Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

    Game » consists of 30 releases. Released Nov 11, 2011

    The fifth installment in Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise is set in the eponymous province of Skyrim, where the ancient threat of dragons, led by the sinister Alduin, is rising again to threaten all mortal races. Only the player, as the prophesied hero the Dovahkiin, can save the world from destruction.

    Killing Children in Video Games, where's the stigma?

    • 69 results
    • 1
    • 2
    Avatar image for deaddorf
    DeadDorf

    432

    Forum Posts

    1349

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #1  Edited By DeadDorf

    Does anyone actually draw a moral line between killing an innocent adult and killing an innocent child? Both are horrible, psychopathic things to do. Why is one allowed in the name of art or amusement in video games, and the other not?

    I think it's absolutely ridiculous. What do the rest of you think?

    Avatar image for linkster7
    linkster7

    1371

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    #2  Edited By linkster7

    I agree that it's kinda hypocritical. But doing horrible things to children have a stigma in all media. I

    Avatar image for nentisys
    Nentisys

    956

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 7

    #3  Edited By Nentisys

    I think its lame. Whats the big deal about killing children in video games?

    Avatar image for evilsbane
    Evilsbane

    5624

    Forum Posts

    315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 0

    #4  Edited By Evilsbane

    Baby steps guys, baby steps, games have just started going mainstream and allowing that in the game just gives media fuel to their "games are the devil" fire.

    Avatar image for cl60
    CL60

    17117

    Forum Posts

    -1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 5

    #5  Edited By CL60

    Because people will be offended by anything, even when it's not real.

    Avatar image for gregoryc
    gregoryc

    193

    Forum Posts

    64

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #6  Edited By gregoryc

    People may see children as defenseless individuals (I have no evidence to back this up, nor do I feel the need to search for any). While playing most games I choose to not be the asshole who kills innocence individuals if given the chance, so I see the stigma - and I agree with it.

    Avatar image for taliciadragonsong
    TaliciaDragonsong

    8734

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 8

    #7  Edited By TaliciaDragonsong

    I honestly don't care who or what I maim or murder, its a game.
    There's some who take offense though, and those people should find better things to do with their time.
    To each their own.
    Look at GTA or Saints Row, mindless murder or mutilating all for your entertainment? 
    My dad for example loathes these games, yet he always approved of other games (say, Nintendo platformers etc).
    When things become so real for those not playing it, the lines get very blurry.

    Avatar image for castiel
    Castiel

    3657

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 14

    User Lists: 0

    #8  Edited By Castiel

    But why would you want to kill a child, even if it's just game? Would it make it more fun if you could kill the child?

    In a way I just don't care, it is just a game after all, but it's not something that would make me enjoy the game even more, so why bother? In fact it will only give games a more terrible reputation than they already have.

    I guess I just don't see the reason why it would be necessary to kill a child in a videogame? It's kind of a weird wish if you ask me and not really necessary.

    Avatar image for morningstar
    morningstar

    2548

    Forum Posts

    351

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #9  Edited By morningstar

    I for one think its fine as it is right now. Killing children in videogames for me is an atrocity, but then again I cant even kill a fox in Skyrim cause I feel bad :p

    Avatar image for bravetoaster
    BraveToaster

    12636

    Forum Posts

    250

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #10  Edited By BraveToaster

    @Evilsbane said:

    Baby steps guys, baby steps, games have just started going mainstream and allowing that in the game just gives media fuel to their "games are the devil" fire.

    This. Give it time.

    Avatar image for canteu
    Canteu

    2967

    Forum Posts

    65

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #11  Edited By Canteu

    To me its kind of interesting. Try using the killall command in skyrim and creating a world reminiscent of Lord of the flies. Hundreds of corpses litter the world and only the children remain. It's like bringing fallout to skyrim, so in this case it's actually more fun not to be able to kill the children.

    Avatar image for cale
    CaLe

    4567

    Forum Posts

    516

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #12  Edited By CaLe

    It doesn't stop me from trying!

