VIdeo Game Survey (for the sake of fun!)

[Sega Uranus]

Outside of the first game, the Yakuza series does not have any swear words in English and although I am not well versed in the same topic for Japanese, I know it is low. Even then, usually the games are text based. As for the rest of the series (except one thing near the end of Yakuza 4 and obviously OF THE END) the series is not dark or out of line at all. If anything I would argue Star Wars is worse for children with how Anakin changes from that cute kid to the meanest thing in the galaxy compared to how the playable characters in the Yakuza series are some of the most respectful and dignified characters SEGA has ever made.

Although at the end of the day it is up to your judgment, Emmett. I would never tell anyone how they should raise their children, I just think establishing all of what you hide from them should not be based what is said on the box.

I mean, what makes something like Halo - An M rated series, outside of Wars - any worse than laser tag with toy guns? 20+ year old games have no consistent rating, so in those cases you would have to make your own choices. I mean if you think about it, Revenge of Shinobi is pretty dark, would you let your kid see/play that? Movies are another thing, what was considered an R movie back in the early 1980s is now considered PG.

I understand why you would want to do this. While I am not a father myself, I have always wanted to be one and have had the topic on my mind a lot. I would obviously never let them know games like Gears of War or Bayonetta exist, but stuff like Yakuza and Halo is not going to scar anyone.

[MadeManG74]

Updating with pics of my Playing cards and Scribbenauts press-release. No idea why the image quality came out so low, must have done a mischief with my camera settings on my phone:




What's cool about this scribblenauts release is that there is a pile of words at the bottm that you can cut out and use as magnets to fill in the press release, like writing in the words when you play the game. Such a minor thing, but a cool idea that made it really memorable. And pretty rare!

[tarpmortar]

What is the worst game you own?

World of Warcraft. Got it at launch, played for 5 months, I will never play it again.

Oh yes, this is the worst game I own too. Forgot I had it.

[segaismysavior]

What is the worst game you own?

World of Warcraft. Got it at launch, played for 5 months, I will never play it again.

Oh yes, this is the worst game I own too. Forgot I had it.

 :lol: It's actually not the worst game I own, but it's the only one I could recall from memory that fills me with the most rage. I'm sure I have terrible 8 and 16 bit stuff hidden away somewhere.

[Emmett The Crab]

Oh come on dude. Don't paint me out to be some sort of naive child. I'm 27. I very much doubt that I'll "understand when it happens". When it happens is sure to be in less than 3 years time. We'll have a child, I'll keep all my R and M rated stuff and just not play any of it while the child is in ear shot. I just find it odd to purge a house of things like M rated games, especially when they are so unassuming and safe when simply placed high on a shelf or in a box. Only taken out when the kid is fast asleep or away at the grandparents house for the weekend. Is there anything offensive about a copy of Yakuza existing in a home? It's not as though it has the content of the game illustrated on the cover. It's just Japanese dudes standing about.

Anyway, your choice. I'm cool with whatever you do, just don't understand it. And it is a major pet peeve of mine when people say "you don't understand, but you will". Didn't mean all of the above to sound like an attack, I just wanted you to know that that sort of thing really gets on my nerves.  8-)

I don't know why you think I'm arguing with you. You can do whatever you want.  Anyway, you probably won't do what I do, but you will do something else.  It doesn't matter, you change, you make preparations, you worry about weird stuff.  There's a whole process you go through, so I'm not going to argue about it, because 6 months ago I would have been arguing with me.  I said you will understand when it happens, because I don't want to argue or try to explain it in any kind of way that's persuasive.  

I know it would have been fine to keep them, but I need to change me too.  The games I keep are ones I want to share with my kid, not be embarrassed about, or keep on a high shelf, like the dubbing on Yakuza 1, or almost everything in HOTD Overkill.

[Emmett The Crab]

Outside of the first game, the Yakuza series does not have any swear words in English and although I am not well versed in the same topic for Japanese, I know it is low. Even then, usually the games are text based. As for the rest of the series (except one thing near the end of Yakuza 4 and obviously OF THE END) the series is not dark or out of line at all. If anything I would argue Star Wars is worse for children with how Anakin changes from that cute kid to the meanest thing in the galaxy compared to how the playable characters in the Yakuza series are some of the most respectful and dignified characters SEGA has ever made.

Although at the end of the day it is up to your judgment, Emmett. I would never tell anyone how they should raise their children, I just think establishing all of what you hide from them should not be based what is said on the box.

I mean, what makes something like Halo - An M rated series, outside of Wars - any worse than laser tag with toy guns? 20+ year old games have no consistent rating, so in those cases you would have to make your own choices. I mean if you think about it, Revenge of Shinobi is pretty dark, would you let your kid see/play that? Movies are another thing, what was considered an R movie back in the early 1980s is now considered PG.

I understand why you would want to do this. While I am not a father myself, I have always wanted to be one and have had the topic on my mind a lot. I would obviously never let them know games like Gears of War or Bayonetta exist, but stuff like Yakuza and Halo is not going to scar anyone.

Luckily I know what's in the movies and games I have, so I don't care about the rating so much.  As far as Revenge of Shinobi, who knows... It's about solving problems with violence, I guess.  I imagine I'll make more sense when the baby is already here.

[MadeManG74]

If I have kids, I'm going to force them to play Yakuza 2 as soon as they are old enough to hold a controller and read the subtitles. Then I'll take them to the zoo and bribe the staff so that they let my son punch a tiger in the face.

