2008 Woodie Awards
Industry not at fault
Britton Peele
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Opinions
The video game industry seems to come under attack from just about every side these days.
Religious organizations, parent organizations, lawyers and even many politicians (such as Hillary Clinton) have condemned video games for one reason or another.
Probably the most famous example of this in recent memory was the "Hot Coffee" scandal that affected TakeTwo Interactive Software, Rockstar Games and their game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." The issue involved a user-created hack of the game that accessed a "hidden" sex scene which was, for obvious reasons, not intended for release in the final version of the game.
Rockstar, the developer of the game, unfortunately neglected to notice or remove this content before the game shipped, and it paid dearly for the mistake.
Now, uninformed masses are convinced something similar is happening with the recent Microsoft-published title "Mass Effect." From Canadian developer Bioware, the Xbox-360 Sci-Fi RPG takes gamers on an epic adventure across several galaxies, where there's lots of story, conversation, customization and action.
As is a Bioware standard - it's probably most famous for the "Neverwinter Nights" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" games - the game itself presents you with many choices along the way.
You start off by customizing your character - choosing gender and many basic physical attributes (race, hair color, etc.) - as well as naming it and giving it a history. Was this character a war hero? A survivor of a great tragedy? It's up to you.
Once you're actually in the game, you get choices for what you're going to say to characters and how you treat several situations. This means you either can be good and noble, a savior of the galaxy, or you can be evil and bring people to their knees in fear. The choice - and story - is entirely yours.
In one completely optional part of the game - it's dependant on your actions - your character may participate in the now-infamous "sex scene".
Religious organizations, parent organizations, lawyers and even many politicians (such as Hillary Clinton) have condemned video games for one reason or another.
Probably the most famous example of this in recent memory was the "Hot Coffee" scandal that affected TakeTwo Interactive Software, Rockstar Games and their game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." The issue involved a user-created hack of the game that accessed a "hidden" sex scene which was, for obvious reasons, not intended for release in the final version of the game.
Rockstar, the developer of the game, unfortunately neglected to notice or remove this content before the game shipped, and it paid dearly for the mistake.
Now, uninformed masses are convinced something similar is happening with the recent Microsoft-published title "Mass Effect." From Canadian developer Bioware, the Xbox-360 Sci-Fi RPG takes gamers on an epic adventure across several galaxies, where there's lots of story, conversation, customization and action.
As is a Bioware standard - it's probably most famous for the "Neverwinter Nights" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" games - the game itself presents you with many choices along the way.
You start off by customizing your character - choosing gender and many basic physical attributes (race, hair color, etc.) - as well as naming it and giving it a history. Was this character a war hero? A survivor of a great tragedy? It's up to you.
Once you're actually in the game, you get choices for what you're going to say to characters and how you treat several situations. This means you either can be good and noble, a savior of the galaxy, or you can be evil and bring people to their knees in fear. The choice - and story - is entirely yours.
In one completely optional part of the game - it's dependant on your actions - your character may participate in the now-infamous "sex scene".
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 36
Dean
posted 1/25/08 @ 1:32 AM CST
Your mom.
Amy M
posted 1/25/08 @ 3:31 AM CST
Stop trying to justify the video game industry's portrayal of abuse and degradation of womyn by saying that it "happens elsewhere." There is nothing acceptable about beating prostitutes and calling womyn 'bitches, sluts and whores. (Continued…)
Rio Kikaru
posted 1/25/08 @ 8:55 AM CST
Amy M: And where, might I ask, did the author justify these things? He is not supporting the fact that it is in the game, and he tells parents to control what their kids watch/play/listen to. (Continued…)
mark.williamson
Mark Williamson
posted 1/25/08 @ 10:39 AM CST
I agree with Amy, in a way. I also agree with the author, though. Where I disagree with Amy is in that their content should not be regulated by the government. (Continued…)
Amy M
posted 1/26/08 @ 5:14 AM CST
So, my firefox spell checker utility is trained to leave 'womyn' alone, but not 'humyn.' My error! Damn patriarchal browser utilities. I'm no sexist! lol. (Continued…)
George Gant
posted 1/27/08 @ 9:32 AM CST
FCC can charge ABC millions for showing...OMG..part of a woman's buttocks and exposed side as she enters the shower (what a disgrace to family values), but do nothing with respect to violent and degenerate video games that teach kids through simulated practice, how to engage in horrific and barbaric acts. (Continued…)
George Gant
posted 1/28/08 @ 1:31 AM CST
Courtesy of Mark....
"As usual, the ideas you promote about the Bible and Christianity describe a community of which I am not a part, which I would not respect, and which none of the Christians I have met personally met subscribe. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 1/28/08 @ 8:29 AM CST
It amuses me that, somehow, George Gant believes the sexual activity going on in a back alley in Grand Theft Auto stems from that evil book of mythological tales known as the Bible. (Continued…)
TommyT
posted 1/28/08 @ 11:16 AM CST
Two words: Double Standards.
As far as the Fox News issue is concerned, the lady ( who's name allude me at the moment but was considered an 'expert' ) has apologized for her remarks because she was basing her 'expert' statements based on the information someone had told her. (Continued…)
TommyT
posted 1/28/08 @ 12:28 PM CST
I suppose I should have added (or better should have limited the statement with) 'evil' with regards to teaching/inhibiting evil. As that statement was in reference to the videogames being evil and there were comments with regards to religion/The Bible. (Continued…)
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