    Avatar image for mosespippy
    mosespippy

    4751

    Forum Posts

    2163

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 8

    #13  Edited By mosespippy

    I did a research paper in university about the various ratings boards around the world. Violence against a minor gets a game banned in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe and parts of Canada. Its not a matter of devs wanting to include it or being afraid to include it; it's the fact that it's a poor business decision to include it.

    Avatar image for aetheldod
    Aetheldod

    3914

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #14  Edited By Aetheldod

    I agree that it is a tad hypocrital , after all a human is a human no matter the age , but you know is not that it would add something to the game in the end so I wont make a fuss about it.

    Avatar image for bybeach
    bybeach

    6754

    Forum Posts

    1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #15  Edited By bybeach

    @mosespippy said:

    I did a research paper in university about the various ratings boards around the world. Violence against a minor gets a game banned in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe and parts of Canada. Its not a matter of devs wanting to include it or being afraid to include it; it's the fact that it's a poor business decision to include it.

    I think it is a poor decision also, business or otherwise. Killing a child in most any form is sick to me, hypocritical or not, virtual or otherwise. And I am not so hipster to think otherwise. Where the line really might be personally, is where the child is not a child at all except in appearance say. I remember an old video game..a space shooter where a Witch took the form of a child. Also in a very good horror novel and decent movie (trying to remember the name, EDIT- Ghost Story, by Peter Straub) where an evil entity took the form of a pre-adolescent girl. These are I would consider valid story driven valid- to- context conditions.

    But to kill a child out of hand, that needs to be done?

    But then I try/tried to avoid killing all innocents, even in Vice City.

    Avatar image for yanngc33
    Yanngc33

    4551

    Forum Posts

    87219

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 14

    User Lists: 5

    #16  Edited By Yanngc33

    If the GTA V trailer is to be believed, there should be children in a GTA ame, which is a first. Who knows where that will lead us

    Avatar image for seppli
    Seppli

    11232

    Forum Posts

    9

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 7

    User Lists: 0

    #17  Edited By Seppli

    I eat veal. FYI. Also read 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and crave for honied suckling pig.

    Seriously though, developers/publishers are afraid of what players would do, if they'd allow such a thing; and of what non-players would see/think/do if such in-game cruelty is taken out of context.

    I really just want more bewbs and asses and vaginas in my movies, television shows and games. I mean seriously, don't we all hope our favorite media turns into porn at some point, even for just a bit? Don't we all crave some fan service? I admit I do. It barely ever happens though, unless you discover your favorite anime was a hentai before it went mainstream.

    I mean Sharon Stone's 1-second porn moment made her whole career and wrecked more than one VCR with constant rewinding. Simply put, we want porn.

    Avatar image for jakob187
    jakob187

    22970

    Forum Posts

    10045

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 8

    User Lists: 9

    #18  Edited By jakob187

    Personally, I just wanna split those annoying fuckhead's wigs. That's all. They piss me off. What's worse is that they antagonize you, and you aren't allowed to punish them for it...ya know, but severing their head from their body.

    Avatar image for mideonnviscera
    MideonNViscera

    2269

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #19  Edited By MideonNViscera

    It's easy to see why it's a big deal. At the same time, I dunno why it can't be in the game. If you don't wanna see kids murdered, don't murder kids. Pretty simple. I don't get why anybody would push for it though.

    Avatar image for privateirontfu
    PrivateIronTFU

    3858

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #20  Edited By PrivateIronTFU

    I'm pretty sure in real life there's more of a 'stigma' associated with child killing over adult killing.

    Avatar image for faint
    Faint

    837

    Forum Posts

    46

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 7

    #21  Edited By Faint

    @Evilsbane:The fact gaming is mainstream probably spells out the fact we'll never see it. Suiting the masses means settling for mediocrity and familiarity.

    Avatar image for jimbo
    Jimbo

    10472

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #22  Edited By Jimbo

    They not real children.

    Avatar image for pop
    Pop

    2769

    Forum Posts

    4697

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 8

    #23  Edited By Pop

    I just think they're all really powerful demons in disguise, that's why you can't kill them.