[Barry the Nomad]

Emmett, glad you don't think I'm trying to fight you. Obviously I'll put up those door gates and baby proof the house so the little tyke doesn't hurt himself. But in terms of media that contains things not suitable for a baby, I really do not see any harm in keeping it in the house but just not sticking the disc in the player while the kid is around to see certain things and understand whats going on. It's not as though a copy of, let's say, Pulp Fiction pulsates with some evil violence and swearing vibes that will harm the child. To him, it's just some box on the shelf that is daddy's movie, is out of reach and is probably really boring. That's how I viewed my dad's VHS tapes growing up. "Taxi Driver? What's that? I'm watching Aladdin!" Plus with parental controls the way they are, you could have a blu-ray player that blocks anything higher than PG-13 and do the same with your gaming devices.

What I was trying to get at is that I don't think men should have to lose their balls in lieu of a baby being on the way. Let's say little Timmy is off at his friend's house for the day. You're sitting at home and have the need to play a bit of Yakuza of the End or pop in a Tarantino flick. But you're out of luck because it's all been sold.

Anywho, do what you think you have to do. I just disagree. It's not as though every man is going to agree on how to raise their children, and every man does not undergo the same changes when a baby arrives.

[Emmett The Crab]

If I have kids, I'm going to force them to play Yakuza 2 as soon as they are old enough to hold a controller and read the subtitles. Then I'll take them to the zoo and bribe the staff so that they let my son punch a tiger in the face.

I know you are making fun of me, but that was funny anyway.

Barry, I have a history of buying things, sellong them, then buying them again later.  I am impulsive that way, but you know, possessions are fleeting.  It doesn't matter much what my reason is this time.  We'll see if I miss them.   I've never gone back and played any of them after beating them.

...Wait a minute, you're lecturing me and if I remember right, you don't even own a PS3!

It's also strange that you equate selling a few video games with "losing your balls".  If I buy some am I getting more balls?  if I were Mr. Spock I would raise one eyebrow, because that is illogical.

[MadeManG74]

If I have kids, I'm going to force them to play Yakuza 2 as soon as they are old enough to hold a controller and read the subtitles. Then I'll take them to the zoo and bribe the staff so that they let my son punch a tiger in the face.

I know you are making fun of me, but that was funny anyway.

Not at all, I wasn't trying to make fun of anyone at all. I was just trying to make a silly comment by acting like a hugely irresponsible dad by getting a kid to act out that awesome bit from Yakuza 2(glad you didn't take offense though because it really wasn't my intention.)

Also, I thought of some games i don't own but would really like to:
Grim Fandango PC (I have a re-release, but wouldn't mind owning an original copy, just because it's one of my all time favourite games).

[Barry the Nomad]

...Wait a minute, you're lecturing me and if I remember right, you don't even own a PS3!

I was just using the Yakuza titles as an example of M rated games, I could have mentioned multiplatform titles as well but I used Yakuza as you initially mentioned them in your post. Though I do have the first two and plan on getting the other two once I pick up a PS3. Still waiting for The Last Guardian to release. Regardless, I have a good deal of dirty dirty M rated titles. Probably far more "mature" than Yakuza.

Perhaps "balls" was a bit extreme, but I was trying to say that I don't think one should strip themselves of their interests, even if they have adult leanings (M or R rated).

[Emmett The Crab]

Mangy-man: I thought it was funny, but when you explain it takes away from it a little.  Still, thanks for not making fun of me.

Barry: You are taking this very seriously.  Way more than I am. Maybe there is some kind of conflict within yourself, or you are getting some outside pressure to "grow up" or get rid of your collection?

I probably have one of the Best Clive Barker collections in the country.  Almost all of it is M-rated, and it's not going anywhere.  My priorities are shifting a little though, and I'm still trying to figure that out.

[Barry the Nomad]

Barry: You are taking this very seriously.  Way more than I am. Maybe there is some kind of conflict within yourself, or you are getting some outside pressure to "grow up" or get rid of your collection?

I probably have one of the Best Clive Barker collections in the country.  Almost all of it is M-rated, and it's not going anywhere.  My priorities are shifting a little though, and I'm still trying to figure that out.

Naw, there is no conflict within myself (watching Return of the Jedi recently?).  8-) My stuff is staying where it is, and there is nobody telling me to lose it.

I think what initially pissed me off was when you said "I keep thinking you are older" and "You'll understand when it happens". Thanks to the limitations of the internet, I couldn't figure out how you are saying it. So that came off as kind of snobbish, as though your attitude was "the young one does not understand what us wiser older folks know". I hate that sort of nonsense. However I'd assume that's not how it was on your end and I just read it that way, so no qualms broski.  

Anyway, that Clive Barker collection sounds sweet. Though it sort of goes against what you were saying about purging your home of adult stuff, where do you keep it all? A Clive basement cave?

[Emmett The Crab]

No, based on the way you write, I thought you were older than your fellow Segabits bloggers.  It's a little shocking I guess when I hear you are 10 years younger than me.

There are plenty younger and more experienced parents than me, so that's not about age at all.  We waited 16 years to have a baby.  

We have 1 more move to make, so my Clive Barker collection is in boxes.  The baby is born 8/7/11, and we move in September.  Probably just a bookshelf, but it's mostly novels, posters, screenplays, movies, 2 games, cards, etc.  Probably 95% of it is autographed.  Anyway, it's a lot more important to me.

[Barry the Nomad]

I actually am the oldest SEGAbit writer, at least compared to those who gave their ages in their profiles. Aki might be 50, and Nuckles could very well be 75.