People not taking ratings seriously

Can't tell if troll. Team Fortress?

Games like Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead have a lot of underage players who are obviously traumatized by premature exposure to sex and violence.

I know this'll look insensitive, but I've yet to see proof that they're "traumatized". Desensitized to violence, yeah. Not traumatized.

I can understand where you're coming from, but ratings will continue to be useless as long as parents are willing to purchase these games for their children. Consider the recent Halo 4 launch. Parents and grandparents walking into the store and obviously buying it for the pre-teen kids that reach up to their waists. Shop clerks are only happy to see the games sell, so it's unlikely that they'll enforce the ratings against these parents.

edit: Maybe Microsoft could create a solution using Kinect and face-recognition technology. But that'd only apply for people who own both a Kinect and a 360.

Team Fortress has sex?

I've been playing M rated games since age 10, and not traumatized by them. I think the ratings are a suggestion. When I lived in America, if you wanted to buy an M rated game in Gamestop, and were under 18, you had to bring your parents and the guy at the shop would explain EXACTLY why it's M rated.

Overall, when you play CoD and TF2 and hear kids in the voice chat, they don't really sound traumatized...

It's not the companies job to enforce that, it's the sole job of the parents of these kids to monitor what they're doing.

I also don't want to hear the "well we work a lot" excuse from parents either... These kids wouldn't be playing these games if the parents didn't buy them in the first place.

I agree that for the most part, younger people shouldn't have access to games above their age rating, but in the case of a digital service, its a lot harder for them to be carded and refused.

There are ratings for everyone that wants to obey them, they are like suggestions. No one can force you to stop playing something. You're not old fashioned you're just a bad kind of hipster. I am playing violent computer games since I was 10 and I have never been violent to anyone. In case you live in the USA lemme guess, you're a Mitty?

It depends. Every person is different, and it's parents (or guardians) duty to decide how particular game will affect their children.

Well, L4D2 and TF2 are cut in Germany, even for adults. So the real question is: Will I be traumatized after I played the game uncut?

Some are just under aged, but mature in mind.

I even taught my younger brother about gaming and he knows the do's and don'ts and what is the point in a discussion,

I find it slightly bemusing that, while you concern yourself with 'old fashion values' and the 'effects of video games on children', you've used "having sEx" as a username.

No direct correlation, but I still find it a tad bit bemusing for some reason.

And no, in the cases wherein children get adversely affected by videogames, it is ultimately the parent's fault for not providing proper guidance and using their discretion - obviously certain games would require guidance for younger folks, and some games aren't meant for them at all, and, as parents and guardians, one should be aware of what your child plays.

Im 13 and im doing fine :)

ratings are stupid

I'm 16 and never played tf2 or cod or l4d :S

Ratings are pointless. What are those "traumas" you speak of? I doubt shielding our young ones from everything will make them any more ready for the world. That said, they're terrible annoying on chat.

Honestly I feel to some degree these rating should be upheld like your 12 year old kid probably shouldn't be playing halo or call of duty but honestly in this day and age when everything on tv or in film in general is full of violence I think that just focusing on video games is kind of pointless.

What's the difference... I played M rated games since I was a kid and I'm one of the most moral people around me. If kids won't have games, they'll find a lot of other stuff corrupting their minds like... other kids at school or the internet itself. These things just "happen". There is no way of preventing this. Games aren't destructive if the kid has a normal environment (like parents, who actually care about their children and talk to them, without regular family dramas like divorces, alcohol and alike).
Don't blame games for destroying children. Blame the parents.

I dont think the violence in Team Fortress (gibs and blood) or L4D would be that traumatising, the problem is more that its more funny than disturbing, but I think that other games where you can freeroam (GTA,...) and kill random people for no reason could be a lot more morse than others
Im 17 and I have been playing for +18 games for a long time, and probably there is nothing on games that you havent seen on tv, films, internet...

People don't take ratings seriously because they exist simply because they have to exist. 90% of kids probably aren't affected by video games. But the 10% that are will have parents that will complain etc. So those ratings have to be on the box and have to be enforced in stores JUST IN CASE something happens.

From your own Steam profile: "It's just a game, son."

My mom said she saw in a documentary, that war games (BF, CoD, and others) make children believe the world is cruel and full of war and destruction. I say it's bullshit, but maybe some kids really are affected by it.

Actually 13-16 Is teens... You reach teenager at the age of 13. In my opinion, Yes they should, IF there parents say they can. I mean I don't see why not if they are more mature than their age, which some people are. Team Fortress is filled with players of all ages, But it is fun no matter what and is a cartooney, more childish looking game anyway. Some people are pathetic and are like that, but who really gives a crap, it doesn't effect you in anyway that you can't ignore.
And no, because ratings are a SUGGESTION. Which means the suggested age for people to play titles. It doesn't really matter anyway, because shops don't sell games to people below the age rating (at least not in the UK)so kids would still get their parents to buy it anyway. I understand some of your views but people will do whatever they want to do. You and no one else can stop that.

I played Manhunt 8 years ago. I was 10 then. I haven't killed anyone - and i don't plan to.

Ratings are more like a suggestion, not a legal requirement, and it should stay this way.

I played Diablo 1 when I was 5 yrs old.

cod...