Of course and tell us the difference between mature rated games today class? They are more realsitic and sell better than the 80's and 90s. 

Exactly and its not just one GTA game, its every GTA game. Theres this Christian ex lawyer guy who saw his son playing the game and decided to take it upon himself to go on a campaign against GTA since the 90's. In truth the developers and publishers are protected by the rating system, and if parents ignore it, tough shit for them. He might not be killing people, but he'll grow up a hell of a lot faster and start saying words they shouldn't, especially in front of the parent.

OT: This is disgusting. When I was his age I was stealing my friend's dad's pornography, not playing video games.

i played vice city when i was around 10...

and i remember not knowing how to do missions. I didn't know you had to go to the pink dot until my brothers friend told me (lol) he also gave me the weapon cheat and armor cheat (that's when the fun started!!!)

not once did i ever think about doing this stuff in real life, it was just a damn game...

Halo has always been rated mature, but if i was in charge of the comission I would've rated it teen. There was no cursing and it was fantasy violence, not a simulated parody of real life.

I have 4 kids in ages ranging from 3- 15 still living at home. I will not be getting GTA5, as I know my 15yr old son wouldn't have a problem with it. The problem is that while he and I may play the game, keeping the other younger kids out of the room is nearly impossible to ensure. So, not GTA5 for now... :(

I think that this is also how a large # of kids experience games for older kids, their siblings play it and they either see it or play it in secret.

Not sure how many of you have kids, but it is not as easy as you think to "just explain" things to them. Yes, they comprehend the words, but based on their limited experience and small knowledge base, they don't truly always get how to apply the knowledge. Why do you think that so many kids head off to college and can't manage a simple checkbook and get to class on time? They can do the math and set an alarm clock can't they?

LOL what about buying prostitutes to replenish your life? Don't tell me your inner-misogynist came out after and you used her then ran her over and took my money back. Admittedly so, I did. I felt bad but it the way GTA handles the gameplay, its like a parody.

what about the account limitations? PS3 knows he's not 18 right? (He shouldn't have a master account and there is content filter adjustable by master accounts, right?

I totally agree and much respect to you. When I have kids I am raising them on Nintendo and watching the ratings for them. Of course I know they are going to go to the "cool kids house who has the badass toys and mature games" but i'll just tell them "those games are not for you, but sooner or later you'll gradually be able to play certain games". When I was a kid its not about knowing the difference between the two, its about what is revealed to me too early because in the end we just want to have fun. The problem is when revealed without maturity a kids idea of fun changes and yes it will be the taboo games, which is half the reason these titles sell so much. Kids on COD are a byproduct of parents who let them play whatever they want. They can get loud and curse (maybe not in front of their parents) but can at times become unruly in videogames with slight aggression. Theres even a guy on Youtube who makes fun of parents who buy their kids COD. Their kids get angry and frustrated that hes beating them and their parents are just clueless. I forgot what his name is.

I wont let my 15 year old play GTA even though he is mature for his age.. that doesn't mean I wont let him play some 18 games... cause i do, it depends on the content, the level of fantasy etc.. I just don't think its nice to let them play a game that has murder, prostitution and drug taking. In fact the murder side is less of an issue for me its the blatant "drugs is cool" message.. don't know why but that type of stuff always affects me.

But as a kid my wife apparently was watching 18 horror films at 9... I certainly remember TV was pretty edgy in the 80's... we are both normal parents who are caring and loving family.. who teach our children to be respectful. So what i am saying is that it hasn't affected us in any way.

I guess what I am saying is - if you are a psycho you will always one, and if you are normal, playing these types of games will not necessarily hurt you.

I do agree that an 11 year old crying his eyes out in joy is not ready for a game like GTA.