why are so many children playing this game?

[piezx 2]

I am actually turning 13 next month, and I have the grammar and maturity of a 16 year old. I don't get why people complain about 'high voices', I am pretty sure they would sure a heck not like it if we did that to them. Most adults think we actually just play videos games, when in reality, video games is actually kinda good for your brain. Plus, most people my age don't even play videos more than 10 hours a week! (Of course, there are exceptions.) In fact, almost every kid I know plays atleast 2 sports. But the thing that makes me mad the most when I play on Online/Multiplayer games, is how stereotyped 11-14 year olds are, or any person with a high-ish pitched voice in general. Most people think we are either little girls, or just 6 year olds sneaking behind their parents to play M rated games. Thing is, when trolls do say stuff like "Wow, dude you're so fucking young, you sound like a little girl, gtfo." or "Dumb retard arn't you supposed to be in bed or something?" they are either failing at making me look/feel bad, or just making some kid literally cry. So yes, I am still trying to find a fun game with a good community, and most people in this one I am starting to get a liking to. Oh and one more thing, most people I know don't say "omg bro dueee looket i just mad a 360 noscope ub3r 1337 tacswitch of the wall fuckin' holeeshit nigga due bet you can't evar due dat shit niga, u so jelus omg broooo omgggg!!111!!1!!" with such bad grammar and bad language. So please, stop sterotyping 11-14 year olds with people that cuss in every sentence they say, or say YOLO! or "Wow, faggot, you don't have any SWAG!" because in reality, 99% of the kids I know don't do that.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Piez

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

You are willing to hand over beans to a psychopathic murderer who enjoys killing children?

It would appear that I am.

:)

[DrewCW 0]

It's because Roosterteeth did a video about this game, and Youtubers like Pewdiepie have played it. Same thing happened to games like Slender.

[dutch_miller 159]

It's because Roosterteeth did a video about this game, and Youtubers like Pewdiepie have played it. Same thing happened to games like Slender.

You realize a majority of people on Roosterteeth are 21+, right?

I think these are reasons that more people in general are joining, but I don't think it's drastically increasing the number of younger players.

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

Piez. Nobody, to this point in this topic had actually mentioned any of your reasons for complaint.

We were discussing the appropriateness of children playing a game that is rated 'M 17+'

Thank you for tour input though.

I am sure it will certainly add some spice to the debate.

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

When it comes down to it, the sooner you can expose your children to themes, ideas, and experiences (for lack of better wording) like these, the better.

tl;dr-Games don't "encourage" violent behavior.

I'll be looking at some R18 web pages later. Would you want your child exposed to those? I can post the links if you feel comfortable with exposing the children to New experiences.

(i won't be linking any web pages)

[CM LEGION 29]

Think i played resident evil at around six years old? Maybe 7.

Ratings doesn't equal law. Thank goodness for that. Luckily its just a deterrent for the overly obsessed diaper sniffers.

why are children playing this game though, well, it has guns, zombies, and a horrible playerbase. Mix that up and you got Call of dut- I-i-i mean Dayz!

[Danny_007 5]

I agree with Piez that not all kids should be stereotyped into the little high pitched ignorant children that most people believe they are. I am 14 years old, and may not have perfect grammar, but i am much more mature than some adults and most children my age. I play this game because its the first real game that I've seen that adds realism to a zombie game, and also the struggle with having to deal with actual humans. That's why i play but I'm an actual gamer not some kid that brags about getting prestige for the 5th time in school. That also leads into why kids my age may play this game. CoD nazi zombies. ALL kids i know play CoD, and it makes me so mad when they are like YEAH IMA REAL GAMER GOT PRESTIGE 5 TODAY IN CoD. Anyway back on topic they probably see DayZ as more of an open world game of Nazi Zombies with actual players too.

If your like me and are about 14 dont let that stop you from making videos or using a microphone while playing a game. Just don't go around making all of us look bad.

[Spart248 80]

I'll be looking at some R18 web pages later. Would you want your child exposed to those? I can post the links if you feel comfortable with exposing the children to New experiences.

(i won't be linking any web pages)

Well as much as I appreciate your reply, I think it is quite inappropriate to take what I said completely out of context. I am assuming you read the whole thing (if not the rest of that paragraph), however for those who didn't, I will quote the whole idea that I stated.

When it comes down to it, the sooner you can expose your children to themes, ideas, and experiences (for lack of better wording) like these, the better. It is nothing special, by learning it, they become not only smarter, but also more aware of the world around them (which I shouldn't have to explain the importance of). However, there are certainly drawbacks. Children exposed to these "concepts" must be mature enough to handle them properly and almost fully understand them.

