Controversial Content In Video Games

[Dagger Dias]

I have been wanting to make this thread for a while, but have been really busy with real life issues. (Also why I kinda vanished last month) Anyways, so here is the deal.... Most of you at this forum know how I get onto the soapbox about how video games need to be an escape from reality, right?

Video games are far too similar to real life. The other day I noticed something that has bugged me about some games for a while. Sexual and violent scenes in video games. This type of content REALLY bugs me and turns me off of a game almost completely in some cases. The main question I am asking in this thread is this....

Do controversial scenes have any right to be in games? Why or why not?


I personally feel that controversial content should NOT be in games. Look at some of the most successful games. Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Sonic.... all great, with the only major violence coming from the hero facing evil creatures. Virtually no sexual content either. The language is usually not bad either. You do NOT need an edgy product in order to be a success. Plus, you cannot simply hide the controversial content behind a game's rating. Mortal Kombat Trilogy was rated "Mature" and I still managed to convince my parents to buy me a copy when I was little. I know I'm not the only one. CHILDREN play these games too, not just adults.

The issue with controversial content comes with the fact that people out there are sometimes unable to separate fantasy from reality. They also try to do things for themselves that they can get hurt doing. No amount of disclaimers about not recreating content from the game will be able to stop people from doing so. There will always be someone who would want to. First Person Shooter games that center around military shooting might resembe the real thing too much, or someone might find the desire to shoot down real security cameras after playing too many hours of Goldeneye. Not saying everyone, but there are people out there who might. Plus those like me who are offended by violent content.

What bugs me the most is sexual content. Yes people have urges and want to be intimate with people they care about.... Fine.... but that is in real life and it has NO place in video games. Mentioning controversial topics is not as big of a deal, even innuendo or bad language, but showing actual violence and actual sexual content between characters.... That in my opinion is going too far because games should be about entertainment and an escape from reality, whereas bringing these things into games makes them TOO realistic.

The world is anything but innocent, games should be as far away from that as possible (for the most part). How do the rest of you feel? I'm always up for a debate if you disagree.

 

[The Rob]

I do believe video game violence should only be used if it's going to benefit the experience of playing a certain game. One game that springs to mind is Gears of War. Would Gears of War be as popular as it is without the inclusion of the chainsaw attachment on the Lancer? Probably but it would certainly wouldn't be the stand-out title/series it is. That weapon is so brutal yet satisfying to use, it's almost the games party piece. Not the cover-system or the superb graphics (infact in 2006 the graphics were ahead of their time), but this gun where you can quite literally rip you enemy in half if your in a close-quarters confrontation. It adds to the sense of urgency you feel when fighting the Locust horde, because occasionally your going to find yourself in a situation where it's either kill or be killed, and your last resort is to use the chainsaw. I actually believed I was fighting a real war against these monsters because a war of any kind isn't ment to be a visually nice thing to look at. It's brutal and bloody and Gears represents that. So if it's going to immerse you in the world your playing in, then yes, video game violence should be allowed. Not every gaming experience should feature Piñatas & a fat Italian man dressed up like a Bee.

 

[Decarow]

Video games, arguably, are pieces of art. Like film or literature. There is not much of a difference, they all tell stories.

Now, we all hold the right to choose to play these video games. There is a nice little box on the back right provided by the ESRB telling us what content is in the game. If you don't like the content, don't play the game. Hell, if you're under 17 you can't buy an M-rated game anyways. That is up to their parents (or the assholes who have older friends).

If you don't like the content in games, go back to playing Mario and Zelda.

 

[Arkham Noir]

I agree with you for the most part Dagger. We share a very similar mindset when it comes to video games , especially when it comes to sexual content. Like you said, people have urges and enjoy porn/sex, yes, but it really shouldn't have its place in video games. That always turned me off from the GTA franchise. I played GTA IV about a month ago and hated that they would have cut scenes just about the protagonist nailing some chick in a bathroom. Is it really necessary to have that ? It doesn't do anything for the plot of the game and only seems to be there to appease lonely bastards who can't get any in real life and want to feel like they accomplished something.

Violence I agree with you in part with. While I despise having war games and other FPS that exploit the shit out of giving people a sense of power by weilding a gun and shooting the shit out of anything that comes near them, I don't mind if the games has some violence. This is something I conversed with Lee about; just enough realism to seem relatable but mixed with fantasy so you still get that escapism. My best example is the Assassin's Creed franchise. The game is fairly realistic and uses violence, but there is just enough things there to remind you that you are playing a game. You get taken to a historical place that doesn't exists in our modern world, with none of the conventional weapons we have today, and get to do some crazy free-running that most people can't do in real life.

