How old were you when you played your first "mature" game?

Amid all this video games and violence nonsense, I've seen many people point to "bad parenting" for letting their kids play mature games. Even with younger teenages, it seems to bother a good chunk of people that they are playing M-rated games, and I honestly don't see why. I want to say that many people began playing "mature" games well before they turned 17 or 18. I don't believe it's a problem for a relatively mature young teen to be playing M-rated games. And call me crazy, but I don't think anything bad is going to happen in most cases if a pre-teen picks up and plays an M-rated game. I don't want to support the notion that violent video games cause any sort of problems. I, personally, was 10 when I played my first M-rated game, which was True Crime: Streets of L.A., followed shortly by GTA: San Andreas. I don't think I have bad parents. I never acted out or became violent for playing a video game.

So, I simply ask the title of this topic. And if you're an older gamer, count a game that would have been rated "M", or the equivalent in your country's rating system. 

About 14 or so in 1993/1994, Mortal Kombat 1. Such a boring game, really didn't see what the big deal was about it, it was a pretty dull fighting game.

So we are talking about our first M rated game and not really mature game?

That would probably be Resident Evil 4 around when I was eleven. Although I'd watch my dad play Thief the dark Project a lot when I was younger.

I was 6 and had Doom, Duke, Blood & Shadow Warrior.

Probably 10. My cousin gave me Mafia to play.

Under 10 for sure. Mortal Kombat maybe? 

Somewhere around 11 or 12. MW2 was one of the first ones I actually PLAYED, although I watched my cousin play GTA (the third one, I believe) every now and then before that.

i got a SNES with mortal kombat when i was like, 4 or 5. but my mom hid away the game after like, a week, and i never saw it again :P didn't like the game anyway.

other than that... i don't know. diablo 2? i was probably around 8-9 back then.

EDIT: oh, i think i was around 8 when i played GTA 2

Games didn't have ratings in the US until I was 30 years old lol.  I think that stuff's kind of silly.  When I was a teenager the legal drinking age was 18, now you're supposed to be 17 just to play Grand Theft Auto.  Whatever. 

So we are talking about our first M rated game and not really mature game?

That would probably be Resident Evil 4 around when I was eleven. Although I'd watch my dad play Thief the dark Project a lot when I was younger.

turtlethetaffer

10 when i played doom or doom 2. it wasnt that big of a deal

Ratings-wise, it had to be a genesis game, since they were the first to adopt a ratings scheme. But in general, I would say the first time I played a game that would cause some controversy was probably in the early 90s between games like Wolfenstein 3d and arcade titles like Mortal Kombat and Lethal Enforcers, all of which came out around the same time. So, sixth-grade-ish?

Light gun games were pretty controversial back in the day, especially Lethal Enforcers with its photo-realistic enemies. Games like Wolfenstein went pretty much under the radar until 1999.

I was 5 or 6 when I first played Mortal Kombat on the SEGA Genesis.

Under 10.  I don't remember the first one though.  Not all M games are so bad, but some are a bit much for some ages.  Ultimately it is parents who need to use their best discretion on what is ok and what isnt and to explain to them about fantasy and such.  Really it boils down to more of a parenting as a whole matter.  some parents just dont really do a good job of parenting to begin with and they take FROM media since they have nowhere else to take from.  

Think I was 16 played Prince of Persia Warrior Within, but I'm not entirely sure on that. Can't remember if I played Mortal Kombat on SNES or GTA on PS2 before then or not.

I played Doom when I was like 5 or something. Played Mortal Kombat below the age of 10 too.

It's funny though 'cos I'd consider ^those games to be Mature but games like Fallout 3 are definitely Adults Only IMO.

10 and it was RE1

I think it was Wolfenstein 3D at my friends house. I would have been in Kindergarten or grade 1

Don't remember first. Nightmare on elm street? Wolf 3d? I can't remember probably 10 or under AutoPilotOn

Grand Theft Auto 3 when I was about...hm...I couldn't have been older than 7.

I first played Hitman: Silent Assassin when I was about 11.

