If you read all the news about video games, you will deduce that sex and violence has increased in them. Does this reflect positive or negative on the video game industry? This depends on your perspective. Adult gamers think its great, parents think it is the end of the world, and Kids want to get there hand on the latest and greatest. Back in the 80’s when video games first came out, video games where played mainly by kids. These kids are now grown up and still are video game players. These players are interested in more mature titles.
The
Grand Theft Auto series is a prime example of excessive violence. You can punk
people for their cars, shoot pedestrians on the sidewalk and do drive by
shootings. This is extremely violent
yet this has been the top selling game for 2002. Does this prove violence sales?
I think not. Although it is an extremely violent game, it is also a fun
game. There can be violent games that
don’t sale.
BMX
XXX is on the nudity side. With BMX
XXX, you can have topless riders and unlock a real strip show. This has been the first console game to show
nudity. I don’t believe it’s going to
be the last.
If
you have a game with extreme sex and violence will it sale? This is the true
test for the video game industry. A
breast shot will not guarantee sales if the game is terrible. Gamers still expect great game play. The sales figures will show. Mature themes will continue to grow because
gamers are Maturing. I will not be
buying a game just because it has nudity in it. I wait to see how well the game actually is. I will concede that if all games need to
have sex and violence in them to be a good game it would be a sad day. I consider mature themes to be part of the
game not the whole game itself. I still
have fun playing music games like Frequency and driving games like Gran Turismo
3. These two games are fun without
violence.
I am all for sex and violence in video
games. They make video games more
entertaining for me but I am a 28-year-old male. I do not think children should be playing mature titles. This goes for movies also. A child should not be watching an R rated
move. In turn, you should not buy an M
rated game for a child. Many parent
organizations are trying to ban mature games.
This I am strongly against. It
takes away your freedom of choice. Many
organizations say that graphic sex and violence affect children
negatively. I say how are children
getting a hold of these games. Who is
letting them play these games? Ultimately,
it should be the parents’ choice. Some
children are more emotionally mature and can play more mature games. While there are some teenagers that should
not be playing teen games because of their emotional immaturity. It is the parent choice
Rating System
Many
states are attempting to add laws to police games although the video game
industry is generally self-governed.
The video game industry has the following guidelines to help parents
decide which games are appropriate for their kids. These guidelines are from the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating
Board). Please see link in references for more information.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Content may be suitable for ages 3 and older.
Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.
EVERYONE
Content may be suitable for persons ages 6 and older. May contain minimal violence and some comic mischief or crude
language.
TEEN
Content may be suitable for persons ages 13 and older. May contain violent content, mild or strong
language, and/or suggestive themes.
MATURE
Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. May contain mature sexual themes or more
intense violence or language.
ADULTS ONLY
Content suitable only for adults. May
include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence. Not intended for persons
under the age of 18.
RATING PENDING
Product has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating.
Note:
The game industry has yet rated a game Adult only.
Reference
http://www.esrb.com/esrbratings_guide.asp
What do you think? Are you for or against sex and
violence in video games. Feel free to
email me with your comments and I will post them here.