    Avatar image for ballsnbayonets
    ballsnbayonets

    163

    Forum Posts

    10

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #24  Edited By ballsnbayonets

    fallout 2 member those little bastards who would pickpocket you. then i would riddle them with bullets!

    Avatar image for tekmojo
    tekmojo

    2365

    Forum Posts

    104

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #25  Edited By tekmojo

    I tried tinkering around with the console commands, editing immortal values for kid NPCs. No luck yet might need a mod for it. I mainly did some investigating because I want to make it so everyone in Skyrim can die to make it more realistic.

    Avatar image for sins_of_mosin
    sins_of_mosin

    1713

    Forum Posts

    291

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 27

    User Lists: 7

    #26  Edited By sins_of_mosin

    Its a video game, get over it.

    Avatar image for nottle
    Nottle

    1933

    Forum Posts

    5

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #27  Edited By Nottle

    Men are expendible and society seems to be ok with that, even though it contradicts most logic. For some reason we see children and women as weak, inocent, and defensless (even though we know this is not true, the kids in fallout have guns) so it is wrong to hurt them. Men on the otherhand are fodder, they deserve what is coming to them, or if they aren't deserving, they are men, they'll grit their teeth and bear it as they get shot in the head.

    Take something like Bully. If you hit another boy your age, you'll get in trouble, but you have a chance to stomp on some prefects feet to get away. But God forbid you punch a girl or a 1st grader. If a prefect catches you then you go straght to the principle, no fighting back.

    Or take any other game into consideration. Female enemies are a lot less common sure, but when they are in the game they aren't usually goons, they serve a story purpose and at least have a few lines of dialogue or something. When it's time for payback they are usually given a chance to turn face and join up with the good guys. They aren't all evil, just misguided. I remember hearing about a mission in LA Noire where a group of men and 1 woman were robbing a bank, you kill all of the men and the woman just kind of gives up because shooting a woman thats robbing a bank would be sexist.

    No, killing children won't make a game better necisarily, but it will make it more believable. You play Left 4 Dead or GTA and you don't see any children even though your in places that would probably have a few children wandering around. It's just that in something like a Bethesda game, where player choice and consequences are what make it so impressive, it's weird that kids are resistant to death because some idea that children are either too innocent to be killed or thats it's just unatural to die. It defies logic. In a post apocalyptic setting, the weak children are going to be the first to die. The stong adults would be able to persevere. But now I'm talking about realism in a game with firebreathing ants.

    Avatar image for tekmojo
    tekmojo

    2365

    Forum Posts

    104

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #28  Edited By tekmojo

    Not being able to kill a kid or other NPC breaks immersion believe it or not. If you don't want people doing bad things to them don't even put them in the game.

    Avatar image for dany
    Dany

    8019

    Forum Posts

    416

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    #29  Edited By Dany

    Because it is more wrong to kill a child than an adult. You psychopath.

    Avatar image for tekmojo
    tekmojo

    2365

    Forum Posts

    104

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #30  Edited By tekmojo

    @Dany said:

    Because it is more wrong to kill a child than an adult. You psychopath.

    Show me in some sane world where decapitating a human being isn't considered psychopathic.

    Avatar image for mildmolasses
    MildMolasses

    3200

    Forum Posts

    386

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 9

    User Lists: 16

    #31  Edited By MildMolasses

    @gregoryc said:

    People may see children as defenseless individuals (I have no evidence to back this up, nor do I feel the need to search for any). While playing most games I choose to not be the asshole who kills innocence individuals if given the chance, so I see the stigma - and I agree with it.

    Me too. It's not like movies show children being killed a lot. The only one I can think of (and I mean murdered, not in an accidental fashion) is Rambo, and seeing children being bayonetted was appaling. I don't want children to be killable in games.

    Even though there is a recent example of a child dying in a popular game, they at least had the decency not to show the aftermath, and you never see the body. I know what they were trying to do, but they at least knew when to pull back from it

    Avatar image for dany
    Dany

    8019

    Forum Posts

    416

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    #32  Edited By Dany

    @tekmojo said:

    @Dany said:

    Because it is more wrong to kill a child than an adult. You psychopath.