The funniest thing about a poll like this is that the same people that are voting truthfully in it have no problems being all preachy about "bad parenting" when it comes to kids these days playing games like COD and whatnot. It's amazing how many posts I see all over the internet that say things like "It's rated 18/M for a reason! Kids shouldn't be playing these games. Bad parenting", yet they themselves played plenty of 18 rated games when they were kids. The hypocrisy always amuses me.

The funniest thing about a poll like this is that the same people that are voting truthfully in it have no problems being all preachy about "bad parenting" when it comes to kids these days playing games like COD and whatnot. It's amazing how many posts I see all over the internet that say things like "It's rated 18/M for a reason! Kids shouldn't be playing these games. Bad parenting", yet they themselves played plenty of 18 rated games when they were kids. The hypocrisy always amuses me.

burgeg

The funniest thing about a poll like this is that the same people that are voting truthfully in it have no problems being all preachy about "bad parenting" when it comes to kids these days playing games like COD and whatnot. It's amazing how many posts I see all over the internet that say things like "It's rated 18/M for a reason! Kids shouldn't be playing these games. Bad parenting", yet they themselves played plenty of 18 rated games when they were kids. The hypocrisy always amuses me.

burgeg

The funniest thing about a poll like this is that the same people that are voting truthfully in it have no problems being all preachy about "bad parenting" when it comes to kids these days playing games like COD and whatnot. It's amazing how many posts I see all over the internet that say things like "It's rated 18/M for a reason! Kids shouldn't be playing these games. Bad parenting", yet they themselves played plenty of 18 rated games when they were kids. The hypocrisy always amuses me.

burgeg

I don't know about everyone else, but I only claim "bad parenting" when someone's kids\ does something terrible and then the parent tries to blame video games. And sure, my parents let me play violent video games when I was very young and I came out fine, but that doesn't make it right. I mean, my parents were very good parents. But with the whole letting me play violent video games (and watch rated R movies) at a young age thing, I can't say that was a very wise choice.

I really should not have been playing GTA at 7. Not even just because of the simulated violence. Mostly because of the things they said and talked about during the cutscenes. Luckily my sister and I always skipped the cutscenes and went to go run people over. And I didn't know this was stuff I wasn't supposed to be seeing, I was just a kid. I'm also lucky GTA didn't contain anything really bad like sexual violence or some other heavy themes my 7 year old mind couldn't deal with.

So in short, I came out fine, but I think I was lucky. When I have kids I doubt I'll let them play M rated games at a really young age. Especially considering now, games are getting more realistic and developers are continuing to push the envelope further and further. These sure aren't the days of cartoonish violence with blocky looking character models anymore.

Around 14 I think. COD4 was actually the first game I played rated M, I believe. 

I was under 10. I don't remember what game it was though 

Carmageddon on the PC when I was less than 10 years old. Man, that was such a great game.

I was 6 when I played Doom.

I may have played Wolfenstein when I was younger but I have no memory of it.

Doom. I was in my 20's

Doom in like '94, I was 13. Kinda scary 5 year olds are playing Black Ops 2...

Don't think Wolfenstein 3D had a rating but if it did it would probably have been M, counting it I was three in 1993. Played Duke Nukem 3D when I was about six I know that actually had an M rating.

About 14 or so in 1993/1994, Mortal Kombat 1. Such a boring game, really didn't see what the big deal was about it, it was a pretty dull fighting game.

Smokescreened84

GTA: San Andreas was the first mature game I played when I was 12

No idea. I'm not sure what my first "mature" game was. I've been playing for 25 years so i'm sure I was young.

Really interesting topic. Well done.

The funniest thing about a poll like this is that the same people that are voting truthfully in it have no problems being all preachy about "bad parenting" when it comes to kids these days playing games like COD and whatnot. It's amazing how many posts I see all over the internet that say things like "It's rated 18/M for a reason! Kids shouldn't be playing these games. Bad parenting", yet they themselves played plenty of 18 rated games when they were kids. The hypocrisy always amuses me.

burgeg