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Midway's Slugfest, Ballers Inappropriate For Kids?

Posted by simoniker on from the i-wish-i-was-a-little-bit-taller dept.

Thanks to ABC News for its article discussing controversy over the content of Midway's officially licensed baseball and basketball videogames, as the story explains: "Nine-year-old Stephane Safar likes to play MLB Slugfest, a video game rated 'E', that is, for everyone 6 years old and older... But then he played it in front of his mother Amy, and what she saw went well beyond real-life baseball, as players punched and kicked each other during the course of the game." Amy explains: "Does he know that that's not really how Barry Bonds acts out on the field? Does he know that Nomar [Garciaparra] can't punch somebody?" Midway's NBA Ballers also comes in for criticism, with Kimberly Thompson of the Harvard School of Public Health complaining: "I think the message that kids take away from NBA Ballers is, it's all about money... Women are objects in this game."

6 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. a-HA! by orangesquid · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does he know that that's not really how Barry Bonds acts out on the field? Does he know that Nomar [Garciaparra] can't punch somebody?

    Tell that to my black eye!!! Damn that Garciaparra...

    Oh, and, how does Barry Bonds act out on the field, if you would be kind enough to explain?

    --
    --TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
  2. Message by sbszine · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think the message that kids take away from NBA Ballers is, it's all about money...

    Whereas in real life, they do it for the love, plus a small stipend for meals and cab fare.

    --

    Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling

  3. Re:Hrm.... by pudge · · Score: 3, Funny

    You mean Bird and the somewhat racial comments he's making now?

    What's wrong with being sexy?

  4. Re:Ballers by Boglin · · Score: 2, Funny
    Are you telling me that these whores who go after guys in bands and sports are there for any reason other than the fact that the dude is rich and/or famous?
    After all, women have never been attracted to muscular or atheltic men.
  5. Re:Ballers by mcgroarty · · Score: 4, Funny
    I'm one of the developers. (Look under the programming credits.)

    Ballers wasn't our favorite choice, but we couldn't get management to agree to "Shootin' in the Hood."

  6. Well... by Poseidon88 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Women are objects in this game.

    That only proves they used good encapsulation.