    Show me in some sane world where decapitating a human being isn't considered psychopathic.

    It is wrong no matter what. In a sense, the younger the person the more 'wrong' society deems the act.

    Avatar image for krakn3dfx
    Krakn3Dfx

    2746

    Forum Posts

    101

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 3

    #33  Edited By Krakn3Dfx

    I actually think it's a little weirder that people WANT to kill kids in games. I mean, do whatever you want, but I'm fine with not being able to do this.

    This seems like something to form a single file line next to the booth where people are okay with animated child porn.

    Avatar image for patman99
    Patman99

    1650

    Forum Posts

    70

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #34  Edited By Patman99

    I dont really want to kill a child either in real life or in a video game. Children are defenceless and that makes most people not want to kill them. The same can be seen in killing a dog in a video game. Personally, when the game forces me to kill a dog, I feel terrible. Why? Because the dog is something familiar and I associate the virtual dog's emotions with dogs I know in real life. Same thing with children. I dont see the big deal with baring you from killing a child. Yeah it's a video game and it can be taken as meaningless but at the same time my morals just prohibits me from doing such an act even if it is in a virtual world.

    Adult on Adult violence is accepted in the video game world because it can be seen as a "fair" fight. In opposition, fighting a child will never be fair when you are supposed to be the 350 pound dragonborn orc.

    Avatar image for artelinarose
    artelinarose

    1999

    Forum Posts

    470

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 0

    #35  Edited By artelinarose

    @Patman99 said:

    I dont really want to kill a child either in real life or in a video game. Children are defenceless and that makes most people not want to kill them.

    I've been a kid before and I can tell you that children are not defenseless.

    Avatar image for deusx
    Deusx

    1943

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #36  Edited By Deusx

    I find it REALLY FUNNY because they are NOT REAL and made of POLYGONS...

    Avatar image for tekmojo
    tekmojo

    2365

    Forum Posts

    104

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #37  Edited By tekmojo

    @Dany said:

    @tekmojo said:

    @Dany said:

    Because it is more wrong to kill a child than an adult. You psychopath.

    Show me in some sane world where decapitating a human being isn't considered psychopathic.

    It is wrong no matter what. In a sense, the younger the person the more 'wrong' society deems the act.

    I agree with that in society those things are completely heinous acts, but in the world of Skyrim, it has it's own penalities and laws to abide by. There are jails, guards, bounties, etc. Make it so you are punished extremely for committing such an act. I just feel that you can't get past things like killing kids in games forever (specifically Bethesda open world). Games will evolve and become more realistic over time and that same issue will keep coming back over and over. I'd like to see game take a stand for the benefit of game development. Just my opinion.

    Avatar image for krakn3dfx
    Krakn3Dfx

    2746

    Forum Posts

    101

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 3

    #38  Edited By Krakn3Dfx

    Put it this way, Bethesda allows people to kill kids in Skyrim, that's all they're talking about on Fox News for weeks to come.

    "Todd Howard, Skyrim Lead Designer, also potential child killer, next on Geraldo"

    Avatar image for sayishere
    Sayishere

    1854

    Forum Posts

    4422

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 5

    #39  Edited By Sayishere

    The whole woman and children first springs to mind. I kill woman in Skyrim, i would also kill children if the game would let me. So the million dollar question is, who's going first?

    Avatar image for krakn3dfx
    Krakn3Dfx

    2746

    Forum Posts

    101

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 3

    #40  Edited By Krakn3Dfx

    @Sayishere said:

    The whole woman and children first springs to mind. I kill woman in Skyrim, i would also kill children if the game would let me. So the million dollar question is, who's going first?

    I would only kill an innocent woman in Skyrim if she had 5 or more Potions of Minor Healing on her. Or I married her.

