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Game Industry Derided For Mature Content

Posted by Zonk on from the won't-someone-think-of-the-children? dept.

Steve Rock writes "To the surprise of no one, game manufacturers and resellers were again taken to task over the production and sales of games containing violent or sexual themes. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family's Ninth Annual Mediawise Video Game Report Card even games with beneficial or neutral content can be harmful to children because of the connection between gameplay and our obesity epidemic. Interestingly, out of fifty surveys mailed out by the Institute to retailers and producers only two were completed and returned. The industry was given a passing grade for the ESRB rating system but the actual enforcement of the system by the retailers was not -- it is worth noting, however, that the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association has stated that self-regulation procedures were scheduled to be implemented by December 2004 and therefore tests of retailer compliance to ESRB ratings was premature."

2 of 588 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Just games by redivider · · Score: 1, Troll

    "I, for example, have little to no contact with pop culture. I have no TV," ...

    "But, I love the Grand Theft Auto series. They're fun games. Good relaxation after a 16 hour day of work."

    Just out of curiosity, how do you play GTA without a TV?"

    --
    Sinch
  2. Bundle the game with a real gun - get NRA backing by Animats · · Score: 0, Troll
    If you want support from the right wing for violent video games, bundle them with a real gun. Call the game a "training aid". That will get the RKBA people on your side.

    The National Rifle Association's online store already carries X-Treme Accuracy Shooting, a sniper training game. "If you like guns, you will love this game." For sex and gun freaks, they have Kill It and Grill It, with a cover showing women in sexy tops carrying big guns. For those who like to shoot while drinking, or drink while shooting, there's the NRA hip flask. So the NRA's already pushing violence, sex, and booze. They make GTA look like small-timers.

    And, of course, one of the best selling games of all time continues to be Deer Hunter, now with "ultra realistic environments", "accurate animal behavior" and "addictive gameplay".

    So if you're in the game industry and getting flak from "family" groups, give them a tour of the gun nut world and see what they have to say about that.