So frankly, it depends on the age, maturity, and personality of the child whether or not I would care about him/her being exposed to content you are suggesting. I may not want to know about it, but in the back of my head I would be aware that he/she may have already came across content like this, whether it be from friends, the internet, or wherever. If I felt they are not capable enough to deal with the type of material you suggest, I would certainly do what I could to keep them from being exposed, but I would not try to control every aspect of there life. I understand, though, that there are certain things that I just have no control over.

...video games is actually kinda good for your brain.

You lost credibility (to me) with that. I don't give a damn what statistics you can pull up from the depths of the internet on some miniscule benefit from playing video games. The fact is that you can benefit infinitely more from doing something more productive than video games. Whether you be 30 years old, or 13, we would all be better without it. However, they are here and we do it regardless simply because we, being humans, like to have entertainment of the highest quality possible (which happens to be video games for many cases). That does not mean we should be ignorant about it, though. Be aware of what you are doing, whether it be good or bad.

I agree with Piez that not all kids should be stereotyped into the little high pitched ignorant children that most people believe they are.

Most people assume this because it is (for the most part) true. Most kids (14 and under) do generally have high-pitched voices simply because they have not/are going through puberty. They are generally ignorant as well. Being in middleschool/early highschool, they likely don't have a full understanding of how things work in the world around them outside their daily lives. It is not a derogative statement; all people go through this. It is not their or your fault for not being in a higher grade, It is simply something you have to deal with. What makes it "bad" to many people is that these children are not afraid to voice their opinions, which often have faulty logic due to not being highly educated on the concept (especially when the dialogue pertains to politics). Of course, as logical it may seem to them, to others who have a higher education, it usually seems ridiculous. Once again, I am not simply trying to bash you and your friends, but rather just explain to you the situation. A "right of passage", if you will, could be a way to describe it I guess. Perhaps not so much that as just part of "growing up".

Now I am sure we were all similar (in terms of attitude, education, and maturity; not the games we played) when we were 14. I can, personally, relate to the description I just stated above. And although not all of us may admit it, most everyone likely shared a trait described above when they were 14 or younger. It is simply a part of life, not much else to say. You will probably be saying the same stuff about the next generation of kids when you grow up.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Spart248

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

Spart248. I cut the paragraph and the rest of your laborious argument from my quote because I felt that it did not add any substance to your point.

And even though you do put it quite eloquently in your redress, I still stand by that NO 11-14 should be exposed to the themes in this game or on this forum.

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

I can understand you have a problem with childish trash talk, im 18 and I would never of been speaking the utter filth that comes out their mouths. Either way its a thing you have to accept, after years of xbox life gaming its just one of those things.

My two cents; Use the mute function, this thread is one of many on dozens of gaming forums. Just because we have one ADHD child doesnt mean they all are.

No - this is nothing t do with the language of youth today. I have no real issues with words, as long as they are used in context and not offense.

This is about exposing 11-14 year old CHILDREN to the violence and content of this Mod and these forums.

the mods should now be aware of who some of the 'children' are - good grief there are several topics asking for 11-14 year clan members with dozens of responders - and I would really like to think that they are taking the appropriate action to remove those users. I know they can re-register but when the moral high ground is being taken by a couple of them already, then surely they should NOT be ignoring the fact that children are using these explicit forums.

Now - where is my step ladder - I really need to get off of this high horse.

[E. Heskey 11]

'Children' is a general term. Some, if few, 'children' are more mature than others and can handle this type of situation.

The real world is full of war, killing, crime and despair (Not to mention the good things, we can skim over that for now) and keeping them from that is simply a facile effort. Not everything is black and white.

It also isn't so much the parents not caring as it is the parents allowing their children certain freedoms, playing a video game is much different than encouraging killing and theft.

Sure, you get those 'COD Kiddies' who run around shooting everything and complaining when they are viciously devoured by a horde of zed-heads, but most take the game seriously, using tactics and logic to combat the many obstacles DayZ places in your path.

[johan (DayZ) 21]

The graphical violence on a video game is hardly anything remote to what real life has to offer countless children each day and as such there are a vast number of children who will be growing up with memories of war and the memories that come with them. Video games have always paled in comparison to this. All you get is visual and auditory feedback, no sound, no real expression of fear or terror or any form of real emotion from your would be companions. There's no comparing.

