[00:00.02] Unit 55 What's In a Game?
[00:04.49] Computer games are a $60 billion industry globally and playing games is a big part of many children's daily lives.
[00:13.58] Parents are often concerned about the violent content of some computer games.
[00:19.15] Games like Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil, both rated 18 +, feature significant scenes of graphic violence and are not supposed to be sold to children.
[00:31.12] Yet younger children are still getting access to these games.
[00:35.27] The parents are to blame for young kids playing 18 + games.
[00:40.34] Retailers simply advise them and say that game is an 18 +.
[00:46.02] If a kid goes into a store and says," Mum, can I get that game?" the parent often says yes.
[00:54.47] The manufacturers could also do more to help by avoiding the bloody content but keeping the games action packed for children.
[01:03.15] For example, Grand Theft Auto is senseless violence.
[01:07.54] There are people getting crushed and there's blood all over the place.
[01:12.14] So if there were games that were a bit less bloody but still action packed, younger children would steer away from buying,
[01:19.41] or wanting to buy.
[01:22.27] Young game players shared their experience of buying and playing computer games.
[01:27.53] Samir Pasha, 15 from London, was concerned about the violent content of PC games." I think it's a bit too violent for young people.
[01:38.41] When people are coming at you to shoot, you stab them and all that and run over people.
[01:45.20]" Ryan McLaughlin, 15 from Derry, disagreed and felt young people could distinguish between and felt young people could distinguish between violent content in games and real life.
[01:56.15]" I think there's nothing really there to support an 18 + certification. This game, Evil Dead,
[02:03.46] of course there is a lot of mad violence, but it is only a game. And where is not there violence these days?
[02:12.10]" Ryan also thought manufacturers could design more different types of games for the younger children to prevent them from pestering parents for more violent but exciting games.
[02:24.33] The high cost of buying PC games was another major concern.
[02:29.25] Connor Donnelly 12, from Derry said," I can hardly afford games. I got a game recently, a week ago,
[02:38.41] and I 've been saving up since Christmas just to get enough money for it." Connor felt manufacturers were making excessive profit from selling PC games.
[02:49.27]" For the amount of money it costs to make a game, it's way too excessive,
[02:54.00] and I read something, and it was, like $ 1 to make one game and we 're paying $40,
[03:01.40] so I think the price is too high."