I was in a store yesterday, picking up a game and there was this kid (looks 9-11) with his dad (looked mid to late 30s), the kid was getting a game and didn't know which one. His dad didn't mind which one he got except when the kid picked up 50cent, the dad said 'No, your mum would kill me.' I found this funny. Not wanting to stick around and find out what he bought the kid I did wonder something.

We as gamers in the future when/if we have kids will have a better understanding of games than any Joe Bloggs out there. If that kid was mine and he picked up 50cent, I'd tell him off and say to him unless he picks a good game, he's not getting one at all. No way would I buy him a 18 rated game. But the question is, does that limit his choice?

Uncharted, all 3 games are 15s. Ignoring the gun play, there is very little language (besides the racism :P). Tomb Raider from 15 years ago were not rated as far as I remember, yet were about a woman stealing from Tombs and killing endangered animals, yet new Tomb Raider is an 18.

We are gamers have matured with the market and the market has matured with us as graphics improve. But looking over game, there are few true big games with I'd consider suitable for an 11 year old beyond cute plaformers which they probably wouldn't like and sports sims/racing games.

Yes, but GTA is known for upping the gameplay ante. The controls get more complex with every game.

If the videogame store would've given it to the kid they would've been to blame and no one would've made a tape.

No, worse: http://uk.playstation.com/50centbloodonthesand/

Oh yeah, my telling off was nothing to do with the rating, just because it looks rubbish. That said I'd tell him off for picking up a FFXIII or it's sequal for example, or any game that I know is bad/is from a bad series.

Tomb Raider has generally been rated Teen which starts at 13+ but was an exaggerated experience coming after the likes of Pitfall with a sexualized female. The reason the new Tomb Raider was rated M was because they turned Lara Croft into Rambo in a desperate attempt to get the male population to take her seriously. If you ask me, another game called the Last of Us is priming us for how you create a proper female protagonist who commands respect and doesnt feel forced in a male dominated audience.

Gamers have matured because the majority of them are over the age of thirty who grew up with gaming and still game to this day. There are still ratings guidelines for anyone under eighteen in the US. Yes, the children who play certain games who play mature games before their time have essentially lost their innocence. They've become desensitized. 

Name the games that you would consider good for a 11 or 13 year old because they will always choose violence over Mario. We were kids, the most anticipated games were the ones we never should've been playing. It's always going to be the talk of the town for kids and they will never understand why they shouldn't yet be allowed to play it.

As I said before, this is why horror genres are dying out or are secondary. They have to resort to cheap peek-a-boo tactics to make you jump now. Kids innocence are generally numbing to the effects to the simulated experience.  

It's widely accepted by psychologists that videogames have desensitization effects on children, they just want to know what spark it but even though they are taking the right steps they are studying ass backwards. A gamer knows that if you want to study the psychological and physiological makeup of a game you use a non-gamer as the variables (major testers whom will have varied effects)and the lifelong gamer as the control (without letting him know he's an experiment). They are doing a study on desensitization of at such early ages so choosing college students defeats the purpose as well. They are using the wrong people to test out their theories. This is also a similar case to movies.

http://utsa.edu/today/2013/08/videogames.html

In 2014 they should have the results of the study. I assure you it will have a backwards result.

If we have zero standards for society in protecting our childrens gradual growth well then, we get what we get.

So ratings have no effect on your judgement and the only thing that should gauge his experience in your eyes is what you consider to be quality content for yourself or am I misreadng this?

This is a very interesting situation. Nothing big, just a query on the decisionmaking process of parents. Many young parents are desensitized and so am I, really. 

Exactly my point on the second paragraph, instances where we as 30 yr old gamers who have played since the late 80, I am at least used to all games. I understand how the industry has changed with the improvement of graphics. In the late 80s games could never be considered violent as it was too comical, little sprites shooting pixel out of a gun is not considered 'violent'. As graphics improved so did the realism, which means they are more violent but we have grown with this improvement. Kids however haven't, they start with games where realistic looking people are killing other people.

In most cases though it's down to the individual child/parent. In answer to your other question above as well, ratings does not have any affect on me as a gamer, I'm old enough to know what games I want to buy. However, I'd have to consider the relative maturity of the person I'm buying the game for, a 13 yr old may be mature enough for me to buy them the 15 rated Uncharted, however I wouldn't let them play GTA. A 9-11yr old shouldn't be playing Uncharted.

This said, I also wouldn't let a kid play any game I'd consider bad in general, this is elitism/snobbery.

I was playing GTA when I was 8. And look at me I turned out fine (I think). The only thing I ever killed was a lady bug and I still feel bad about that.

OP needs to calm down. I was 8 years old when my I first played my first GTA which was #3 and 10 years later I'm am still mentally stable. If kids start freaking out over GTA its bound to happen whether its GTA or not. 10 years ago kids were the same. I think the common phrase is boys will be boys right.

Just because some of you guys had parents who completely censored everything you watched, played and did as a child doesn't mean you're parents or you are any better at raising your kids than parents who do let their children play GTA or do other shit (like mine did). Don't pass judgement over stupid shit like this. You don't know those people. Who knows that child will most likely grow into a respectable young man.

I have no issue with kids playing these type of games. Its up to the parents. If they know their kid is able to play the game without going gaga, then i dont see the issue with it.

I watched horror films when i was a kid. My favourite type of films to be honest. It has never done me any harm. If anything it gave me a more serious view on the world and help me to understand that the world isnt filled with fun loving people, piece and harmony.

Parents rap their childern in cotton wool then wonder why he/she tgets taken off by some stranger in a car with a bag of sweets. Not saying kids should watch horrors or anything, far from it for most but games is just too far.