Would an Age Restriction be beneficial for a MMO Community?

I personally believe that an age restriction (18 +)  would significantly improve the MMO Community. I also believe this step would allow the developers to provide more depth in the game mechanics and content.

Although I answered 'No', it was mainly because it would be virtually impossible to enforce.

If people can easily lie about gender then it would be equally simple to give a false age as well.

Kids don't own credit cards and get their mum to pay for it so it makes no difference anyways as most parents don't care and buy the game for their kids.

I voted yes but LondonMagus is right, it would be impossble to enforce.

Originally posted by LondonMagus

Although I answered 'No', it was mainly because it would be virtually impossible to enforce.

If people can easily lie about gender then it would be equally simple to give a false age as well.

I know its difficult to enforce, however, there are Age Verification Services such as www.veratad.com and other security measures that could be effective deterents.

Clicked yes, I dont want to play with the breed, wow brought into the genre..

I voted "yes" with the hope that such an action would allow for a "mature" rated game at some point. Maybe a WAR40K that is actually true to the background story. As for enforcing it, make the game download rather than store bought and then only allow credit cards held by 18+ to be used for game services with a very large warning about the game content when you set up an account. Then the adult who grants a minor access to the game is accountable for their access to it. Much like purchasing beer for a minor. I am also in favor of banning people by both MAC and by their credit card information when they violate the age restriction or any other serious bannable offence.

Originally posted by JustTalking

I voted yes but LondonMagus is right, it would be impossble to enforce.

 

Oh, I don't know about that.  Kids can easily be detected because of their tendency to use sub-par English while chatting.  They can't seem to spell the word "you" with more than one letter.  Phrases like "sry i gtg" are a dead giveaway. Inability to use apostrophes and correct capitalization would shine the spotlight on them.  At that point, the player community simply tags them and off they go into the digital ether!

Now, you're going to counter that the little snots could hide themselves by improving the quality of their written language so that they weren't detectable.

I'd call that a win-win.

Originally posted by mrprogguy

 Kids can easily be detected because of their tendency to use sub-par English while chatting.  They can't seem to spell the word "you" with more than one letter.  Phrases like "sry i gtg" are a dead giveaway. Inability to use apostrophes and correct capitalization would shine the spotlight on them. 

ive seen 40 year olds use AOL chat room abbreviations -- its not a dead give away

even myself at age 48, will say brb  for  "be right back" or saying "your" instead of "you are"

Originally posted by mrprogguy

Originally posted by JustTalking

I voted yes but LondonMagus is right, it would be impossible to enforce.

 

 

Oh, I don't know about that.  Kids can easily be detected because of their tendency to use sub-par English while chatting.  They can't seem to spell the word "you" with more than one letter.  Phrases like "sry i gtg" are a dead giveaway. Inability to use apostrophes and correct capitalization would shine the spotlight on them.  At that point, the player community simply tags them and off they go into the digital ether!

Now, you're going to counter that the little snots could hide themselves by improving the quality of their written language so that they weren't detectable.

I'd call that a win-win.

 

In my experience all different ages use that type of quick-speak....so because i use 'ty' instead of 'thank you' i should be banned?

Nonsense, utter rubbish....you would have a very empty game.

Did you really think that through before you typed it?

Imo, it's quite delusional to think maturity is based on age.  Instead either use the tools offered in most games to ignore or ... I don't know ... be an adult and ignore 'childish' remarks. 

Originally posted by Kilmar

Clicked yes, I dont want to play with the breed, wow brought into the genre..

Why Thanks for insulting me =)

I voted no obviously. There are ton of people my age that are mature enough to play these games. You're going to get assholes whether they are 10-18 or 19-50. And we don't need to Government getting involved more than they already are.

You would also see companies losing a ton of customers and that game of yours that you just love so much...might not be there in a short time. The Teenage audience has become a staple to this genre. Get used to it.

While some of the younger players can be annoying I have found that the real jerks in chat  usually are of legal age.  It takes experience to reach someone's peak of jerkdom.

The average age of computer gamers is 30+ and in MMOs it is even higher.  An aging gamer population can also mean less time to play. As long as MMO designers define dificulty, complexity and depth as how long something takes to do the games are going to continue to get simplier.

If the game can be 18+, then the developers can make the game more accurately reflect the world/universe they are attempting to represent. Unless we are talking about HKO.

-that is my argument, as for player maturity... people make my ignore list all the time.

Originally posted by LondonMagus

Although I answered 'No', it was mainly because it would be virtually impossible to enforce.

Exactly.

Originally posted by IcoGames

Imo, it's quite delusional to think maturity is based on age.  Instead either use the tools offered in most games to ignore or ... I don't know ... be an adult and ignore 'childish' remarks. 

/agree

There are more assholes over 18 then there are under it. A lot of the below 18 ones are on live. Now I don't have a problem with it because theyll go head to head with some guy over 18 and it gets pretty dam funny.

Now for AOL short hand there is nothing wrong with it. I was one of maybe 3 or 4 high schoolers in the WAR guild I help start and the majority were all 22+ When we weren't RPing short hand stuff wasnot un-common. Besides most of the major talkers were on vent and so talking on and in game it was easier to use short hand.

I don't thjink concerns about being able to enforce it are valid. Would SOME kids get around it? Sure. Would it have a lot LESS kids than a normal MMORPG? Yes it would.

YOu'd treat it just like PORN. YEs, kids get on porn sites with their parents credit cards, but they don't stay on there after teh bill comes in.

Originally posted by Darkened

Originally posted by IcoGames

Imo, it's quite delusional to think maturity is based on age.  Instead either use the tools offered in most games to ignore or ... I don't know ... be an adult and ignore 'childish' remarks. 

 

QFT

That doesn't wrk if you want to include adult content, like nudity and or "adult situations" in your quest material.

I didnt vote because there are some flaws. First of all we have age restricted games like AoC. Its a mature rated game and iv heard they have put many adult situatuions in there.

I would like to see age restricted servers however. Only problem is I have played with 13 year olds who are more mature than some 30 year olds but i think overall would help the community out.