This is how you practice responsible parenting with GTA 5

GameZone writes, "Patrick Scott Patterson, video game personality and renaissance man, knows what the's talking about when it comes to video games. Yesterday, he posted a video to his YouTube channel that shows his oldest son, Brody, holding up a copy of Grand Theft Auto 5 and talking about it."

[Eonjay]

Well no

[cleft5]

I just can't agree with a kid this young getting GTA5, but it is the decision of the parents. If the mom and dad or older kids is playing the game with the kid and regulating what they can and cannot play, than I guess it is fine.

Still, it seems like a bad call to me but I am not going to force my morality choices on another person.

[OriginalPSP]

Did you watch/read it and notice that he DIDN'T get the game and explains why himself?

[Riggans42]

He didn't get the game. The father made his son explain why he's not allowed to play it.

[exfatal]

obviously u didnt watch or read the actually article..

[cleft5]

My statement is made in general for those parents who will let kids this young get the game, because they do exist.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

I'm glad this father understands exactly what kinda game he bought.

This isn't COD though its rated M and kids still get there hands on it (for obvious reasons)

R* push the content a bit when it comes to the graphic nature of this GTA game. GTA is a true rated "M" game if not rated "A". Not only is there nudity but its HIGHLY violent and lots a disturbing (Mostly Trevor) moments that kids absolutely should not experience in games.

I applaud this parent for taking action, but other parents are just stupid and hypocritical and will ALWAYS blame the game they bought their kid.

Little 10 year old billy beat up two kids at school for absolutely no reason. He goes to the principles office and he says "I did it/saw it in GTA." The principle gets mad at the parents, the parents are so embarrassed they desperately try to put the blame on somebody else or something else. And what do you know, 9 O clock fox news reports a 10 year beats up kids because he played/watch GTA. "Grand Theft Auto strikes again lets ban/ boycott this franchise.

Just an example that Happens every time.

Or

A game like GTA gets released only 4 to 5 years later down the road. Some random psychopath kills somebody and it just so happens he mentions GTA and suddenly the media ignites with "Grand Theft Auto does it again." So lets blame GTA and generalize that ALL gamers are potential killers.

Rant over.

[lilbrat23]

Did most of you even watch the video? The kid NEVER got the game, he is explaining why he (the child) is NOT allowed to play the game. This is what a parent SHOULD be doing with their child.

[gigoran]

So by your logic it is ok for the parents to give that kid smokes and alcohol too. k....

[SilentNegotiator]

I can understand not reading the entirety of a lengthy article before commenting sometimes, but you couldn't watch a 1 minute embedded clip first?

[brodychet]

my name is brody too. :B

[omi25p]

I was playing Mortal Kombat when i was his age.

I practically grew up playing 18 rated games.

Yet i've never so much as punched someone let alone reinacted scenes from those games.

If the parent monitors the child while they are playing i see no issue.

[gigoran]

It's the situation.

Something that is restricted for people under a certain age to purchase so they have someone else purchase it for them. Alcohol, smokes, porn... and games. The people that sell these other things will not allow the purchasing adult to buy them if they know it is intended for someone that is under the legal age. Yet these guys are warning them, but then still selling it to them after they insist. If they want to be serious about it then just flat out refuse. It would get them fired? Ok. But that is a risk that someone would take if they were serious about that matter.

[FriedGoat]

@omi25p I too was playing Mortal Kombat at that age, but mortal kombat is cartoon violence, its nothing next to the graphic sex talk and subject matter in gta 5.

Mortal Kombat of old is CHILDSPLAY in comparison.

[Lior]

I remember getting gta San Andreas on release when I was 10, I was soooo happpyyy

[HammadTheBeast]

I played GTA when I was 9. Still, GTA is not appropriate anymore for a 9 year old. It's not just a couple pixels anymore, it's more lifelike than ever.

Parent gotta realize this.

I'm not saying don't buy the game. I'm saying, carefully explain to the child that it is a game and what's up with it, and then monitor him playing it.

[FamilyGuy]

*Watches video*

...My name is FamilyGuy and I Approve this message!

I don't get why some parents are smart enough not to take their kid to an R-rated film yet dumb enough to buy them a Mature-rated game.

[assdan]

I love the guy who made this video. It's sad that these kinds of videos need to be made, but anti GTA crusaders need to realize something, gaming is not for kids anymore. It's for everyone. The average gamer in today's world is 30 years old. Which would make sense. That means that all of the 30-50 year olds that started playing games when they were 10 are still playing now. 68% of gamers are over 18 now. That means that Probably at least 75- 80% of gamers could legally obtain GTAV without parental consent. People need to get with the times, if you don't think a game is appropriate for your kids, don't let them play it.

