Do games of a violent nature really make some one go out and shoot some one? my opinion is that if they are that way inclined then playing violent video games will not make one bit of difference to whether they will go out and kill some one.
there's been a big kick of over hear when GTA IV got released about the violent nature of the game,why i don't really no nobody said a word about COD4 and games like it,is this because it's a war game and war is flashed up on the screens every day of the week that no one really cares about it but if it's a game involving mowing folk down with cars,drug dealing and shooting a few people now and again every ones up in arms about it,at the end of the day its a game just because i play violent video games dosent mean I'm going to go out steal a car sell some drugs and then shoot some one now doest it just like if a play a golf game dosent mean I'm going to go out by myself a set of clubs and do 18 holes on my local golf course.
But some one did get stabbed while queueing for GTA IV.

Yeah parental control is what is needed, not a ban like a lot of people have been suggesting lately...
My view has always been the same, violent videogames do not make somebody go out and shoot/stab/attack/etc someone. If somebodies going to do it then a violent videogame will not push them over the edge. A videogame is not a motive to go and do something of a violent nature, therefore if a person goes out and attacks someone "because of a videogame", then this proves that they were mentally unstable in the first place, as somebody with no motive to hurt someone, who actually does do it, could do it at any time regardless of a videogame.

My personal view...

A video game, film, music or any other form of media will not effect a mentally mature person.

on the other hand a person still deveolping charactor is effected by anything around him being it actual life (parents behavior or friends) or media (tv, games all the sort).

I also don't agree with parents that decide that a rating is too strict for the 'kids'. If somethig is marked at 16+, this should not be shown to someone under age what ever the parent thinks.

The above reasoning is based on the following example: My wife being a teacher and studied child psychology and behaviour, can determine something being apropriate or not much better then a parent with lower scholar level.

I by no means think that someone is a more loving parent just cause of their intellectual level, but it helps making some choices. If you are not capable of understanding the consequences of you choices, you should stick to the markings.

Ow and I am totally against baning of any sort. Rate the item and spread to only eligible users.

The rating needs to be clear on what factors it is rating the media.