Black Ops for a 12 yr old

lulubenny

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from those of you who play this game.
My 12 yr old son is looking to get this game for christmas - would you recommend I get it for him or is it very violent hence the 18 cert?

I know nothing about these games so all advice welcome!

UnknownSpecies

If you do get it for him, make sure he does NOT get his hands on a microphone!

TIMR007ROX

tbh i think Black Ops is a crappy game anyway, get him Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Ciaran500

lulubenny wrote: »

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from those of you who play this game.
My 12 yr old son is looking to get this game for christmas - would you recommend I get it for him or is it very violent hence the 18 cert?

I know nothing about these games so all advice welcome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_fsM6LBi54

The game is basically hours and hours of that, so it depends how you feel about your son shooting people in a game.

It is your decision.

Would you let him see an 18s war film?
Saving Private Ryan etc?

Its 18s for a reason. Watch some youtube clips and see what you think. Relying on strangers when it is relatively easy to get a look at what he'd be seeing isn't a great idea imo.

UnknownSpecies

When I was younger, I was allowed have games like this and I turned out ok

Like people have already said and will continue to say on this thread, check out videos on youtube, the decision is with you really!

Inquitus

lulubenny wrote: »

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from those of you who play this game.
My 12 yr old son is looking to get this game for christmas - would you recommend I get it for him or is it very violent hence the 18 cert?

I know nothing about these games so all advice welcome!

I have 3 kids and I play Black Ops myself (badly) when I have a spare hour here and there. Personally I'd have no problem with buying this for my boy when he's 12.

yimrsg

Personally no, it's got scenes of torture and is very violent. I understand parents are under pressure from their kids to get the latest game/fad toy etc. but you shouldn't bow to them for this.

You are a parent and have your childs best interest at heart but would you want you child exposed to themes that would disturb and sicken an adult? Protect their childhood and prolong it as best you can.

CORaven

In the end, it's all down to how bad of a parent you are.

Kersmash

single player - no. Multiplayer - ok as long as he has no mic.

lulubenny

CORaven wrote: »

In the end, it's all down to how bad of a parent you are.

I thought I was being a responsible parent by checking out this game instead of just bowing to pressure. My son has played this game in his friends house - these ppl are normally very strict on things like that etc but they told me the game isn't any worse than what's on tv - so I thought I'd come on here and get the opinions of ppl who play the game and know what exactly its about. So I don't think that makes me a bad parent, does it?

Headshot

its an 18 cert game and shouldnt be given to a 12yr old child full stop

besides the blood and gruesome single player, there's player cards that children shouldnt see

Kersmash

i forgot about the emblems. They add a whole other level of dirtyness.

5uspect

lulubenny wrote: »

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from those of you who play this game.
My 12 yr old son is looking to get this game for christmas - would you recommend I get it for him or is it very violent hence the 18 cert?

I know nothing about these games so all advice welcome!

The game is rated 18 for a reason. Your 12 year old is probably well aware of what is in the game and all his friends are probably going to get it too.

Do you let your child to watch movies with violence, torture, bad language etc?

It's parent's buying 18 rated games for their children that result in so much of the negativity and hysteria in the press about games.

But sure it's just a game...

Here's a recording of the single player in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV4lNxJqC2c

CORaven

lulubenny wrote: »

I thought I was being a responsible parent by checking out this game instead of just bowing to pressure. My son has played this game in his friends house - these ppl are normally very strict on things like that etc but they told me the game isn't any worse than what's on tv - so I thought I'd come on here and get the opinions of ppl who play the game and know what exactly its about. So I don't think that makes me a bad parent, does it?

It depends.

You did the most responsible thing by reaching out to a community and trying to educate yourself on it, a quality of a good parent. However, it is the approach you take after the game is bought that will really decide.
These games are social in nature and it is very likely that your son asked for the game because all his friends have the game, or are getting the game. The content of the game is one thing you should consider, but I doubt that your son will not play online even if you forbid him from doing so.