I agree with you that the video games such as Mario, Zelda, etc. are much more my prefeance for helping my mind get away from shit that is going on in my life, but I can appreciate some violent content and realistic situations in moderate doses. The problem will always be that there is now an adult audience that makes up a significant part of the gaming market, and as long as they are there that kind of content will continue to show its face in games.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I do believe video game violence should only be used if it's going to benefit the experience of playing a certain game. One game that springs to mind is Gears of War. Would Gears of War be as popular as it is without the inclusion of the chainsaw attachment on the Lancer? Probably but it would certainly wouldn't be the stand-out title/series it is. That weapon is so brutal yet satisfying to use, it's almost the games party piece. Not the cover-system or the superb graphics (infact in 2006 the graphics were ahead of their time), but this gun where you can quite literally rip you enemy in half if your in a close-quarters confrontation. It adds to the sense of urgency you feel when fighting the Locust horde, because occasionally your going to find yourself in a situation where it's either kill or be killed, and your last resort is to use the chainsaw. I actually believed I was fighting a real war against these monsters because a war of any kind isn't ment to be a visually nice thing to look at. It's brutal and bloody and Gears represents that. So if it's going to immerse you in the world your playing in, then yes, video game violence should be allowed. Not every gaming experience should feature Piñatas & a fat Italian man dressed up like a Bee.

The violence rarely benefits the experience, that’s the problem. Developers are placing it in far too many moments of too many games. Having some people die in a shocking scene? Fine. Shooting a lot of enemy soldiers in an army game? Fine. Countless acts of violence just to further a character’s development? Not quite fine. Gears of War was brought up in your post. Is that the kind of game you would let a child under 10 play? What about God of War? Or even Grand Theft Auto? People are shrugging off the issue that there is such a thing as TOO controversial and that is a detriment rather than a benefit because games are meant to be a fun escape from reality. Even when games are used as an opportunity to channel one’s inner angst by committing acts of cruelty, it should still be obvious to the player that IT’S NOT REAL. When I was younger I would shoot all the doctors and citizens in Goldeneye, but I knew that it wasn’t real. When the violence gets too realistic you have a problem, and when the sexual content is present at all (other than little innuendos here and there) you have an even bigger problem. You are correct that game’s don’t have to be as ridiculous as Mario’s Bee form climbing onto a queen bee to scratch her back, BUT games need to retain a sense of innocence so that they are able to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Video games, arguably, are pieces of art. Like film or literature. There is not much of a difference, they all tell stories.

Now, we all hold the right to choose to play these video games. There is a nice little box on the back right provided by the ESRB telling us what content is in the game. If you don't like the content, don't play the game. Hell, if you're under 17 you can't buy an M-rated game anyways. That is up to their parents (or the assholes who have older friends).

If you don't like the content in games, go back to playing Mario and Zelda.

The game’s developers should not hide behind the ESRB boxes. Being as edgy as you can does NOT make it entertaining or cool. That’s the same mistake TNA makes every single week. The product, whether it be TNA or video games or anything else) can be equally as good and usually much better without the addition of controversial content. The blame cannot be placed on people buying a game despite being “warned” about the content. CHILDREN play these games. Your argument is like saying they should release pornos in movie theaters because they are a cinematic form of art just as the regular films are. WRONG. It’s the same here. There should be an entirely different product category created for controversial video games because that type of content has absolutely no place in mainstream games that people of ALL ages are meant to enjoy.

 

[Ubiquitous]

I agree. I have a ten year old brother that recently got into call of duty. I protested, but my mother insisted he be allowed to play it. Has anyone played through the campaign in modern warfare 2? The level "No Russian" is definitely not appropriate for any adult, nevermind a ten year old. There are so many other options the developers couldve went with instead of making this level. And no, giving you the option to skip does not make it alright. Any ten year old boy In their right mind wouldn't skip a level. Are you crazy? This is one of the most popular gaming franchises out there. They want to be able to telltheir friends about it.

 

[Max Headroom]

At the risk of sounding like a jackass, to expect violence to be out of video games, and to blame the games for what some random fella may do is pretty moronic. You mentions Gears, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Gears, and if anything the third one coming out should be MORE violent and graphic, it's what makes the game so great. Wanna go chainsaw some guy in half and have his guts spill out? Great, it's a game so it don't matter. If some ****** tried to copy that, it's his (and/or his guardians) fault, not the games.

