but as of launch, there's no place for users to write comments or post anything that could be vulgar.

  • Consumerism:

    The site promotes all things GTA. It also has tie-ins to Amazon's new MP3 music sales, and other GTA products. At about $60, GTA IV is a required purchase to really contribute to the site.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A couple of avatars smoke cigarettes.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Rockstar Games Social Club

Parents need to know that teens need to be 17 to join, and even though it's dubbed as a "social site," there's no chat function or message board. Users do need to link their XBox Live Gamertag or PlayStation Network sign-in ID to this site to get full access to everything. Despite its connection with Grand Theft Auto IV the content is nowhere near as violent or sexual as the game; in fact, you don't even need the game to use the site (although you won't be able to post your stats if you haven't played). Some of the avatars you pick to represent you are posing in sexual positions (the women) and some are carrying guns or smoking. There's a high level of competition to this site -- players try to finish the 40+-hour game the fastest so they can be recognized (by user name only) in the 100% Club. A multiplayer game is coming soon and the site says it will be adding new features in the future, including an expansion to cover all Rockstar games.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why this site isn't as gory, crime-ridden, or sexual as the game itself. If you're playing the game already and have seen its mature content, why wouldn't the company feature it on the site? Families can also talk about the competitive nature of the site. Is it not enough to just play the game, or do you have to be the first to finish it, too? Is it important to have your name as the top player? You also might ask your teens if they think video game violence is different from TV or movie violence.
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