[Eonjay]

And this is why you should always watch/read before you comment. My comment is in error.

[goldwyncq]

If you really don't want your kid to play GTA, the don't let him know that you're playing it or risk yourself looking like a hypocrite.

[IcicleTrepan]

That argument makes no sense.

[swishersweets20031]

@icicle trepan he's trying to say, when a parent says do as i say not as i do. Like i can play GTA 5 but you cant.. so if the kid caught him playing gta5 he would be a hypocrite because its good enough for me but not good enough for you. It's like when a parent says dont drink or smoke but sits up on a friday night drinking a case and a pack of cigars.

[IcicleTrepan]

@swishersweets20031 he might be trying to say that but it's logically incorrect.

An adult playing a game designed for adults is not being hypocritical when that same adult doesn't allow the underaged kid to play it. The kid is not mentally ready for it.

It's the same as saying 'you are not allowed to watch R or X rated movies if you have kids unless you let them also watch the R or X rated movies, otherwise you are a hypocrite.' It does not make logical sense.

[goldwyncq]

I didn't say don't play GTA if you have a kid, but rather don't let him know that you're playing it. That's like dangling a piece of meat to a lion and expecting the lion not to devour it.

[vigilante_man]

Don't be daft guys. If I tell a 10 year old kid not to drive a car and then they see me driving a car it is not hypocritical. It is the law and it is responsible.

Nothing wrong in setting boundaries. If I tell a kid not to play M or 18 rated games then I will not play them in front of them either. But I will play them because I am over 18.

Kids gotta learn the word NO at some point!!!

[ravinash]

What needs to be done is you can sit the kid down and talk to him/her and make clear why he/her can't play the game.
If you tell them why he can't and for what reasons, you can also tell them why someoe your age can play it....that way there is no hypocisy.

Mind you, if your not allowing him to play the game because of the M rated reasons... you shouldn't be playing it in front of him either, otherwise he'll just be seeing all the stuff he isn't mant to see anyway.

[OriginalPSP]

That happens to be my son there... and I'm the voice in the vid.

Brody has been taught that there's things okay for adults to do that are not okay for kids to do. We try to be real with the little guy in this regard... rather than sugar coat the world like too many other parents do, in my opinion.

How that would make me look like a hypocrite I do not understand. Should I also not let him know that I watch Rated R movies and The Walking Dead?

[vikingland1]

I agree,my kids are adults now and they are gamers.Parenting is the most important thing I have ever done in my life.All 3 of my kids are individuals but they all had the same upbringing. You never really know how a child is going to end up as an adult but as a parent it is your job to raise them to the best of your ability.I would have done the same thing you are doing. By the way all 3 of my kids went to college 2of them quit and 1 got her bachelors degree. My point being keep doing what you think and feel is right and your son will most likely grow up with good morals and values. Good job.

[Thisisjuju]

I find it so odd that basic parenting like this seems like such a far fetched concept to some people.

I really believe we do have a problem with blame culture, it seems to be everyone elses problem but their own.

This seems to be reflected and ratified in the media.

You can see the problem with younger kids being left to their own devices with mature games and online content every time you put a headset on games like CoD/Halo and have some 8 year old swearing at you like a trooper.

@OriginalPSP, respect for the video. So simple but it makes a strong point.

[Enigma_2099]

A responsible parent... imagine that!

[OriginalPSP]

Re: Your lion remark.

My child is not a hungry lion. He knows this isn't for him and won't be attempting to play it without me knowing... as he's been taught.

Kids aren't mindless... they just gotta be taught.

[HammadTheBeast]

You might want to make a video on the apparently "nonexistant" parental options available on consoles as well.

+1

[KwietStorm_BLM]

How would I look like a hypocrite? There are REASONS why I can play it and my kid can't.

[wannabe gamer]

yea dont let your kid see you drive a car either. or drink a beer or smoke a cig. cause before you kjnow it they will be stealin yo keys and robbin liquor/tobacco stores to feed their habit that they learned from you.

[swishersweets20031]

@wannabe gamer not always true.. in my era, culture and family it is common for children to have a beer with dad or grandpa, or a shot of red wine. i grew up and dont have a alcoholic problem. Never stole nor want to hurt anyone. It all depends on the person and their mentality to handle things.