It's simple, don't let your kid play overly violent/sexual games. Don't ask for it to be taken out, that's not fair to the people who love it. I'd rather watch Marcus stomp a locust's head, or go shoot some innocent people in a mall, than watch them try to be friends. That's the point, it's a game, meaning you go over-the-edge.

Now, that's not to diss on the non-vioent games like Mario and Zelda, as they are long time favorites of mine. But it's nice to have options. Why should I, a perfectly sane person who obviously knows the difference between life and not-life, get punished because some ****** thought it was real, went out and killed somebody. It's not up to us to suffer just to make some other people happy because they know now they can look after their kid even less.

All-in-all, I'm not calling you out Dagger, just stating that it is quite ridiculous of you to say violence and sexuality have no place in video games. I could care less about sexuality, quite frankly I barely see that in games, but violence is a MUST in the video game world. I don't need it, but it's great to have the option.

It's alot easier for someone like you, who don't like violence, to just not buy a game, than it is to ask for the violence to be cut out.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Seemingly, the majority of our generation and the generations after us, are only interested in sex and violence in their entertainment. My dad turned to me the other day and said 'Do they make any games that don't involve killing people?'

The thing is, is that most people know which games are violent and unnappropriate, and purposely seek them out, so it's necessary to have scenes like that, because obviously there's a market for that kind of thing.

Sex in video games on the other hand, i don't understand. What's the point of all that? Like Arkham Noir pointed out earlier, there's a scene in GTA IV Episodes of Liberty City: The Ballad of Gay Tony, where Loius, Gay Tony's bodyguard, literally takes this chick into a club toilet and fucks her. Now, for some reason, they felt the need to actually show you Louis pounding on this chick for at least 30 seconds, before it actually got to the storyline in the cut scene. The chick is nothing to do with the mission, or the story, they just felt the need to show Louis getting some poon in between shoot outs, as if they didn't mention it enough times before that point already.

Take the other half of GTA: EOLC The Lost. The central character ends up working for a corrupt senator who has a tendancy to walk around naked. Now there's a cut scene before a mission, where they're seen talking, but at the end of the scene, the senator turns around and there's a computer generated cock with pubes to boot for a full 5 seconds. What was the point in that? Did we need to see that? Did it help the story in any way?

But then GTA has always pushed the boundary in that way. Remember in San Andreas where you had to keep having sex with the bondage freak to get a key?

In Liberty City Stories there's a scene where one of the mob bosses is getting sucked off while he's talking to you. AND GTA IV thee's a mission where you have to sit and watch a pole dancer for a set time frame.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THAT?

So while i don't see the problem with violence in games that are designed to be targetted at a certain market, i really don't see the need to include such graphic sexual nudity in any game really.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Seemingly, the majority of our generation and the generations after us, are only interested in sex and violence in their entertainment. My dad turned to me the other day and said 'Do they make any games that don't involve killing people?'

While the fact that the objective in video games is almost always to "kill" something may be the case.... There are better ways to go around it and "Mature" ratings are not enough. People will still buy the games and kids will still play it. I have a much larger problem with sexual content than I do with violence though. The violence can be tolerable if it's important to the storyline.

The thing is, is that most people know which games are violent and unnappropriate, and purposely seek them out, so it's necessary to have scenes like that, because obviously there's a market for that kind of thing.

Yeah like Mortal Kombat or God of War. However, the violence is much less tolerable when its violence for the sake of violence. It's just wrong.

Sex in video games on the other hand, i don't understand. What's the point of all that?

This I agree with you 100% on. These scenes should not be in video games PERIOD. They have a pornographic industry for films as well as books. Want sexual content in a game? Make it in the poronographic game industry. Sexual content has NO place in mainstream games WHATSOEVER because it sets a horrible example and then there's the fact that CHILDREN play these games. No, just NO. Thank you, The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh, for bringing up the exact point that this thread is meant to be centered around. That's exactly what I was talking about and I'm glad we see eye to eye there.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's simple, don't let your kid play overly violent/sexual games. Don't ask for it to be taken out, that's not fair to the people who love it. I'd rather watch Marcus stomp a locust's head, or go shoot some innocent people in a mall, than watch them try to be friends. That's the point, it's a game, meaning you go over-the-edge.

Kids will still play them even if their parents or guardians tell them not to. That doesn't work. The games should not have the content in them to begin with. Games that "need" sexual scenes should be made in an entirely different product category, just as they do for sexual films or books. That way mainstream gamers don't have a bunch of nonsense in their games that they don't want, and those who (for whatever reason) want that in their games have their own subset to look for it in.

