PS3 Games

[SwissJon]

Ok, maybe it's nothing to do with photography, but I wouldn't mind a little help.

My step son just got a PS3 for his birthday/christmas, he's 12 and has been hounding us for one for ages, I actually bought it back in January in the sales, but kept it hidden til recently.

. He previously had a Wii which has pretty innocent games, but the PS3's graphic abilities knock it into a cocked hat. The problem we have is that pretty much all the games for the PS3 are 18's, we bought him "Black Ops" innocently expecting the "18" to be "not that bad because his friends had it"..

Well it is.. I was sat by the tv when I watched him play as his character cut the throat of the enemy, it was really quite graphic, and I found it a little shocking, despite being fairly broad minded when it comes to that. He was completely unphased by this but really I wasn't expecting the violence to be quite so graphic.

Anyway, I would really like to find a way to either tone down the graphic violence in his games, or find him some games that he'll enjoy that aren't so graphic, before we turn our child into a sociopath. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. He doesn't like driving games, games with magic in them, or football, I really don't know what to get him, I wouldn't mind this game if I could turn off the really graphic scenes until he reached a more appropriate age. If you know any "switch" in the PS3 to turn down the graphics, maybe that would help, but for the time being we've banned 18 games, which means about 90% of the games that he would want to play, that seems a real shame.

[RLucas]

I don't there is any way to turn it off. You just have to find games with lower ratings.
I am not a big fan of first person shooter games myself. Not because of the violence, but because I think they are boring.
I like games that have puzzles to solve while making your way through. More RPG style.
Drake's Fortune is one that I really love. It still has violence, but nowhere near the Black Ops type of graphic.

[SwissJon]

You and me both Luke.. But it's his choice, but as his guardian, I've a responsibility too...

[milosh]

Jon, I understand your problem but I can't really help you since I almost never play games. I know Grand Theft Auto series were really interesting on PS1 and 2, it does include some driving, but there's a lot of other stuff as well.

[3bayjunkie]

I'm surprised you didn't realize the realism of the PS3s graphic engine Maybe it is because I am in the ARMY but 50% of the people I know play black ops I doubt it will turn him into a psychopath, I was playing Mortal Kombat when I was 12 and ripping the skull and spine out of someones body with blood gushing out everywhere really didn't have an effect on my day to day life. It is really no different than watching an action movie these days.

However if you really feel the need to limit the violence for him, I know he will be very bummed, you can look through here by genre PS3 Game Previews, PS3 Previews - GameSpot.com maybe you will find something he likes



[edit]oh i just remembered, I have some Christian friends who let their four and five year old sons play call of duty with them Just thought you might find that surprising.[/edit]

[CheaperKings]

There is absolutely no way to turn the graphic content of Black Ops off. That's the reason for the 18+ rating. I love the game. Also, just so you know, the new Mortal Kombat is more than twice as gory as Black Ops. So, steer clear of that one, too.

If he likes sports, NBA Jam is a BLAST to play and I don't even like basketball. There are games out there that are fun to play without the blood and gore. You could, however, just remind him that it's just a game and it's not real...

[BrianD]

Yea - it was Mortal Combat, then it was Grand Theft Auto, now it's Black Ops...

The fact you're concerned about it makes me think that after 12 years of raising him, he's probably smart enough to know that a knife to the throat is OK in a video game and not OK for a playground dispute.

Maybe you could make a deal with him where if he does his chores, gets straight As, etc - he can play Black Ops - make him show you that he's old enough to be responsible and reward him for it.

[NicoleScraps]

Originally Posted by CheaperKings

You could, however, just remind him that it's just a game and it's not real...

Yep, this! I understand what you are saying Jon. I really do. But, my older son (who is 20 now) used to have a PS2 and PSP, those are the types games that he wanted to play. He absolutely LOVED Grand Theft Auto and although it was not gory violent that I can remember, it was pretty bad. My family used to give me holy hell for buying him those games. He's 20 now. He's never ripped anyone's head off. He's never stole a car. He is fine. Going to college on a full academic scholarship. I think that you need to assess your child....does he have the type of personality to take these thing to heart, to allow them into his mind?
Having said that, my younger kids are limited to just Wii games, which are very innocent. I have no idea if I will allow them to play these types of games as they get older. It depends.

[RLucas]

I agree with everyone else. Sociopaths don't usually "learn" how to be one from games. They usually have the predisposition to begin with.

[CheaperKings]

Originally Posted by BrianD

he's probably smart enough to know that a knife to the throat is OK in a video game and not OK for a playground dispute.

Yeah. I usually just gave them a huge uppercut and yelled "FINISH HIM" then ripped out their spine. That pretty much settled all playground disputes.