[wannabe gamer]

i was making an example not trying to be exact. i think i got the point across well enough

[iceman06]

There are MANY things that are meant for adults only. There is a reason for that. You are not a hypocrite for telling your CHILD that he or she is not aloud to play a game that is mature...because YOU yourself are mature and aloud to play what you want. KIDS are NOT our equals. THEY need to learn that FAST! As a parent, it really SHOULD be simply DO AS I SAY!!! Period. Parents know what is best for their kids and the kids should know that as well.

[ginsunuva]

He's right.

He means the dad shouldn't already imply that kids his age play the game but his dad is stopping him.

Don't give the idea in the first place. No one had to tell me why an adult movie was for adults.

[menghina]

I would slap those stupid parents silly...

[strigoi814]

There are still stupid parents...and you cant change a stupid once he is already one

[Kuse]

This is awesome and the way a responsible mature parent should teach their children. Great stuff.

[swishersweets20031]

I'm no one to judge what a parent deems good enough for their kids because its not my life nor does it effect me in anyway. My motto, is just to stay out of other peoples lives as apposed to slamming my morals onto someone else. As for the standard society throws around what is appropriate and not, obviously after even myself playing this the little guy shouldnt really have it. He should be playing the mario, luigi, zelda type games would be more suitable. But hey all the more power to them do whatever they feel is ok.

[Th4Freak]

You would be the perfect neighbor for murders and rapists.

[swishersweets20031]

whatever dude. Comparing buying a game as apposed to a sex offender living next to me or a murderer is apples and oranges.

[Th4Freak]

@swishersweets20031 You said: "I'm no one to judge what a parent deems good enough for their kids because its not my life nor does it effect me in anyway. My motto, is just to stay out of other peoples lives as apposed to slamming my morals onto someone else."

That makes me think that you have no interest at all to know who are the people around you and what they do, so if someone's killing person or a abusing from a child thats not your business right? It's not affecting you and you're no one to do something besides f#ck sociery standards, hell yeah!

That's my picture of you after reading your comment.

[swishersweets20031]

i dont have any interest in knowing who lives next to me or what they do. Its non of my business. If they want to take it apon themselves to come over say hello or whatever thats their choice. If i want to sit in my house and smoke a pound of pot and my neighbor chooses to drink and party in his home respectfully i could care less. but the minute he gets in a car and tries running me down then we got a problem. I dont believe in the nanny state mentality society wants to put on everyone. What you do is what you do long as it doesnt put harm to me or others.
like i said comparing someone with the potential to rape or murder over someones potential to buy a violent game is apples and oranges. How can you truly know if you live by or look at someone and know if they have the potential to go on a killing spree or rape and steal. Its impossible. If people truly believe games are not "killing simulators" i have no problem with whoever wants to do to themselves or their children long as no one gets hurt its fine.
If some strange reason buying a under aged adult a game like GTA V does some weird reason influence them to go on a killing spree's because simply we are all a product of our influences and environment to the very things people say and do.. then i guess the parents made the wrong choice for their child, but i wouldnt blame the game i would blame the parents decision to understand if the person being given it too had the mentality to handle it. Its such a complicated topic and all you know this to be true because you can make arguments on both sides of the table easily. I do agree a game like this isnt for a little guy. I do mention above its more appropriate for him to have mario over GTA, but i dont want to be the one to throw the judgement hammer on anyone if they choose to do so otherwise.

When i think back to my own childhood and mortal kombat came out, the same talk was around then. Its not for children how dare you buy your kid a killing simulator. But my mother sat with me and asked you do understand this is make believe and not real. I replied mom im not going to throw a harpoon and kill people. Was the game appropriate for me? Probably not by society standards but i had the ability to understand it was a game. Why dont we damn anyone that played with toy guns and played cops and robbers outside as children. Isnt that teaching as well to go out and kill someone? Im in my late 30s now and im more than happy and never committed any crimes so a game like mortal kombat didnt scare me for life you know. I'm glad no one came around to say oh no thats not right for you. like i said its kinda a complicated topic if you dissect it a bit.

[lifesanrpg]

This reminds of the "First they came" statement. Sometimes its better to be proactive and get involved in this rather than sit back and watch them unfold.

[MissKitteh]

Curious why people are saying the parents are stupid... they didn't give the boy the game, they explained why it wouldn't be appropriate for him to play it.

[Thisisjuju]

I assume they didn't watch the video. Saw the picture. and ran to the comments section to bitch.

If they did watch the video and still think the parents are stupid then they are just a bunch of f**k jobs.

[chrissx]

I love this parenting. You gotta keep it real with ur kids. They gotta know what's right and wrong and the limits they have within their age

[BattleTorn]

I don't think it's seriously that big of a deal - but people love to critize parenting.