As for shooting your friend in the head I don't think you quite understand what the focus of these games are to the younger player. When I hear kids talking of such games (I get access to children daily, in a very non-scary way) they're more interested in who's the fastest, got the best awareness of their surroundings, etc. not who can splatter someone elses brain on the wall. It's the same form of competition kids get from a whole lot other things in life, be they expertise and understanding in mechanics, woodwork, sports, etc. The killing is not the focus of the game, it merely makes a very definite point of who succeeded or not.

Having grown up with forums I wouldn't mind my children browsing through some if they had some smarts (no hurr durr meeting my new BF in front of the highway). If they really wanted to discuss something with me about their experiences they certainly could. It all comes down to remembering just what kind of dastardly rogue you were when you were young and then being able to understand them from their point of view. It's your job to teach, as a parent, to prepare and not to hinder. The difference is that some children live in the middle of the war in Syria and some in the relative safety of the so-called "developed world".

Edit: Besides Arma 2 is hardly realistic... "Fall back, fall back, fall back, enemy spotted... at.... 23231" "Understood! EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE!" Even the daleks sound fairly human in comparison to the arma 2 soldiers. :)

Edited September 6, 2012 by johan

[mattt* 17]

I am actually turning 13 next month, and I have the grammar and maturity of a 16 year old.

It seems you are immature cause i don't know anyone mature who would say "i have the same maturity of a 16 years old". That's so childish... How can you know if you are more or less mature than any other 13 years old child ?

I have been playing online videogames for 6 years now, every player who was less than 18 i have met was childish... There is no exception, when you are x years old, you are as mature as a x years old person, that's all.

And yes, it's boring to have retarded child yelling around on the global voice channel (while enabled) in a game like DayZ. Also, games like COD and BF are completely ruined because of child playing it. To play a game where 50%+ of the community is under 18 is so boring for an adult, you can't imagine it... That's why we (as adults) stopped playing these games...

[sostronk 334]

Im in my 30s. If I had kids I wouldn't be concerned if they were playing this game. I dont have kids though. I was brought up watching horror movies and graphic scenes etc. I don't really see the reason why its an issue.

[Spart248 80]

It seems you are immature cause i don't know anyone mature who would say "i have the same maturity of a 16 years old". That's so childish... How can you know if you are more or less mature than any other 13 years old child ?

I have been playing online videogames for 6 years now, every player who was less than 18 i have met was childish... There is no exception, when you are x years old, you are as mature as a x years old person, that's all.

And yes, it's boring to have retarded child yelling around on the global voice channel (while enabled) in a game like DayZ. Also, games like COD and BF are completely ruined because of child playing it. To play a game where 50%+ of the community is under 18 is so boring for an adult, you can't imagine it... That's why we (as adults) stopped playing these games...

While I would agree that saying something that he did is bad because it basically destroys his credibility, it is not because he is childish. It is simply because he does not, yet, understand that people look down upon phrases like that. So although it was bad of him to do that, I would not blame him for it. From now on, he probably won't do that if he reads these posts.

But either way, it is rather harsh of you to say that every person is as mature as their age. Sure, most younger people are generally less mature than older people, but that does not necessarily mean that they are all the same. I have encountered kids of various ages. Some younger, yet more mature than older ones, some less mature than their age. It is unfair to set it in stone like that, because it is simply not that way. We all had fairly squeaky voices and half an education at that age, but it is not those that matter when it comes to maturity. It matters on how you use the information and knowledge that you have.

Like I said earlier, most kids 14-under usually are not very aware that there is an extremely large amount of information they have not learned yet about the world, and thus they go about talking as if they know everything about the topic. Whether or not you want to blame them for this, most people get pissed off at it (or laugh). Now I have met many children like this, but I have also met a handful you are very aware of their surroundings. It is not like they don't talk about anything, it is just that when they do, they are not so cocky about it, saying random shit and assumptions about the world based on their half-done education.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Spart248

[Sula 1205]

Too many young people playing because no one stops them. Parents have no idea what their kids get up to anymore.

Everyone thinks they are mature enough. BUT "mature enough" isn't just about you, it's about how you impact on other people too.

Every kid thinks they're not a kid anymore and don't need to be told anything.

I don't care how mature someone thinks they are. What I care about are things like:

- Do you whine when someone else has a better weapon or item that you want? Do you go on and on and on about wanting or wishing you had it. Or do you accept that it isn't your and realise that if you listen and learn, one day you might get one too?

- Do agree to things but rarely bother to do them? For exampe, agree to cover someone but not take it seriously because "it's just a game", "so what if you died, chill dude". Or when you give your word do you stick to it and do what you said you would?

- Do you agree to meet someone but then not bother to show up because "it's just a game" or "or went to get dinner" or some other reason you didn't bother to plan ahead to take into account your commitments?