Online multiplayer is the most influential aspect of this game. Has your son have access to play online? does he have a gold a/c on the xbox, or does he have the ps3? Have you any parental restrictions on?
I would recommend if you do buy the game for him, restricting him from hearing anyone online from talking to him that he is not friends with to prevent verbal abuse.

Will you be able to control how long he spends online? The probability that all his friends are online could be a weakening to your judgement from his perspective. Have you consulted his friends parents about the game?

Will you take an interest in the game? You have shown some, which is a good step.

- I am a frequent gamer, but these would be the types of things that I would run through my head.

krudler

Depends, you ok with your kid playing as a character who puts a chunk of broken glass in a torture victims mouth then punches him in the face? or sneaking into a Vietcong camp and slicing peoples throats open while they sleep? setting people on fire? using 2nd chance? :pac:

Kersmash

yeah, if you do let him get the game, do not let him use second chance. It's disgusting.

ArphaRima

I would say that multiplayer is no problem. The content of the online portion of the game is no worse than many games rated for much younger kids.

The single player portion does have scenes that obligate the player to partake in torture. Swearing is rife, but no worse than schoolyard banter at that age.
Depending on the maturity of your son I would consider it.


I am guessing that as the game installs under two separate singleplayer and multiplayer you can restrict access to one or other.

Personally I am not a fan of being in any way overprotective. This is however a balance that must be found by every parent. I would err on the liberal side of things here. Let him see and learn at the same rate as his friends when appropriate.

lulubenny

Thanks all for your replies - I have made my decision - I'm going to make a stand and not get him this game - sounds horrific.

We don't allow him to watch over 18 films and he currently doesn't own any 18 rated games so I think we'll keep it that way.

Any advice on other good games we could get him - have already bought Fifa 11 and F1 2010

Thanks again everyone

Headshot

lulubenny wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies - I have made my decision - I'm going to make a stand and not get him this game - sounds horrific.

We don't allow him to watch over 18 films and he currently doesn't own any 18 rated games so I think we'll keep it that way.

well done

pity other parents arent like you, very responsible parenting

James Forde

The world has gone p.c mad

krudler

Good stuff, the amount of parents that used to buy stuff like GTA for their kids off me no matter how much I warned them was crazy, they'd be the one hysterically ringing Joe Duffy then a week later "he bate a hooker to death with a baseball bat after she blowing him Joe!"

padraig91

Nothing wrong with the games itself, however you might want no let him play online or if you do dont let him have interactions with other people online
(People who play online games are generally fairly foul mouthed and i include myself in that)
i think there should be parental setting to stop online chatting and stuff but im not sure as i have never looked into it

padraig91

U cant do that in call of duty, But i want the game u just described it sounds EPIC

chillin_penguin

As people have said you can get a hell of a lot of abuse online you got to remember the game is aimed at 18-30 year olds. Who can say and talk about what ever they want.

There is elements of torcher, zombies slitting peoples throats with knife kills.

Im 22 so im not some old fart giving out. 15+ i would say ya sure why not nothing they are not talking about anyway. But 12....It would be a no from me anyway.

Leeg17

chillin_penguin wrote: »

As people have said you can get a hell of a lot of abuse online you got to remember the game is aimed at 18-30 year olds. Who can say and talk about what ever they want..

Enjoy it for a few months Krudler, next it's the old folks home :pac::pac:

Fair play to you for being a good parent though, most as Krudler said, would buy it and then a week later be all "wait, there's killing in it, killing?!"

Smithers41

I think the best thing you can do is to watch some videos on youtube of call of duty black ops and see what you think your self dont look at ones that treyarch made just normal game play of other people but i think he will be ok with it

Angron

krudler wrote: »

Depends, you ok with your kid playing as a character who puts a chunk of broken glass in a torture victims mouth then punches him in the face? or sneaking into a Vietcong camp and slicing peoples throats open while they sleep? setting people on fire? using 2nd chance? :pac:

The real monsters in this day and age!

joanne12781

I totally agree the world has gone totally pc mad !!!! its only a game my son was counting the days till this came out he knows its a game like..each to there own i guess

The Munky

CORaven wrote: »

These games are social in nature and it is very likely that your son asked for the game because all his friends have the game, or are getting the game. The content of the game is one thing you should consider, but I doubt that your son will not play online even if you forbid him from doing so.

