"Sofa Boy," a new children's book written by industry veteran Scott Langteau, aims to teach kids how to limit their video game usage and avoid "Sofa Boy Syndrome." Read more...

Two weeks ago, I talked to three teenagers about how they've been playing "GTA" for years.

They explained how their parents felt and how they got to play the M-rated games even though they weren't 17.

Now that the game is out this week, we're taking a look back at a few of the comments from both young people and parents who have different opinions on the subject of underage "GTA"-playing.

Here are two teens who said their dads are police officers:

• Multiplayer Reader Rob P.: "I'm 15 and personally, I hate the GTA games for one reason and one reason alone: you have to kill cops especially in San Andreas. My dad is a cop and I know the real-life bull crap he has to take in NYC and killing cops or any sort of person who risks their life to save others like firemen or doctors in any form of entertainment is disrespectful and disturbing."

• Multiplayer Reader Andy: "My father practically grew up at the local arcade which included violent games and he actually became a police officer fighting violence. The first game I was ever introduced to (by watching my dad play them) was DOOM, then Duke Nukem, and more. ... Bottom line is they toght me early the differance between fake violence (horror movies, games, ect.) and real life."

Some readers, who are "GTA" players, find prostitution to be a problem:

• Multiplayer Reader Ryan: "Maybe a 12 yr old kid doesn’t need to see me pick up a hooker, have sex with her to replenish my health, let her out of the car, beat her to death with a baseball bat and mug her of the money I just paid her for sex; but who am I to say who can/cannot play a game? It should be up to parents, not censorship."

• Multiplayer Reader cody richardson: "after looking at gta iv i would [not] even let my little brother touch it with a ten foot pole, ill let him play gta3 but thats because the things werent so grapical then like with the prostitutes. now you can see them crawl on you and basicly have sex with you as in gta3 only the car shakes."

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"Grand Theft Auto IV," like its predecessors, is rated "M" for "Mature." That means that the game's content is only "suitable for persons ages 17 and older."

But we all know that won't prevent everyone under 17 from getting their hands on the game.

I recently talked to three teenagers who have owned and played "GTA" since well before the age of 17 -- with and without their parents' permission -- about their past experiences with "GTA" games.

One 15 year-old told me his parents don't allow him to play M-rated games without their approval, and "GTA" is strictly off-limits. However, he acquired "San Andreas" though a game-trading website, and they don't know he's been playing it:

"They would probably be more upset that I didn't listen to them first, and about the content second. In my defense, I feel that going to high school has prepared me for the content in M-rated games."

Read on to learn how these teens got their "GTA"s, what their parents do and don't know about it, and whether they plan to acquire "GTA IV" later this month...

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We don't normally review games here at Multiplayer, but this time we made an exception.

On Friday, I dealt with a moral dilemma: should I lend my early copy of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" to a co-worker, whose nine year-old was having a Saturday night birthday/slumber party? Or should I take it home for myself and finally enjoy the game we've all been waiting years for?

While there were many comments arguing for both options (as well as a few inventive ones, like replacing the "Brawl" disc with the "Melee" one), I decided to lend the game to my co-worker for his kid. The only condition? I wanted photographic proof (see above) that they played the game, as well as a brief review from said birthday boy.

Here it is...

The review:

"This game is awesome because you get to play as cool characters and the arenas rock. My favorite part has so far been fighting the hand. I love the graphics and the fact that you can pause, zoom and take photos of the screens. There are a lot of characters, it's great fun. You can play for a long time without getting bored."

From my co-worker:

"Thank you so much. I am officially the coolest dad. They all called their friends to tell them that they were playing the game a day earlier."

Last week I asked, "What's the best age for someone to start playing video games?"

Some say seven is the right age, while others don't think kids should play video games at all. Recently I interviewed two mothers about video games and their children; they each had different opinions. One mom didn't allow consoles in her house, the other said games had a positive impact on her family.

This week, I spoke with two fathers on the subject. See why a gamer dad is uncomfortable with letting his kids see the pain inflicted in "Pain" and how "World of Warcraft" finally made another father put his foot down...

Carlo, 30 year-old creative director at an ad agency from Edison, NJ
Children: Two sons, ages 3 and 5
Systems Owned: VTech, Leapfrog Leapster, PC, DS, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360, PS3
Age OK for Kids to Play Games: Let kids play VTech at ages 2 and 4
Games Allowed to Play: E-rated games
Time Allowed: Up to 3 hours per weekday; more on weekends
Would Never Let Kids Play: "Shooting games with guns, explosions, limbs, blood;" "cartoony" violence

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What's the best age for someone to start playing video games? That's a question that's been asked quite a bit lately.

Is it seven? According to educational psychologist Jane Healy, who spoke at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, children should be kept away from video games until the age of seven to "allow their brains to develop normally."

The paperback edition of "How Computer Games Help Children Learn" by David Williamson Shaffer hit stores this week, basically explaining how video games can be good for children. We've also heard firsthand accounts from people -- video game legends, even -- who began playing games at an early age, and they seemed to turn out pretty normal (or in some cases, brilliant).

In light of all this, I wondered what actual parents thought. We know what a lot of children's specialists, media watchdog groups and industry researchers think. I decided to ask some parents I knew (and parents that friends and co-workers knew) about their opinions on the subject.

First up, I spoke with two mothers with very different answers.

Who: Alisa, 38 year-old business owner from Boston, MA
Children: Two daughters, ages 6 and 9
Systems Owned: LeapFrog, Mac computer
Age OK for Kids to Play Games: Let her daughter play LeapFrog at age 4, but only web games since
Games Allowed to Play: Pre-approved web games only
Time Allowed: 30 minutes, several times a week
Would Never Let Kids Play: Any violent games or games that let you "beat up or say crude things to a woman"

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