Leave it to the parents

In case some of you just pay no attention to the world of video games, there’s a new game launching late tonight that’s generating a wee bit of buzz. The newest version of Grand Theft Auto, GTA IV, comes out at midnight and is sure to bring the usual hand wringing from groups afraid of how this will corrupt our youth.

Let me begin by saying that as an adult who has been playing the new GTA all weekend, it’s a fantastic game and lots of fun. It’s definitely not for kids though as it’s filled with content that I know I wouldn’t want to expose my kids to (if I had kids). In fact, the head of Rockstar North, who developed the GTA series, has said he wouldn’t even let his own kid play it.

Though there is no reason that consumers should be left completely alone in deciding what products are safe for them and their families, we should remember that not all products need to be designed with children in mind. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable to produce a game that is not intended for children. Remember that when the hand wringing begins in earnest.