Comments

• 
  Jan 11, 2009 01:02 AM QMarc80

  I see where this can lead to.

• 
  Jan 11, 2009 09:18 AM selly

  I feel that some people need to get a life or just learn to play video games.

  I enjoy watching and playing a game and seeing the creativeness of the artist and the designers talent of bringing a story into a 3D interactive world. I understand the importance of the ESRB, and the goal in which they are trying to obtain, but to me it's like certain groups of people come across like video games are the equivalent of pornography, when there are things worse out there.

• 
  Jan 11, 2009 08:10 PM QMarc80

  Agreed.

• 
  Jan 12, 2009 08:39 PM Relayer71

  FemJesse, you missed my point entirely. First of all, I said nothing about video games being used as educational tools.

  What I mean is this: someone who knows nothing about video game will have no idea that they can be just as artful and masterful a medium at telling a story as a great film.

  They'll see "cursing, sex and violence" and make up their minds right away that that is ALL a game with these descriptions has to offer. That these elements are there just for the sake of being there, that they ARE the point of the game.

  They won't know that those elements are in a game to offer a sense of authenticity or realism to the experience just as they are in film. And that a video game as a multi-sensory experience can be quite compelling, thrilling and even moving.

  A well crafted video game can contain depth and beauty even if it contains graphic murder scenes or the use of drugs.

  Now, I'm not calling every M rated game art of course (BMXXX, remember that one?).

  But showing a guide like the one I linked to here to some over-religious, bible thumping zealot is akin to telling some homophobic backwoods person the plot of Brokeback Mountain: it will repulse them and they will have nothing to do with it.

  I'm not gay. I'm not ignorant or close-minded either. That was a great, moving film with some amazing performances (not to mention breathtaking cinematography and music).

  Get my point now?

  And American Psycho is about a psychotic who IMAGINES he is committing murders. :)

• 
  Jan 12, 2009 08:47 PM Relayer71

  Oh, one more example: Heavy Metal. Most ignorant people will associate Heavy Metal with Satan and devil-worshipping.

  I was listening to an album at work by a really loud, hard metal band called Mastodon and right away one of my co-workers started jokingly singing along made up lyrics like, "Kill your mother, kill your father!!" and some other such nonsense.

  Well the entire album is really just a concept album, a retelling of the novel "Moby Dick".

  Of course this ignorant person just answered with, "Oh, that movie about the shark?".

  Go figure.

• 
  Jan 14, 2009 08:24 PM Relayer71

  The fact that a game has a big M (for mature) rating should be enough for any INTELLIGENT adult shopping for a game to know it's not family friendly.

  You don't need a magnifying glass to see the "VIOLENCE, SEXUAL THEMES" next to the M either.

  I'm not saying that these people are zealots for recognizing that those games are not family friendly.

  But come on, that list smells of ANTI-VIDEO GAME propoganda. Not so much to aid non-gamers in shopping for gamers but to get them to see games in an unfair light (not ALL games are M rated, and not all games featuring violence and mature content are explicit).

  This investment company does NOT represent companies that make these types of games or similar products (regardless of what other products they may make), they state so clearly in the introduction to the guide, that is enough to tell you what kind of people they are.

  It's scary what this country (U.S) could become if more people with that mindset were in complete power and what freedoms and liberties would be at risk. I get the feeling these are the kind of people that would support an outright BAN on M rated games or entertainment of any kind.

  Censorship is bad.

  Now I'm not saying I condone violence, drugs, prostitution, etc. Nor am I saying kids should be allowed to play those games. I'm GLAD the rating system exists. I have kids and I would never play an M rated game in front of them.

  I don't go overboard though - Baldur's Gate ALliance and Alien Hominid if I remember correctly are rated T for Teen but I play them both with my 5 year old. The rating is due to violent content but the graphics are cartoonish and one includes magic, the other aliens, both of which my kid is smart enough to know don't exist (well so far as we know, heh). I'm sure the huge boobs on the barmaid at the beginning of Baldur's Gate would probably be enough to offend the intended audience of that guide.

  Anyway, this has gotten drawn out, heh. Obviously I'm not making myself clear enough since you're taking my comments the wrong way.

  But I'm sad to say you're showing a bit of ignorance with the last comment you made. Video games don't make people gay.

  And you shouldn't have to explain to a kid anything about an M rated game other than, "it's for grown ups, just like R rated movies... when you're older you can decide to play/watch them yourself but for now you are a child and must do what I say or I will break my foot off in your ass!!!!!

  Ok, last part was a joke. :)

  Cheers!

• 
  Jan 15, 2009 08:13 PM Relayer71

  You did say, "How do you explain to a kid that you'd rather them be straight " so that would imply that there is a chance they'd be gay if they played a game with homosexual themes would it not?

  "To a certain degree, "exposing" is "promoting" behavior in very young children."

  This statement has nothing to do with my reply, I never condoned promoting OR exposing children to non-appropriate material. So now I'm confused.

  I'm not threatened by the .pdf, you said it yourself about the video games industry being one of the largest in entertainment.

  Don't lash out at me though. I understand. You're just repressing some deep emotions. I'm here for you.

  *hug*

  Mario never raped Peach... there, there *hug* :)