- Do you appreciate what other people have done for you, and then take time out to return those kindnesses? Or is your first thought for yourself and what you can get?

Edited September 6, 2012 by Sula

[ninjaontour 123]

While I would agree that saying something that he did is bad because it basically destroys his credibility, it is not because he is childish. It is simply because he does not, yet, understand that people look down upon phrases like that. So although it was bad of him to do that, I would not blame him for it. From now on, he probably won't do that if he reads these posts.

But either way, it is rather harsh of you to say that every person is as mature as their age. Sure, most younger people are generally less mature than older people, but that does not necessarily mean that they are all the same. I have encountered kids of various ages. Some younger, yet more mature than older ones, some less mature than their age. It is unfair to set it in stone like that, because it is simply not that way. We all had fairly squeaky voices and half an education at that age, but it is not those that matter when it comes to maturity. It matters on how you use the information and knowledge that you have.

Like I said earlier, most kids 14-under usually are not very aware that there is an extremely large amount of information they have not learned yet about the world, and thus they go about talking as if they know everything about the topic. Whether or not you want to blame them for this, most people get pissed off at it (or laugh). Now I have met many children like this, but I have also met a handful you are very aware of their surroundings. It is not like they don't talk about anything, it is just that when they do, they are not so cocky about it, saying random shit and assumptions about the world based on their half-done education.

Doesn't matter.

Game is rated 18, you are not 18. Time to leave.

/thread

Seriously though, I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. Why aren't the mods banning kids from the forums, and locking posts discussing underage clans etc?

I'll be thoroughly raged if we get some gimpy censorship system to protect the ankle-biters who have recently flooded this community

[slartibartfast (DayZ) 77]

Doesn't matter.

Game is rated 18, you are not 18. Time to leave.

/thread

Seriously though, I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. Why aren't the mods banning kids from the forums, and locking posts discussing underage clans etc?

I'll be thoroughly raged if we get some gimpy censorship system to protect the ankle-biters who have recently flooded this community

The question has to be asked again, and again and again.

Why aren't the mods banning these children?

Where are the mods right now?

We know they are aware of this topic and the several other topics asking for players aged 11-14.

[Max Planck 7174]

Where are the mods right now?

I'm right here, hi there.

Why aren't the mods banning these children?

As far as I know these forums do not have an age limit.

If there is no age limit, we can't go about banning people for being underage.

Since Arma is a mature rated game I think you have a good point, but there isn't much I can do about it.

If you are serious about this issue I suggest you contact Griff, he is the forum administrator and would probably be the right person to go to.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Max Planck

[Bernd (DayZ) 134]

Slartibartfast, you have got me a-thinking. Naturally that alone is unforgivable, but to stray to the point I wonder whether you have heard of the 'Bezprizorniki'. They were feral children whose parents had dematerialised due to war and disaster. They roamed the USSR in groups, scavenging, selling their bodies and generally engaging in every imaginable outrage in the name of survival.

Their example provides compelling evidence of indifference to the welfare of children who have no blood relation to ourselves.

Since we are shuffling around a former Soviet wasteland ourselves, it does not surprise me to find abandoned children flocking together as they had in real life. As history shows the results were far from morally improving, and give the lie somewhat to our cherished fantasies of the innocence of the young.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Bernd

[Sula 1205]

Ten minutes typing a reply then a tiny slip of the hand and my post has disappeared. :(

I suppose it really doesn't matter if younger people play or not, and it doesn't matter if mods ban them from the forums - they can come back and pretend to be 18. Then we'll all know they're younger but they just won't be able to admit it.

Maybe we have to grit our teeth and tolerate it, then when we've had a really bad day we can vent about it here and the rest of us will sypathise? :thumbsup: :)

Edited September 6, 2012 by Sula

[Bernd (DayZ) 134]

In the unlikely event that anyone cares, the bezprizorniki were initially met with sympathy. The head of the secret police saw them as 'blank slates' who could be easily indoctrinated.

It took five years before this position was reversed over their twitching corpses.

In the words of one Muscovite:

"I would throw all these sons of bitches into a sack and drown them in the river. They are a burden to the state.'

[Kalansilma 0]

TBH, there are ALOT of 20+ aged people playing DayZ.

Unlike CoD and BF

[zergra 0]

Im 15 still a Whitelisted medic. Go figure. I dont play it cos´ of the thousand frickin Dayz LP´s on youtube. I play it because i like playing Arma 2 with the ARPS folks and heard it was a good mod. Just wanted to put in that not all teens are thrash talking 12 year olds fanboying CoD/BF3 and flaming BF3/CoD. Sadly most of them are.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Zergra