GTA V & Rockstar’s Backlash – It’s the Parents, Not the Industry

WC - Rockstar Games has undergone a vast amount of criticism, lawsuits, and overall backlash from the games they have released. Since their 1997 series starter of Grand Theft Auto to the announcement of their 2013 release Grand Theft Auto V, there have been countless articles, speeches, lawsuits, and bans fighting back against the company as well as their publishers. The argument is always the same.

[DeeZee]

I guess game ratings are useless since everyone ignores them. Seriously, I'm sick of kids messing up "M" Rated games for us adults. They shouldn't be playing them in the first place, so the parents only have themselves to blame.

[josephayal]

GTA 5 can be banned in the USA

[goldwyncq]

That's like saying tea can be banned in the UK.

[Intentions]

its R 18 for a reason (new zealand).

[jessupj]

It's a very simple concept idiot parents and politics just can't seem to grasp.

If you don't want your kid playing a violent game, don't f*cking buy them a violent game!! It's not rocket science.

[MrSmith]

The ESRB rating system was created for this exact reason, yet most people/parents tend to ignore it.

[Valenka]

People underage shouldn't be playing it. There's the ratings system for a reason. And if your of-age child isn't mature enough to play the game, then that's the parents' fault for raising an idiot and additionally so for either buying it for him or allowing him to do so himself. Wake up, people.

[CptFalcon]

I've done some bad things in my life that i now regret.
I had my punishments and moved on. went back to school and started to do something usefull with my life.

While i have always played violent video games, not a single one of them came to my mind when i commited a crime.
It was me, and me alone that caused me to do these foolish acts.
Not hiw my parents raised me, not my friends and certainly no video games or anything thats ment for entertainment.

I love the GTA series but i strongly believe they don't have any influence on normal rational people, the majority of us.
Ofcourse we have some sick twisted minds amongst us, maybe they can be triggered by games. But then again it's themselves and not the game!

[TitanUp]

older family members need to explain to the parents what the ratings mean and that gaming isn't just for kids.

have a younger cousin and he can't play certain games cause his parents know that he isn't ready.

imo 16 and under should not be playing m rated games online.

if the parents understand the rating and think their child is mature enough to be playing fine.

i still don't think those kids should be allowed to play online no matter what the parents say

[Psychotica]

Any parent that is doing their job will protect their child from anything they are not ready for. I am a parent of an 11 year old boy and he won't be allowed to play it. Same thing with movies, books etc, the child needs to be at the right maturity level.

[Thatmattkid]

To be honest my parents let me play GTA when I was younger and I turned out fine...right, I'm off, gotta go bury some more hookers.