I totally agree with Raven. The nature of the game is not what you should take in to account its more to do with your son's ability to decipher what he is playing. I have noticed that the previous issue of the franchise MW2 was the most graphic of versions yet....until this one and I had let my younger son play all the versions (MW2 albeit reluctantly) however, I won't be allowing him to play this at all. Its far and away the most graphic, probably because of its 3D capabilities, and its (IMO) not suitable for some kids 12 yrs of age.

There is no possible way to reduce the extremity of the games content so I would suggest you think about renting it out or getting an older child to take you the game for an hour some day. You will be for more suitably versed to make an educated decision as only you know your son and what mental strength he possesses.Will he play the game as a game or will it effect him on a deeper more personal level. Some 10 year olds have lived their days in a warzone where as some 10 year olds have butlers and temples named after their father, so its really all relative.

You have some good advice on here and also a lot over hyped extremism. Get a look at the game and see for yourself.

beglee

Im 28 years old so this is slightly embarassing, but i had a COD related nightmare last night!

I havent played much of the zombie mode, but the world was in the grip of a COD zombie apocalypse. Whilst i was going through some building, i opened a door to be confronted by a zombie JFK

I punched him in the face, and kept pushing him away as he tried to come at me.
The bad part though, was i then woke up as i thought someone tapped me on the shoulder. And i suffered from sleep paralysis for about 40 seconds :eek:
Scary stuff, even let out a little yelp when i couldnt move


So, if COD can do that to a 28 year old, imagine the damage that it could do to a 12 year old

Headshot

i reckon it was inception.

Batmantastic

Headshot wrote: »

i reckon it was inception.

The game within the dream within the dream within the game.

To the OP, good call on not buying it for your son, if he still wants an online multiplayer game that is shooting and not racing or football, then pick up Halo. It's tame in comparison to CoD and nowhere near as realistic; but as previous posters have mentioned, do not let him anywhere near a headset.

papajimsmooth

You should buy him recording equipment to go with it so we can see his Xx Supah13e75nIPa xX montage

Ray Burkes Pension

joanne12781 wrote: »

I totally agree the world has gone totally pc mad !!!! its only a game my son was counting the days till this came out he knows its a game like..each to there own i guess

So you think its fine for 12 year olds to click buttons to torture people tied to chairs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHksOOv77YM

Sure why not buy him Abu Ghraib Online next year, sure he knows its only a game like.

This is the cartoon violence of Mortal Kombat and the 8 bit ****e we grew up with, this is gruesome stuff.

Just get him the game OP. I can guarantee the people telling you not to buy it played violent games as a kid and also watched horror films/violent action films etc as a kid. If your kid is the type of person who puts glass in someones mouth and punches them then it's not because of the game, it's because your kid is mental in the first place.

Don't be a scrooge, it's a great game and he'll love it.

Ray Burkes Pension

Ray Burkes Pension wrote: »

This is the cartoon violence of Mortal Kombat and the 8 bit ****e we grew up with, this is gruesome stuff.

True, it looks terrible now. The problem is it didn't look terrible back in the day, you just used your imagination to fill in the gaps. Look at Goldeneye, it looks terrible now but when I was playing it for the first time it looked just as good to me as Black Ops does. I'm sure in a few years we'll look back and think Black ops looked blocky and unrealistic.

Xluna

These discussions make me laugh. Centuries ago twelve year olds were fighting in real battles i.e. the Vikings, Celts.:rolleyes:

raze

Ray Burkes Pension wrote: »

So you think its fine for 12 year olds to click buttons to torture people tied to chairs.