I played Vice City, and III when I was probably 12 or 13.
I know this proves nothing, but I didn't turn into a murder, or worse, or you-name-it.

Kids watch all sorts of mature content in movies, and on TV. When I grew up, I watched Ren&Stimpy! Looking back I can't believe my parents would let me watch that, but I can also look back and realize how much, if not all, the extremely suggestive content went straight over my head - and I was just laughing at ridiculous characters, than the overly mature content.

This kid is waay to young, btw. He barely could read the warnings on the back. When I was playing GTA I was close to High School.

And since my comment is already long... I was at a mid-night release, and around 10 or 11, a dad walked by with his 10yo or so son. And the dad was like 'heey! you all waiting for GTA 5?' and the kid didn't even seem to know what that was when the dad was like 'hey, it's for GTA 5!' to his son. Nonetheless, the entire lineup was yelling as they walked away - 'Don't let him play it! Not until he's 16' - I thought it was a little overboard.

I think I was watching Black Hawk Down, and Gladiator when I was the age I was playing GTA. Actually, I just looked up the dates, I also would've watched Swordfish and Pearl Harbor by the time I was playing GTA.

[OriginalPSP]

Point of the vid wasn't to speak on the tired "media effects violent behavior" debate.

It was to point out to the media that blames the games and the game industry that the parent plays the most important role in this whole thing... something they seem to miss.

[solidboss]

great video, hope more see it

[M-M]

I hope your video goes viral, I'm sick of the media blaming video games on real life violence as if other forms of media aren't causing it.

[shuuwai]

The best was seeing a mother buying her little girl about 4-6 yrs old, silent hill 2 game for ps2. The Ebgame's cashier said she shouldn't play this game, and I was in the other line. I gave my cents being a bloody game, and even point at the M sticker. The mother reply was 'this is what she wants for her birthday.' -_-;;

[vigilante_man]

There is still ignorance when it comes to video games. In 2013 "M" or 18 rated games are rated that way for a reason.

Parents still think video games are exempt. But you gotta blame Rockstar a bit here. They know that in the past kids play their games so they could of issued a warning in their TV ads..

Most kids may be okay but for some it will justify stereotypes.

Would these parents who buy the game for their kids let them watch Porn videos? I doubt it...

[celestiatem]

It's sad how the purpose of this video is somehow going right over people's heads. Despite that, I admire your style sir, I imagine your son will thank you a lot when he's older =)

[WeAreLegion]

That balance between sheltering your kid from the evils of the world and being overprotective is not an easy thing to find.

I highly recommend reading Cosby books. Lol.

[FullmetalAlchemist]

When I was that age I was all into playing Jak and Dax, Sly Cooper, DBZ and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.

[kenshiro100]

Good on that father. I assume nobody watched the video because he was doing the exact thing a parent should do.

[Audiggity]

Correct. Setting boundaries is a much better approach than pretending things don't exist.

[Jagsrock]

Yea so many people either didn't watch it or missed the point. The lesson is pay attention to the ratings and make your kids aware of them too. Set boundaries and make sure your kids know what they are allowed to play and what they can't play, you'll be surprised how well they will follow your instructions.Also so many parents themselves don't even pay attention to the game ratings before handing games over to their children. This video is basically saying that the game is not the issue it's the parents that allow their kids to play the games in the first place.

[Benchm4rk]

When I was younger my parents never restricted me from playing any games. I'd play violent games all the time. But as a parent now I'm always conscious of games ratings and try to educate my children that if they want to play a game they ask me if its ok for them. At first I felt like a hypocrite as I never had those restrictions but people need to realize games are way more graphic and realistic in this day and age. You put on Doom or Wolfenstein and compare that to shooters these day. Or put on the first GTA compared to the latest entries in the series. You can't always be there to police them though. My son has friends at school who play COD and GTA and these are 8 and 9 yr old kids. I was in EB games the other day paying off my copy of GTA 5 just before the midnight launch and a mother was in there buying Black ops 2 for her son for his birthday. The guy behind the counter asked how old he was turning and she said he was turning 10. While I completely disagree with buying the game for someone that young it was not my place to say anything to her.

[GrandTheftGamer_V]

Bye dad! Brody, where are you going? Antony's house his mom said I could stay the night, she is picking me up. -Arrives at his house- Brody i got GTAV! fuck yeah lets play!

[GirlOnFire]

Why would the parents buy an game for there kids if it has an R* on the front? ^~^' Kidding aside RockStar had lately all their games are rated M. It's M and the title of the game is Stealing Cars! People aren't that smart...I'm pretty sure Fox news warned them. Good job to this daddy for the lesson. ^~^