Midway's Slugfest, Ballers Inappropriate For Kids?

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."

Comments

Ballers

[pudge]

Saying women are "objects" in Ballers is an understatement. They are actually purchased in the game, just like a house or car. And the NBA endorses this. Lakers legend Jerry West was slated to have his likeness in the game, and he backed out once he saw the content.

Re:Ballers

[pudge]

You're conflating the sporting event with the people who participate in it. I can go to movies without knowing or caring about the lives of the actors. And, in fact, I do.

Anyway, since when does the fact that something really happens justify its inclusion in entertainment? Saying it happens in real life is a non sequitur.

Further, the things you speak of are not endorsed by (e.g.) the NBA, but the NBA does endorse this game.

And besides.. IT IS A FUCKING GAME.

A game that is rated E for Everyone, and contains prostitution. This is really more about the rating of the game than anything else. If it were rated M for Mature (not that I think it deserves such a rating), there would be far less of an outcry.

Personally, I think the ESRB has a big gap between T and M. M is a bit of a stigma and implies explicit content, whereas IMO suggestivity, as exists in Ballers, is not appropriate for T and not explicit enough to warrant an M. Regardless, an E rating for this game is just stupid.

Re:Ballers

[mcgroarty]

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."

Re:Ballers

[mcgroarty]

Do me a favor and play the game before taking the article for its word. In the game you acquire friends -- girls and boys. And all of the female images were cleared by the ESRB. You're being joined by women (and men) dressed far more tastefully than your average modern school student.

Hrm....

[Hank Reardon]

What the heck, I suppose I'll take a Karma hit for this...

I think the message that kids take away from NBA Ballers is, it's all about money... Women are objects in this game.

I guess I must have missed something. With all of the endorsement deals, players being paid so much that only one team can afford to pay them, tales of sexual conquest (a-la Wilt Chamberlain), and the inconsistent enforcement of the rules, isn't this an accurate representation of the NBA?

I quit being interested in the NBA as players like Dennis Rodman became more and more common. I miss the general good-natured playing of Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Bring back that level of sportsmanship and finess and I might change my opinion.

Message

[sbszine]

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.

Well...

[Poseidon88]

Women are objects in this game.

That only proves they used good encapsulation.