I agree with your point, but would have preferred a link rather than the video in thread. I didn't play to that bit in the game and I feel a bit sick after watching it now. The crap voice acting, the awful script, the ridiculous plot and the hideous over-exposure effects on the lightning. Ugh. You can't unwatch that.

This game single-player seems to be a bunch of cheap tricks to over-stimulate the player - there are other games that are more psychologically intense, but for a young mind it's going to depend on how he personally reacts to horror movie style special effects. Online it's going to be filled with gamers in their later teens or in their twenties who don't care if they upset younger players.

It's always a judgment call if someone thinks their 12 year old can handle that, some can - and after all it is just a game. But games like this are only supposed to be fun, and I'm sure most that age will want to play with their friends online. In and of itself that's no harm, but the strangers he plays with won't always be fun to play with.

I wish there was an alternative to suggest, there are better games but he'll want what his friends have got more than anything else.

gsnapp

wwel i play a good bit and im 20

5uspect

You're a year late.

pajero12

5uspect wrote: »

You're a year late.

About 8 weeks actually!

5uspect

Shame, the kid would be 13 and then still shouldn't play CODBLOPS.

Then again I wouldn't wish such rubbish on anyone.

Im Only 71Kg

much too young. i've observed my neighbours kid playing COD for about 12 months now(he was afraid to play it for a long time,just watched in silence).. i've seen and heard him say a lot of worrying stuff..worst of it was when he was being bothered by his younger brother (age 6) he turned to him and said "i'll stab you with a knife..if you dont stop"..this was while he was playing COD..one of the levels where he's using the knife as a weapon.

minidazzler

I think I was playing Medal of Honor Frontline when I was 12, great game at the time, but Blops has FAR more gore.

Would I stop a 12 year old playing it? Not necessarily.

Would I stop them being able to speak/hear people speak online? Yes, definitely! Unless they are friends with all those in the party, and even then I would hope for a monitor of some sort that kicks those that start using racial slurs and such. Simply because being called a nagger (let's see who gets the reference) by a kid who's voice hasn't broken is seriously disturbing. I have to wonder why the hell are their parents not stopping them?

The game is not likely to turn you violent if you are 12, it's far more likely to turn you into a bigoted little sh1t who thinks it's ok to call someone a fag or nagger just because they got killed.

Liam O

gsnapp wrote: »

wwel i play a good bit and im 20

well done

Im Only 71Kg wrote: »

much too young. i've observed my neighbours kid playing COD for about 12 months now(he was afraid to play it for a long time,just watched in silence).. i've seen and heard him say a lot of worrying stuff..worst of it was when he was being bothered by his younger brother (age 6) he turned to him and said "i'll stab you with a knife..if you dont stop"..this was while he was playing COD..one of the levels where he's using the knife as a weapon.

how does he know what it means to stab someone? Did COD teach him that? Did playing GTA when I was 12 odd years old introduce me to what hookers were? They didn't. 12 year olds are a lot more grown up than people give them credit for and many already smoke and I'm sure a fair few will drink in 1 or 2 years. The least of a parents worries should be playing violent games. I've played violent games since I was very young and I'd be the first person to break up a fight never mind start one. Maybe GTA thought me that...

IK09

it depends if u wanna ur kid killing virtual people, or throwing virtual axes at people.

sierra117x

minidazzler wrote: »

I think I was playing Medal of Honor Frontline when I was 12, great game at the time, but Blops has FAR more gore.

Would I stop a 12 year old playing it? Not necessarily.

Would I stop them being able to speak/hear people speak online? Yes, definitely! Unless they are friends with all those in the party, and even then I would hope for a monitor of some sort that kicks those that start using racial slurs and such. Simply because being called a nagger (let's see who gets the reference) by a kid who's voice hasn't broken is seriously disturbing. I have to wonder why the hell are their parents not stopping them?

The game is not likely to turn you violent if you are 12, it's far more likely to turn you into a bigoted little sh1t who thinks it's ok to call someone a fag or nagger just because they got killed.

kelso from scrubs talking about carla ?