Swearing in computer games

[Monte Carlo]

I am currently playing Company of Heroes (which, FWIW, is excellent and I recommend it to others here who'd enjoy a very war-movie like WW2 action RTS).

 

Amidst the noise of battle I suddenly heard my American paras swearing. Proper, salty, abusive 'F' word swearing like, er, WW2 paratroopers under fire (other favourite line when flanked "We're Airborne - we're meant to be surrounded!").

 

It was also a pleasure to play the British campaign and here lots of swearing in Scots accents by scary infantry NCOs, as well as the liberal use of the word W**K*R (mods, this swear word is only really known in Britain and Australia, and in Oz it's akin to the word 'Jerk' and not remotely in the upper echelons of sweariness). It made me smile, I like a good swear word now and then.

 

Which is my point - this is the first time I've ever heard swearing in a computer game that actually felt right. In Grant Theft Auto, for example, it felt a bit like "Look at me! I'm swearing! In a computer game!"

 

So what does the forum think about swearing - not worth the rating issues? Useful to add atmosphere? Offensive? Cool if you have a fantasy game where you make up loads of entirely new cusses and swear words?

 

Over to you, but please, no swearing

 

Cheers

MC

[Humodour]

I prefer cultural swearing. E.g. smeg, goit. Stuff that took some thought.

[Monte Carlo]

^ All swearing is 'cultural' isn't it? I could point you to Chaucer (The Miller's Tale, to be precise) for the Middle English version of The Worst Swear Word Ever.

[Humodour]

American swearing is so boring. British and Australian swearing and such is a lot better. But if you take a look at swearing in some of the European and Asian languages it can take up entire sentences for the equivalent of the F word and such, usually involving the Virgin Mary (Italy), or your mother (Russia), or your odour (Japan), etc.

[Purkake]

If you want hilariously bad swearing try Gears of War.

[Guest Slinky]

Yeah, the one a-hole in Mass Effect sounds hilarious, swearing is the last thing I expected in Bio game

 

I don't mind swearing in games, unless it jumps at my face and yells "BOO".

[Purkake]

A good example would be The Flipper from The Longest Journey, everyone loved him.

 

It's also up on

in all it's potentially NSFW glory. Edited September 7, 2009 by Purkake

[Krookie]

If you want hilariously bad swearing try Gears of War.

 

Oh God, I was thinking the same exact thing. The best has to be when you jam your Lancer with Marcus "GOD DAMN SON OF A BITCH"

[Gorgon]

Nothing gets my blood boiling like people who profess to tell you what worlds you can and can't use. Language bullying is about a million times more annoying than swearing, which is merely childish except for those rare occasions where it seems to fit the occasion. By all means swear all you like, just don't expect that to do anything for the game on its own.

[HoonDing]

A good example would be The Flipper from The Longest Journey, everyone loved him.

 

It's also up on

in all it's potentially NSFW glory.

Darn it, I wanted to post that.

 

Beyond that, there's also the chick in that hilarious news flash in front of the police station.

[Purkake]

A good example would be The Flipper from The Longest Journey, everyone loved him.

 

It's also up on

in all it's potentially NSFW glory.

Darn it, I wanted to post that.

 

Beyond that, there's also the chick in that hilarious news flash in front of the police station.

 

You mean this? That was pretty cool as well, April Ryan was so awesome

Edited September 7, 2009 by Purkake

[Kaftan Barlast]

I think swearing is necessary in situations where it would be natural for the characters to do so. Having a hardened criminal go "Oh darn-diddley heck!" upon discovering someone has snatched his stash is just moronic. It's free ****ing speech you mother****ers!

[Nihilus5078]

I posted the word "Bitch" after I killed an enemy on Star Wars: Galaxies and it wasn't censored. After that I cursed to hell to anyone I came across with any cuss word I could think of. I sometimes call like to myself a Profanity Wizard when it comes to cussing for fun. For Example:

 

*I shoot at an enemy*

Enemy: "Why you little...."

*I kill the enemy*

Me: "Bitch."

 

While in combat

Me: "Die Mother@#$%er Die Mother@#$%er Die!"

 

After I kill someone:

"Dead are you, Mother@#$%er."

 

I come across a Rancor:

*Rancor comes*

Me: "Oh @#$%!"

 

Hehe

Edited September 8, 2009 by Nihilus5078

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I sometimes call like to myself a Profanity Wizard when it comes to cussing for fun.

 

Yeah, you're also about 12-14.

[Maria Caliban]

I find it as boring as I do in real life. Swearing is only good when it shows a bit of originality and I find it distasteful. Duke Nukem saying he would rip off an alien

[Humodour]

Giants: Citizen Kabuto did it properly. Proper English cursing. "Oh BLOODY hell, Baz."

[Pidesco]

Like everything, it's all about how you use it.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Oh you people have no idea how much cussing in Qu

Edited September 8, 2009 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Gizmo]

Duke Nukem saying he would rip off an alien’s head and **** down their neck was good.

Not to mention actually

~newspaper and all ; Reminds me of just how lame the modern games can be

(Not their fault though; I should say, "can be forced to be" ).

 

 

.....you can't really translate most of the swear words we say.

Best kind. Edited September 8, 2009 by Gizmo

[Deraldin]

Oh you people have no idea how much cussing in Qu

[Purkake]

Oh you people have no idea how much cussing in Qu

[steelfiredragon]

go smurf yourselves with it.......

 

 

childish isnt it????

 

 

anyway, the swearing isnt bad, not worth arguing about it.

most games that have it, have a "T" or above rating.

 

and war games tend to have a lot of it.

[Maria Caliban]

go smurf yourselves with it.......

 

 

childish isnt it????

 

No, not really.

[LadyCrimson]

So what does the forum think about swearing - not worth the rating issues? Useful to add atmosphere? Offensive? Cool if you have a fantasy game where you make up loads of entirely new cusses and swear words?

Do I find swearing in games offensive? Generally speaking, nope, not at all.

Do I find it boring and asinine if it's just there to be "tough" and is over-used? Yes, usually.

Do I like it and/or think it's realistic if it's used well in certain scenes, jokes, scenarios etc? Absolutely.

Do I care what kind of swearing it is or what culture it comes from? No. Cussing is cussing...I get the point regardless of term used. Tho creative, long-word-string curses are more amusing than just plain ol' "F***!"

 

Edit: oh...and I dunno about rating issues...it's so arbitrary and subjective, those things. But I'd at least say that ratings standards for language shouldn't be any tougher in games than it is for movies these days.

Edited September 8, 2009 by LadyCrimson

[Kaftan Barlast]

Oh you people have no idea how much cussing in Qu