Need to be higher? I see kids playing games that make sims look like a kiddie cartoon. The so called sex in the game are bouncing under a blanket and I've seen hotter kissing on tv than on the games. Violence rating? Again, look at the violence in just regular tv shows, heck, look at some kiddie cartoons and you will see more violence there than on the sims games. Language? Sims speak gibberish, so how can you hear foul language in such mumbo jumbo? Actually, I think there is more "violence" portrayed by players than there is in the game, with players wanting to know how many ways can they cause their sims to die (in other words, commit what in reality would be seen as first degree murder). Torture, humiliation, forced labor, forced to have relationships, forced to have children, and the list goes on with what we players do to our sims, all in the name of fun.
I think parents should think of sims as a teaching tool; my grandkids wanted to play it when they spent the summer with me. They found out what it was like to have to take care of a family. They created a family, adopted kids and then had to take care of them all, see that the babies were fed, kept clean, given attention they needed, get the older kids off to school, do homework, have the adults go to work, come home and fix a meal, shower, try to have fun and pay bills. They bought items they couldn't afford and had to learn the hard way with them being repossessed. They got a taste of what real life is like.
I have argued with my daughter till I am blue in the face about how she lets her 8, 10 and 12 year olds play Black Ops game and other type of games. Her response? Their daddy is in the military, the other military kids play them, get with real life.
The sad fact of life is, most kids today are exposed to more violence, sexual content and language than they were 10 years ago, and especially 20 years ago, and I thought it was a bit much then.
They should be playing sims to learn what real life is, taking care of a family, working, being with friends, enjoying life. Not shoot them up, blow them up all while the character you are pretending to be is speaking words in a language you can actually understand that would make a sailor blush.
okay, off my soapbox now.
I have had people look at me funny when I asked for sims expansion pack like I am asking for a kiddie game. I have yelled at my sims and had my hubby look at me and shake his head, but he doesn't have any interest computer or video games so he doesn't understand. Of course, he doesn't understand when I read my books why I cry at the sad scenes, or am happy when there is the HEA in a book (happily ever after).
Just to make it clear, I enjoy sims, it is a game so I don't see any harm in what players do, so long as that individual understands that it is okay in a game but not okay in real life.
