San Andreas

[Grizz]

I just see this as another stepping stone for gaming as an industry. The music biz went through this with the PMRC and now the gaming industry needs people like Frank Zappa to step up and put these people back in their places. If they push this Sims 2 thing much further maybe Wil Wright will absorb them all into his mega brain and spit them back out.

[Enoch]

Actually, AO just means 18+ instead of the 17+ of M. Isn't that idiotic? How fine do we have to split hairs to decide what an 18 year old can handle that a 17 year old can't? But in reality AO is just the porn stigma category, the way X used to be for movies (in the 80's, anyway). That is, anything besides porn goes M.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The reason that AO games sell badly isn't public perception, it's the policies of major retailers. It's the same with films-- studios will chop a film to pieces to avoid an NC-17 rating not because the sex will drive consumers away, but because theatres (led by the major chains) simply refuse to show NC-17 films (presumably to avoid the public perception that it's a "dirty" theatre). Retailers (led by Wal-Mart) similarly refuse to stock AO-rated games, and any game that wants commercial success simply has to be on the shelves at Wal-Mart.

 

It'll be interesting to see where this leads, though. It's such a popular title that retailers might want to revise their policies (I doubt many video/game rental places will move it "behind the curtain").

[alanschu]

Still, the ratings system says that general mayhem and utter viciousness for its own sake is okay for older teens, but sex is verboten except for those over the age of 21.

 

 

As said, AO is 18+. A huge change from 17+

 

Because at 17.5, they just can't handle GTA:SA...but at 18, no problemo.

[Dark Moth]

Why do you think that Jade Empire got an M rating? Because of the same-sex romance options. But the violence was okay by them. Nice to see how the raters priortize things. I agree that GTA should have been for adults anyway, but that rating just goes to the things with the bad sexual content. The people who rate games are idiots, that much I've concluded, as well as those who rate films.

 

And rating a game M doesn't mean much today anyway, considering that it's so easy for a minor to obtain one. It's the parents who should be making these kinds of decisions as to what their child plays, not the raters. I sense a lack of responsibility on the parents' part as well.

[Azarkon]

It was the hax0rz.

[alanschu]

I believe the ratings primarily are there to try to help parents make informed decisions.

[Calax]

have you ever looked at the ratings? not the M for mature stuff but the animated blood?

 

* Alcohol Reference - Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages

* Animated Blood - Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood

* Blood - Depictions of blood

* Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts

* Cartoon Violence - Violent actions involving cartoon-like situations and characters. May include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted

* Comic Mischief - Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor

* Crude Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including

[PhantomJedi]

It is the Super Bowl, Janet Jackson incident but for video games.

[cewekeds]

http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm

 

nice read.

[Lord Tingeling]

One thing springs to mind... of all those supposedly game-inspired school shooters and whatever, how many of the deranged kids have claimed that "IT WAS THE PR0N THAT MADE ME DO IT!!!111ESHIFT+w1321ONE!11!!" ?

 

I'll never understand the sort of stigma associated with sex in amerikaland.

[EnderAndrew]

I've seen screenshots and the girl isn't clothed. Still products should be judged on the merit they are released as, nor what they could be used for post-purchase.

[SteveThaiBinh]

I'll never understand the sort of stigma associated with sex in amerikaland.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yet the game has only been given a higher rating in the US, while being banned outright in Australia. I never thought of the Australians as particularly prudish, but it just depends on who manages to sneak which silly law through parliament. It was always rated 18 here in the UK, which is why it hasn't attracted so much publicity.

I've seen screenshots and the girl isn't clothed.  Still products should be judged on the merit they are released as, nor what they could be used for post-purchase.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean they shouldn't be judged on discarded content left on the disc?

 

I suspect that in future all developers will be much more careful about cleaning up discs before release, to excise all cut content that might affect the rating, perhaps all cut content full stop, just in case. The TSL Restoration Project might be the last of its kind.

[Guest Fishboot]

I've seen screenshots and the girl isn't clothed.  Still products should be judged on the merit they are released as, nor what they could be used for post-purchase.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's supposedly a supplementary hack, to re-skin the girlfriend models. I've heard conflicting reports about whether it's R*'s on-disc nude texture or a full blown texture mod.

[EnderAndrew]

The content can't be accessed without a post-purchase mod.

 

I still maintain that it is also silly to get all upset about sex, while mass murder is fine.

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

If it was up to Jack Thompson and crew I am sure they would want to see the mass murder out of the game to.

[EnderAndrew]

Jack Thompson probably doesn't mind when people of color die in video games.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Jack Thompson probably doesn't mind when people of color die in video games.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, that's another point against The Sims 2 - people die! It's shocking - it will distress the poor little children who're used to Disney films (Bambi excluded) and don't know that death really happens. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he actually started saying this. He's really shot himself in the foot by going after The Sims, though - after all, lots of non-gamer types have actually played that.

 

Even though the scary and corrupting content in GTA:SA can't be accessed without a post-purchase mod, it is still on the disc that was supplied. It's not the same as if a modder created naughty pictures himself and inserted them into the game. The game company is responsible - at least, it is now.

[alanschu]

Speaking of Bambi...why was it okay for kids to see Bambi's mom get shot a generation ago, but not now?

[EnderAndrew]

In Kingdom Hearts, entire worlds with billions of people are killed. Those Disney games need to get rated Adults Only.

[alanschu]

I'm certainly not letting my kid play that!

 

First murder simulators, now genocide simulators....what's the world coming to?

[GhostofAnakin]

I still maintain that it is also silly to get all upset about sex, while mass murder is fine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's my biggest beef with this whole crusade against video games that depict sex.

 

"oh I don't mind my 11 year old son blowing up pedestrians with shotguns, or running them down in stolen vehicles, but I will be damned if I let him play a game where there are sexual acts portrayed!"

 

Ridiculous.

[alanschu]

From what I understand, it's completely opposite in Europe. They don't mind sex, but have more social concern for violent media.

[GhostofAnakin]

From what I understand, it's completely opposite in Europe.  They don't mind sex, but have more social concern for violent media.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It would be interesting to see stats comparing which has more violence-related incidents among teenagers.

[EnderAndrew]

Japan has the most violent and sexually explicit video games. Check their crime rates.

[Child of Flame]

Japan has the most violent and sexually explicit video games.  Check their crime rates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Lowest in the world. Could just mean less are reported, but that's [probably] unlikely.

 

Oh, and as for people that blame teh pr0n for their crimes:

 

Ted Bundy. He claims he was a good Christian lad until he got ahold of a skin mag.