In terms of maturity, like violence and advlt references, I don't think Skyrim is purposely graphic. That's my opinion, though.

In terms of 1st RPG and the time any RPG consumes, will she play often? If she's playing an hour a day, is that okay? Is that spending as much time, or more, than doing homework, chores, and other things?




Discussion is very important. If there's something bothering you, you should talk to the appropriate persons involved. [Internet forum joke here.] Assumptions (like thinking "Eh, she'll be fine") are mean when they involve others carrying your weight when you're wrong--as I've learned.

Skyrim is fun!

For some variety, at thirteen we've gone through several coming-of-age books: The Outsiders; Maniac McGee; Hatchet; and others. All involving abandonment, divorce, survival, death--though considerably watered down, since it's up to the kids' imagination.

My son is 12 and plays whatever games I play plus games that I don't. Games such as GTA, COD, FO 3, FO: NV and he'll play Skyrim when I get around to buying it for him.

Go ahead and buy it for her.

Didn't read everything here...but my opinion is that it would be the mothers decision. Not the Uncles.

8^)

Well, I'd say it's down to her parents to be honest. It's great that you want to share something so cool (definitely some cool Uncle points btw ), but if they really aren't comfortable then it's their decision. You could try discussing it with them more though. But be honest - talk about the things which they may have a problem with and see if you can't change their mind. But if not, the niece can just revisit it later on - it's not like the game has a sell by date.

Props to your niece too - my sister is the same age, and when I had her round my flat she played a bit. She got as far as Riverwood before she got bored, slaughtered everything in sight and then complained that she couldn't kill kids. I'd like to think that it was the short attention span of a child but I have a feeling she may be a bit backwards.

That's what he said. He would just be the person buying it.

There has been a lot of these threads lately

I went with my Dad to see Robocop at age 14, and I don't recall even being particularly fazed by the cartoonish levels of gore in that film. 2 years earlier I remember being genuinely creeped out by the alien autopsy scenes in E.T. So what's going to disturb your niece may not be what you think it is.

In the end, I think children are far more resilient than our hysterical media would have you believe. If your niece has enough presence of mind to understand the difference between fantasy and reality, there's no reason she can't enjoy Skyrim just the same as anyone twice her age.

My 8 year old niece plays this game...

in the end, i'd just worry over time management. Puppies are resilient, after all. Just show proper care.

Despite the posts saying "THIS IS NOR BALDUR'S GATE SO ANY BABY CAN PLAY IT I HATE THE GAME" on the forums, my advice is to base your decision on her experience with gaming. Skyrim is a long and intensive game for new gamers, as I realized with my little bro: try something closer to a hack and slash, maybe a shooter or a sports game unless she's sure she wants It.

I would talk it over with her parents and let them decide if they want her to have the gave. And if the parents say it is ok with them go with her to buy the game and if she doesn't want Skyrim let her pick another one.

From what I understood from your post she would have no problems with this game, so I say go for it. I wasn't much older when I first started to play Morrowind.
Actually when I think about it I was a few years younger.

Is this really necessary, its your choice wether or not she experiences the content, but it seems silly to assume that they'll be influenced to the point of imitation or behavioral problems. What exactly are you worried about?

That's the target audience. I don't see any problems with giving her the game.

No swearing, no drug abuse (Except for that old scrawny pale argonian junkie in the docks who is really nice about it), no alcohol abuse (Mead? Mead is cool. Mead is bee poop made from stuff eaten from flower genitals. Totally safe.), no nudity, blood looks like ketchup with default textures.

But I'd say it's not his choice, it's her parents. I absolutely agree that age restrictions should only be a guideline and not a rule, but as a child it is up to her parents as to whether they want her to see certain content - be that because they think she might emulate it (unlikely) or because they want her to spend more time on "childish" things before she becomes a young advlt (more likely imo). The Mum only said to wait a year; that's really not a long time.
If the Uncle in question can convince the Mum that she can have the game a year early then fair play, if not, then it's only a year. It's not like the parents have turned around and said she absolutely can't play anything like this until she's turned 15 (or 17 I think if the OP is in the US). Edit: or worse, have said she should never ever play this type of game.

Now I do believe there is one situation ( I believe it was in Dragon Bridge ) were a husband stated that Storm Cloaks and the Imperial guards tried to have their way with his daughter and wife. And the town were you go and deal with the werewolf who killed a little girl. The drinking contest. So there are some things that a preteen and a young teen really shouldn't see. I would still leave the decision to the parents.

Everyone here is going to say yes. But to be truthful, I think if she is mature, then yes it is fine. It really is only a mature game if you try to make it one, except for the whole finishing moves. That is definitely mature.

oh, yes sorry I didn't read the post fully, I wouldn't think there is a problem at all, but its the parents choice ultimately...

well im 16 and i wach my dad play half-life when i was young, i say try showing her the "gory bits" and see how she copes

there is a thread on skyrim vs 10 year old girl elsewhere. but her mom is supervising

It s too bad bethesda didn t thought of it and put an age switch control like daggerfall.
It could totally disable some quests and dialogues at the touch of a button

most worrisome are the daedric and dark brotherhood quests. but also some executions.

thought honestly, when I was 10 I think ungle scrooge (dysney) got kidnaped by canibals in a comic

on the other hand, when I saw the original superman I, they played an add for cannibal ferox (yuk)
and I closed my eyes just in time but still got a bit traumatized for a couple yearm nightmares and all
... I suposed the laws were slack in that era about what adds to pass when kids went to see general public movies
(I was verry young, maybe 8, and well, that add was gorry and scarry)

I say that because even today, when I stumbled on peyrite shrine, the one with a human sacrifice, I had shivers
so I can guess how a little girl would react

so definitively, there are aspects in skyrim that would not be for her age
blood on the ice is one

not sure why bethesda got that gorry
this beat the butcher in diablo I
-not necessarily a good thing -
Diablo had a good balance of scare factor while bluring the gore sufficiently
you couldn t really distinguish all the bones in diablo I

so in some aspect, some of the art direction was .... in the wrong direction
you don t need to be ultra gory and ultra bloody to be convincing
and there are studies that show such images have an impact (negative impact)

It's called "No, you won't play this game".

i got ob when i was 14, granted it still had the teen esrb rating on it at the time, i don't know games are pretty much just games, she'll probably do the main quest and the mages guild ( just guessing, it seems like what every one does) nothing besides the dark brotherhood is that morbid or gruesome...i think, some of the deadric shines are sorta dark,

Your niece, at 13, has already been exposed to more "mature" material than anything Skyrim has to offer, through television, her friends, and her own experiences. If her mother says Yes, go ahead and buy it for her.

I guess when they call her a "milk drinker" it will be true!

Definitely overthinking it, it's just a game after all. I was playing games like Duke Nukem and Aliens vs. Predator from the time I was old enough to sit up straight, I'm sure a 13-year-old can grasp the fairly straight-forward plot of Skyrim.