This thread is silly and pointless, why would anyone would want his 13yr old niece to play a "M" rated game? there are ratings for a reason... unless the first poster is a regular IVChan user.

Yes, there are ratings for a reason. The reason is to ensure the publishers of games don't suffer any liability issues from people who don't want their kids playing games with certain types of content. They weren't designed to tell you these things are never appropriate for your kids. That's something you're supposed to think about for yourself and teach your kids to be able to think about for themselves as well, rather than to just blindly follow printed directions. The standards in ratings systems will generally conform to the culture in the area where they are produced and will vary wildly from region to region, just like TV does.

Indeed, I believe on most news stations they are broadcasting the insides of briast implants.

Bah, just ignore him. Oh btw my niece had a great time this afternoon with her first character on my PC, the only downside is she'll be forced to start from scratch on her console because apparently there's no easy way to swap saves between PC and xbox.

I think that the decision can really only be come to if you take into consideration how mature her daughter is, and how well she can handle the topics, primarily the decapitation. Aside from it being the first thing that happens in Skyrim, you see another beheading in Solitude, plus you can build your one-handed ax perks up to have a chance to decapitate. Kind of vivid really. May be a little much for the 13 year old, but again, that depends on her maturity. I would rather my child be introduced to more mature topics through this genre rather than one like my Saints Row or GTA.

The only definite downside to Skyrim being her first RPG is the difficulty may make it a bit overwhelming and might turn her off to this line of game all together. i would think something a little more structured and easy to follow like Oblivion would be a better introduction, plus less graphic and vulgar. Probably a good compromise between you and your sister.

Our grade 7 teacher showed us a book series which had mature themes such as killing that was intended for a teen audience, it was strange dealing with killing in a mature fashion compared to say goldeneye where the spetznaz are bad and you just gun them down. it was good material and having friends to discuss the content helped a lot. I think by 12-13, kids are ready for non gory details of death and some themes.

hell im 12

Every so-called bit of mature content is no more dangerous to expose to a teen than what they will learn from peers in high school. In fact, all of the "mature content" in Skyrim (or even Oblivion) is introduced and kept pretty low key. If you aren't already exposed to those types of things, you probably won't notice them.

It really depends on how the kid was raised. If she knows the difference between a game and real life that is a good start. I was watching Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street when I was like 8 and I haven't killed many people. I am sure she would be fine.

Skyrim can be a gateway for open world games. My first non turn based RPG and open world game besides Zelda was Morrowind which I played at a friends house when I was 9. I got Oblivion when I was 13, and now I am 17 about and have Skyrim and love it. As far as themes though the only thing in game that a teen probably wouldn't see in real life is gore, and there isn't much of that. Language and sixual themes in Skyrim? It's 2012 now, anyone who uses the internet knows blatant sixual talk and crude language is every where...

Folks used to get married around that age. Sure, they also died at around 35, but the point is, a 13 year old isn't too innocent, naive and fragile to be exposed to a video game.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1329778-skyrim-for-a-13y-old-teen/

As opposed to a 13 year old advlt?

Here's the thing.

Video game violence means nothing, and playing video games means nothing when you are young.

However, this is only assuming the following:

1. Reasonably mature kid

2. Reasonably mature parents. By that I mean, the reason why violent video games are bad for some kids has nothing to do with the fact that it's because there is gore and it will "kill their innocense", but it has everything to do with the parents simply being bad parents, who try to shelter too much or don't raise their own child (in the sense that they never teach them anything, don't give them a sense of identity or responsbility, etc). Mix violent video games with that, and you might end up with a problem child as a teenager. He'll, mix any medium with that and thats what will happen.

I played relatively violent games as a kid but it was never something I did all the time (I kind of had limited access, but my dad would sneak me in some time when mom wasn't looking ). I'm 21 now and I'm pretty sure I'm more mature finaically, socially and mentally mature than most other advlts my age. I pay my own schooling, bills, etc from my part time job while also going to school full time. I treat people well, and hate taking advantage of people.

Really video games have nothing to do with it. It's the parenting that has everything to do with it, and what kind of personality type your kid is. Hopefully if you are a good parent, you'll know what personality type your kid is, and be able to not only respect it but also know it's limits, if it has any you should be concerned about. And as such you'll be able to make good choices when it comes to things like this.

While my kids are in their 20s, I don't know whether I'd give a 13 year old niece a game with a decapitation within 5 minutes of starting the game.

I think dealing with content like decapitations in Skyrim is a good starting point. Teach them when they are still "innocent" and you can teach them a lot. Just handing them the game is a different story. What I mean is, go through it with them and perhaps explain some things. Once someone has had a taste, denying them their hunger can only end badly. When I was about 11-12, I had a brief taste of GTA:San Andreas. I went around and shot people and was instantly hooked. It was only for 10 minutes mind you. I wanted to play it again because the concept of running around and doing what you want, able to kill whoever appealed to my rather sadistic nature. I had a talk with my folks and we went over some things and I managed to get GTA:San Andreas and Vice City for myself. It was nice to get my folks involved and talked things through. If they instead said "no! ban that sick filth! go play mario!" I probably would have said "screw that. im going to my friends house, he has a copy!" or i would have gotten my own and smuggled it in my room and hid it under my bed. What would I have learned from that?