    Avatar image for ssully
    SSully

    5753

    Forum Posts

    315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #41  Edited By SSully

    It wouldn't be so obvious that you couldn't kill the kids if they didn't make the kids saying annoying/insulting shit to you. Those little brats in dragons keep or whatever in white run insult me everytime I walk in. I tried to kill some little bastard for insulting me and he just ran off while the guards came. Atleast put in a 'bitch slap' button to teach the punks a lesson.

    Avatar image for patman99
    Patman99

    1650

    Forum Posts

    70

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #42  Edited By Patman99

    @Artemesia said:

    @Patman99 said:

    I dont really want to kill a child either in real life or in a video game. Children are defenceless and that makes most people not want to kill them.

    I've been a kid before and I can tell you that children are not defenseless.

    Some arent, but that doesnt change the fact that most are. The fact that most are defenceless creates a stigma that is not easily shaken. Also, an 8-10 year old will never hold up in a fight against a grown man or women, no way. This is even more true in the case of Skyrim where you character is supposed to be a skilled warrior. Either way, I dont see why you would want to kill a child either way.... PS I was also a kid once.

    Avatar image for krakn3dfx
    Krakn3Dfx

    2746

    Forum Posts

    101

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 3

    #43  Edited By Krakn3Dfx

    @SSully said:

    It wouldn't be so obvious that you couldn't kill the kids if they didn't make the kids saying annoying/insulting shit to you. Those little brats in dragons keep or whatever in white run insult me everytime I walk in. I tried to kill some little bastard for insulting me and he just ran off while the guards came. Atleast put in a 'bitch slap' button to teach the punks a lesson.

    The best thing ever would be holding the cursor over a kid, having an "Activate Child" option, and an entire animation devoted to putting them over your lap and spanking the shit out of them.

    Avatar image for jasonr86
    JasonR86

    10468

    Forum Posts

    449

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 17

    User Lists: 5

    #44  Edited By JasonR86

    Children are somehow more innocent. Plus, they haven't had the chance to live as long. You wouldn't be just cutting a life short, but very short.

    Avatar image for ssully
    SSully

    5753

    Forum Posts

    315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #45  Edited By SSully

    @Krakn3Dfx said:

    @SSully said:

    It wouldn't be so obvious that you couldn't kill the kids if they didn't make the kids saying annoying/insulting shit to you. Those little brats in dragons keep or whatever in white run insult me everytime I walk in. I tried to kill some little bastard for insulting me and he just ran off while the guards came. Atleast put in a 'bitch slap' button to teach the punks a lesson.

    The best thing ever would be holding the cursor over a kid, having an "Activate Child" option, and an entire animation devoted to putting them over your lap and spanking the shit out of them.

    I would support that! Hell just let me tell their parents about how their kids just publicly insulted me for no reason! Then if the parent ends up being a dick I can take them down with my great sword. Or rob them in the night, either works perfectly.

    Avatar image for jonsmith
    JonSmith

    174

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #46  Edited By JonSmith

    I personally take bigger issue with non-killable NPC's than I do with non-killable children. Nothing annoyed me more than deciding that both Ulfric and the Imperials did not have the best interests of Skyrim at heart, thus deciding to destroy both of them, only to realize they are both apparently immortals who can be wounded, and delayed, but not defeated.

    Avatar image for the_ruiner
    The_Ruiner

    1801

    Forum Posts

    28

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #47  Edited By The_Ruiner

    nobody wants to give the government the ammunition to shut us down...

    Avatar image for shadowconqueror
    ShadowConqueror

    3413

    Forum Posts

    1275

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #48  Edited By ShadowConqueror

    As someone who likes to murder all things, I want to murder all things.

    Avatar image for valrog
    valrog

    3741

    Forum Posts

    1973

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #49  Edited By valrog

    It's not that I despise kids, it's just that in most games they serve no other purpose than to make me want to kill them. And I'm usually the "spare the innocents" kind of player...

    Avatar image for cjduke
    CJduke

    1049

    Forum Posts

    16

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 5

    User Lists: 6

    #50  Edited By CJduke

    Well because killing kids IS really messed up, and pretty disturbing. Also, its very traumatizing to here about the death of a kid in real life, kids aren't supposed to die, grown ups and old people are.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.