Posted Nov 25, 2008 at 02:41PM by Jon G. Listed in: News, Games Tags: NIMF
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The National Institute on Media and the Family just published their annual "games to avoid" list. Hooray! This is an eminently useful list for both responsible parents and gamers like myself with a penchant for violent videogames (I use it as a shopping list).

So, without further ado, the 13th Annual Video Game Report Card:

Games to avoid for children:

  • Fallout 3
    • Rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language and drug use.
  • Dead Space
    • Rated M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. Much dismemberment, the combat system revolves around it.
  • Blitz The League II
    • Players can target which part of their opponent they wish to demolish. Steroid and drug use is encouraged, and wins are celebrated with hookers in a hotel room.
  • Far Cry 2
    • Rated M for blood, drug references, intense violence, sexual themes and strong language. Blowing peoples heads off is a regular occurrence in this game.
  • Gears of War 2
    • Rated M for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. (two words: Chainsaw rifle.)
  • Left 4 Dead
    • A highly powerful rabies virus is the main theme (fast zombies). Victims become grotesquely disfigured and launch vicious attacks on the uninfected.
  • Legendary
    • The story of Charles Deckard, a thief who breaks into a New York museum and opens what turns out to be Pandora's Box, unleashing all of the world's evil and destroying all humans in its path.
  • Resistance 2
    • Nathan Hale fighting the same Chimera alien race he did in the original Resistance game. The Chimera obliterates cities and kills civilians by the thousands.
  • Saint's Row 2
    • In the game, the player can choose to beat up strippers, slit rival game members throats, shoot cops and more.
  • Silent Hill: Homecoming
    • The game is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, language and sexual themes. Certain "moral" choices near the end contribute to the game's unsuitability for young children.
And on the other side of the spectrum, the great games for kids list:
  • Guitar Hero World Tour
  • Rock Band 2
  • Rock Revolution
  • Shaun White Snowboarding
  • Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
  • Samba do Amigo
  • NCAA Basketball 09
  • NBA Live 09
  • Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy
  • LittleBigPlanet (minus penis levels, of course it made the list)
  • High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE!
  • Hasbro Family Game Night
  • FIFA Soccer 09
  • Animal Crossing: City Folk
  • All-Star Cheer Squad
Feel free to view the full report from the source link below.



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11 Comments


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   by joseph10444 - 2008-11-25
 » lol

high school musical 3 > gears of war 2

   by roddollente - 2008-11-25
 » i grew up playing

sonic the Hedgehog, Wolfenstein, Doom, Contra, etc. but never killed somebody in real life. what needs to be adjusted isn't gaming. it's the parenting. my parents didn't give me timeouts or those gay punishments. they beat me and let me know who's the boss. and it turned out good for me.


   Re: PinCushion - 2008-11-25
 » Here, here.

or is it hear, hear? Whatever. My old man put the fear of belts, or whatever was laying around, in me at an early age and it did me a hell of a lot of good. Those games have ratings for a reason. If you don't want your brat to play it, take a look at the rating, and slap em upside the head for asking such a stupid question.
   by rollypoly - 2008-11-25
 » damn...

i may have to give blitz II a shot, haven't played a blitz game since the arcades...

QJ cut out quite a bit of the descriptions for these games, check the source if you want the full info.

most of these games are obviously not appropriate for most children, the ratings, the box art, even the names on most of them...

any parent that actually cares about being a good parent would undoubtedly take everything into consideration when purchasing anything for their kids...

i think violent video games are a good alternative to the slingshots and pellet guns i had as a kid. thank god i got a taste for virtual blood before i developed a fondness for weapons...

   by 93pauott - 2008-11-25
 » wat

***** levels in LBP? did i miss something?

   by darknaiyo - 2008-11-25
 » huh?

all those games are rated M.....those are obviously not games for kids. in that case parents should just not buy M rated games unless they dont know how the rating system works

   by avatar76 - 2008-11-25
 » Anyone notice one glaring omission from the list

GTA IV that game must be too wholesome for them to include that in the avoid list. :)


   Re: Orlyeh - 2008-11-25
 » GTA

probably because it came out in april? it's also a fairly high-profile "no-no game" for kids, so I would assume they figure parents already know about it

the point of the website is to educate parents on the stuff in games that you wouldn't know about: eg hookers in Blitz or the wonderful Bloody Mess perk in Fallout 3
   by Metal Jody - 2008-11-25
 » damn

Blitz is getting more realistic than ever.. lol
how about a game of Heroine Hero, anyone??

   by potat4o - 2008-11-25
 » wot

Most of these are good games, would make a good shopping guide!

   by xCHRISx - 2008-11-26
 » HA!

lmao! @ the blitz description hahahaha xD



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