I can't tell if whether I'm trying to get a point across or if I'm just rambling, so I'll be quiet now

Fallouts tame? Oh well. I'm a 13 year old gamer and fallout and skyrim are both fine.

Fallouts tame? Oh well. I'm a 13 year old gamer and fallout and skyrim are both fine.

to the OP poster; I've three sons, 9 to 15. Oldest started on Doom before first grade- but he was a different kind of kid. Middle one I would not allow on until much later. All my sons are in communication with their parents. I know on a modern forum this will sound scandlelous, but they all go to church, and I think that helps tremendously when weighing decisions like these. Things like extraciricular activities, who their friends are, what they spend their time doing all count when weighing this out. If a kid had nothing else going on, was at risk, was bored all the time and not engaged, I'd worry about parts of Skyrim.

It's not the bloodshed that concerns me- and yes I know how awful that might sound- it's the Daedric quests. You do some bad things and there is no saving grace- little humor or deliberate distraction to blur the lines. Just plain cruel. So I would have some hesitation about that with a 13 year old but the decision is yours and based upon what you know about your child. If you talk a lot together, you can allow more, I think.

Only my 15 year old is playing Skyrim. It is different than Oblivion. Much darker,with a lot of filters removed. I'll let the middle kid in the game when he wants, but we'll be having a discusion about it. In the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, guild members hold up passer byes at sword or knife point and kill them if they do not pay. Contrast that with Oblivion, when Thieves guild members would never take a honest life and only highwaymen would do armed robbery.
Most of the people here do not have kids, they are kids. And I do not mean that in a disparaging way at all. I don't have a rule against it, but I wouldn't think to ask a young single person about child rearing.

Skyrim is certainly heads above most games, but that doesn't mean there aren't areas for concern. I might not let my middle one play DB yet. I'll have to see.

I'd say Skyrim is pretty ok for someone at least 13 years old. I'm 20, so I'm more lenient with video games than an older person who probably doesn't know anything about them. When I was 13, I had a few advlts wag their fingers at Mature games just because they were rated M, and that was enough for them. Didn't matter why it was rated M or how much M stuff was really in it. DMC is rated M, with every game, but that seems a bit harsh. I've played all the DMC games, and I think they are pretty Teen on average.

Sure, maybe GTA isn't the most appropriate game for a young person, but I played it and it didn't warp me in any way.

As for Skyrim, as M games go, I think it's a pretty weak M rating. Sure, there's violence, but that's in pretty much EVERY game and every show on tv(that's worth watching). sixual Themes? Hardly. Innuendo, maybe, but a young person may not get it at all anyway. So it's pretty much the violence part, which can get a bit M-ish. Decapitation. But big deal. When I was 13 I was crazy for that blood & guts stuff, and I haven't even attempted to cut someone's head off with a battle-axe.

So basically it's up to what you and your family view things. Me? I don't see any problem with it. Skyrim is one of my favorite games every, maybe THE favorite, so I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of it.

But that's with someone 13 and up. I don't like giving M-ish games to younger kids, typically. Not because I'm concerned for their minds, they are people after all-same as you and I, but just because the bigger the game, the more complex. And I don't want to be bombarded with stupid questions every 2 seconds.

So if this kid wants to play Skyrim, and is old enough to not have to ask you how to play it, I say get her a copy.

I've played daggerfall, morrowind and oblivion.
Why am I bringing this up?
I'm 13 and I am growing up with this series (though when I played daggerfall I just ran around like a headless chicken because I didn't understand anything) and actually TES Are great games for us young people to start with and it shouldn't be a problem for anyone at her's or my own age to play these sorts of games.
I personally find my friends to be rather stupid when it comes to roleplaying games though. Sad. So I come here on these forums to "chat" with people that has intelligence.
I ofcourse don't really ever bring up my age like now because grown men don't take thirteen year olds seriously, especially because bethesda is dumbing down TES because of people my age (and dumb people)
I'm ranting, excuse me.
On topic: If she likes it let her play it, don't hold her hand because of certain quests forcing the players a little either. She will probably understand most things, and AVOID them. (The thieves guild thing though IS forced upon you unless you have a high enough speech level)
EDIT: But I have always been that awesome kid that read all the Harry Potter books and LOTR by I was eight.
AKA I have always been ahead people my own age.
Sorry about grammar and spelling, I have auto-correct and i'm norwegian.

Not to be blunt, but it's not up to you and it's not up to us, it's up to the mother and she said no. End of story.

But the highlander is such a good movie.

You're asking this forum for advice? Half the people here shouldn't be playing Skyrim, regardless of their physical age.

skyrim is like the least violent game ever an 8 year old wouldent get infulenced by it

^true but that is only when purchasing the game. If the person under the age of 17 has parental/guardian consult they are allowed to play it if thats what you are implying