All-in-all, I'm not calling you out Dagger, just stating that it is quite ridiculous of you to say violence and sexuality have no place in video games. I could care less about sexuality, quite frankly I barely see that in games, but violence is a MUST in the video game world. I don't need it, but it's great to have the option.

It's alot easier for someone like you, who don't like violence, to just not buy a game, than it is to ask for the violence to be cut out.

Violence is tolerable if its meant to enhance the sotryline/mood/mission/scene.... Or if it's "silly violence" that you can tell is cartoonish rather than real, such as Mario throwing fireballs at a turtle. It's less tolerable when it's violence for the sake of violence. As for sexuality, it has no place in the games. NONE. Why? It has no place because these are mainstream games, not poronographic entertainment. People should be able to enjoy the games without that type of nonsense being in them.

 

[Max Headroom]

Kids will still play them even if their parents or guardians tell them not to. That doesn't work. The games should not have the content in them to begin with. Games that "need" sexual scenes should be made in an entirely different product category, just as they do for sexual films or books. That way mainstream gamers don't have a bunch of nonsense in their games that they don't want, and those who (for whatever reason) want that in their games have their own subset to look for it in.

Oh I aggree 100% with you here. Maybe i didn't make it clear enough originally though. Sexuality has no place in video games like violence does. I mean correct me if I'm wroong but I'm pretty sure there is a scene in one of the God of War games, where you gotta make Kratos bang some chick, and you control it. It's not out-of-hand, as it is M rated, but it's just plain stupid and pointless. Someone who looks foor a game specifically for sex scenes is a strange individual.

Violence is tolerable if its meant to enhance the sotryline/mood/mission/scene.... Or if it's "silly violence" that you can tell is cartoonish rather than real, such as Mario throwing fireballs at a turtle. It's less tolerable when it's violence for the sake of violence. As for sexuality, it has no place in the games. NONE. Why? It has no place because these are mainstream games, not poronographic entertainment. People should be able to enjoy the games without that type of nonsense being in them.

Again I agree. Well, for the most part. Violence ALWAYS (Well in the games I play) enhances mood, the mission, storyline, or scene in some way. In Gears, them locust deserve to be slaughtored, they destroyed mankind. In MW2(Call of Duty) where your in an airport killing innocent people, that enhances the mood & storyline because your actually undercover, and you have to experience how sick and twisted that group of people are that your up against. It enhances even more at the end when you realize they KNEW the WHOLE time you were not with them, but they let you kill all the innocent people with them, so you look just as bad as they do.

Again, though, as for the sexuality bit, as I said up there, there is no need. None at all. Maybe if they wanna show two people have just banged, show them walking out of the room afterwards all happy and whatnot. I don't see how this could enhance a storyline in any way, shape, or form, but if it does then whatever. Still no need to make us watch two (probably poorly) animated people do it.

To finish this off, I agree with you fully on sexuality in games, but not so much on the violence. But hey, I enjoy my violent games just as much as I enjoy my Zelda or Mario games. It all depends on the QUALITY, I'm sure all of us gamers can come to agree on that.

 

[Decarow]

The sexual content is just there to further storyline purposes. But honestly, they don't need it. At worst it should only just imply they are about to have sex.

However, I have heard of Congress talking about this. But here's a metaphor..

Alcohol is bad. It kills your body, and destroys your mind. MANY people die from it a year. MANY MORE people are in jail and/or debt because of it. But we can still buy it. Yes, there is an age limit, but does it really work? No. Parents buy it for their kids starting in middle and high school. Kids will have older friends. It's just natural.

Now as someone who sells video games, I see 14 year olds that bring in their 17 year old brother to buy their games. I've had parents buy these games for their 8 year old sons (I wish I was kidding). Their excuse: They'll see it eventually.

I'm not arguing whether or not the content should be in the game. Personally, I don't care. I don't play the games that do because I chose not to. Just like it's our choice whether we let our kids play it or not.

 

[Sully]

Personally, I have to disagree. Video games have taken a huge turn this decade in many ways, content, graphics, etc. More and more, there some of them are starting to seem like a movie while you play them. With cut scenes and movie like effects, it makes it just as entertaining.

Saying controversial content shouldn't be in video games is like saying controversial content shouldn't be allowed in movies. Video Games are given ratings for a reason, now that is the parent's choice if they want their child to play the game. The same choice the parent would make if they wanted their child to watch an R rated movie.

Romance and sex are major parts of life and are some of the most beautiful, powerful, emotional parts. If gaming is to fully establish itself as a mature art form, there needs to be more sex and romance in games.