Over the past few months the team at the content knowledge site What They Play have interviewed each of the creators for their distinctive views on the sex, violence, ratings and design in videogames.
"If the blood is graphic, exploding out and all over the screen, you instantly know you're successful. I'd use flowers and confetti but I don't think it would be nearly as effective," Bleszinski said of the violence level found in the upcoming Gears of War 2. "You know, there's a huge M on the freaking box. If your eight year-old kids can acquire $60 and you're not aware what they're doing with it, you've got bigger problems than your kid playing God of War. You're a sh*tty parent," adds Jaffe.
BioWare president Greg Zeschuk, whose 2007 role-playing title Mass Effect was lambasted by the mainstream media for its sexual content, pointed out how our society is dictating content. "It's all obviously a reflection on society," says Zeschuk. "The bottom line is that violence is just more acceptable than sexual content in the U.S., which makes an interesting situation for game developers. You have to really balance these tolerances."
Check out the entire feature at What They Play and let us know what you think about sex, violence, ratings and design of videogames in the comments.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-24-2008 @ 10:57AM
mojatt said...
Jaffe's comment is right on. Most of the controversy with today's games, and society in general, is due to crappy parenting. Own up ppl!!
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10-24-2008 @ 11:05AM
steve said...
Excellent coverage, Xav. I think you meant "quartet" in the first paragraph though..
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10-24-2008 @ 11:05AM
pekosROB said...
You said "quintet" and listed four developers/designers. Shouldn't you say quartet?
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10-24-2008 @ 11:14AM
CyberKnight said...
No, see, when their powers combine, they form a fifth MegaDeveloperZord that stomps everything in its path and rains blood and guts down upon the city... :?
10-24-2008 @ 11:16AM
pekosROB said...
haha, like captain planet, but a really graphic and grisly super being.
10-24-2008 @ 11:12AM
joeybeast said...
I just wish AO rating is actually used and accepted.
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10-24-2008 @ 11:24AM
CyberKnight said...
Personally, I think games are going a little over the top on violence. I didn't buy Gears 1 because I thought it just went too far on the violence and language, and I probably won't be buying Gears 2 for the same reasons (even with the language filter, I don't like the excessive violence).
Obviously a few million people disagree with me, but that's fine; we're all free to make our own choices for ourselves.
The sex is really confusing to me. I have not yet seen anything in an Xbox video game that comes anywhere *close* to what you can see on a *daytime* soap opera, on broadcast TV, in the middle of the afternoon. Mass Effect might be the "worst" of the bunch, but it's still incredibly tame, relatively speaking.
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10-24-2008 @ 2:27PM
Vcize said...
You can also turn the gore off in Gears, just like the language filter. So when you kill someone they just kind of fall over.
10-24-2008 @ 12:06PM
offday said...
I only recognize Peter and Cliff (and the only reason I recognize Cliff is because of X3F's obsession with him). But I think I've heard of Jaffe. Isn't he the moron that blew up because no one bought his crappy game?
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10-24-2008 @ 1:26PM
cranium said...
yes, he is. and Mr. Zeschuk is of Bioware: Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic
10-24-2008 @ 2:28PM
Vcize said...
I think you're thinking of Dennis Dyack, who worked on Too Human.
Jaffe is God of War.
10-24-2008 @ 3:51PM
offday said...
Ohh. ok. I know who Jaffe is now. He still is a conceited piece of crap, but I was thinking of the guy made Space Giraffe, and got all mad when more people bought Frogger.
10-24-2008 @ 12:13PM
Loban said...
It all comes down to the fact that people still see games as entertainment for kids. An M-rated game is essentially the same as an R-rated movie, but if a kid took his money and bought an R-rated movie resulting in his seeing boobies and blood, no parent would be stupid enough to blame the movie industry. But if he did the same thing with an M-rated game, the blame is immediately placed on the game industry. It's a combination of stupid parents and a society that still considers games to be kids' toys.
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10-24-2008 @ 12:15PM
Loban said...
Actually, there's a third factor involved I didn't mention. So it's a combination of stupid parents, a society that still considers games to be kids' toys, and parents purposely ignoring or just being ignorant of the game rating system which I guess is sort of the same as being a stupid parent, or at least an uneducated parent.
10-24-2008 @ 12:27PM
Mcfail said...
QQ Parents, the xbox is not a babysitter or a care giver, be involved with your kids, take an interest in what they are playing, the rating system does work, I'm 31 years old and I was I.D.'ed at blockbuster when renting Deadspace, if kids have these M rated games its because you got it for them without even checking the rating or reading the box.
Personally I can not wait till my kid is old enough to play xbox ....my wife is a terrible henchmen in Fable 2
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10-24-2008 @ 5:06PM
Alex said...
Off topic, but is Dead Space any good?
Worth buying or stick with the rental?
10-26-2008 @ 12:02PM
T.J. said...
Amazing game.
Playing through again and probably will at LEAST once more.
And I'm 26 and was also carded buying this game.
10-24-2008 @ 1:18PM
cranium said...
I can't hear David Jaffe's name without my blood pressure rising. I find him to be an immature, attention-starved prick. Disagree if you want, I won't argue. But too many times I have read him running his foul mouth on his blog or pouting in some interview like a whiny teen. Seeing him called one of the most 'respected, creative developers' infuriates me. He does not deserve to be mentioned in the same article as the likes of Molyneux, Zeschuk, and Dude Huge.
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10-24-2008 @ 1:45PM
Joshua said...
you were a little wrong in your response to offday.
Jaffe didnt blow up because no one bought his game.
His game is God of freaking War.
Dyack was the crybaby bitch who blew up because no one bought his crappy game(too human)
I do agree with you about him being a loud mouthed prick, though.
10-24-2008 @ 5:47PM
the awesome said...
Didn't he also make Calling All Cars, which I think had some sort of whiny controversy around it?