To be honest, I am fine with this and can play most of the games on my list. I (nearly 15 years old), for example, am allowed to play certain M rated games, as long as they aren’t sexually graphic and have the approval from my parents. For example, the popular game Call of Duty is mainly M rated because of violence and gore, but the game Grand Theft Auto is rated so because of sexual content, drug references, language, as well as graphic violence. Some have milder content than others, while some are as graphic as can be. Not all M rated games have the same content– Even in M rated games, there is a large spectrum of the overall content. I have known people since 2nd or 3rd grade playing some of the most graphic games, which I think is way too young. In my opinion, by your early teens the majority of people should be able to play at least some M rated games. Still, some parents just don’t want their kids to be exposed to that kind of stuff. Most likely, they are mature enough to play the game. They understand scenes in the game are meant to depict inappropriate matters and are not meant to be repeated in real life. On the other hand, some kids can take the material well and understand it’s just a game for entertainment. This obviously means they are not old or mature enough for the game. They can also be frightened of the material and feel uncomfortable around the violent or sexual parts. Some kids will go around repeating the vulgar language heard in the game and are unable to determine which parts of the game are realistic (i.e., could happen in real life) and what is completely impossible. Maturity Level– Probably the most important factor is the overall maturity level of the kid.

Some advice from the teen perspective is as follows: However, because of the graphic nature of these games, many parents wonder what age really is appropriate to play M rated games. Since many of the most popular titles in the gaming industry have this rating, it is obvious many kids below the age of 17 would have an urge to get these games. In other words, it is the videogame equivalent of an R rated movie. Note: Dylan McAndrew is a student at McNeil High School and provides our ApaCenter blog readers with “The Teen Perspective.”Īn “M” (Mature) rated game is a game rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) as having “content suitable for persons 17 and older.” This content may include graphic violence and blood, language, and sexual content.

Call of duty rating age