Bulletstorm Just "One of Many" Adult-Oriented Games, Says Steinberg

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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Bulletstorm Just "One of Many" Adult-Oriented Games, Says Steinberg

Refuting the scaremongering from Fox News suggesting Epic Games' and People Can Fly's latest title Bulletstorm may "make you a rapist [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107628-Fox-News-Says-Bulletstorm-Could-Make-You-a-Rapist]" and could be particularly damaging to the fragile psyches of children, industry consultant and journalist Scott Steinberg says that maybe everybody (and by "everybody," we mean the yellow journalists at Fox) should take a chill pill.

"[Bulletstorm is] an unapologetically and straightforwardly satirical game," says Steinberg, "meant for discerning adults that's written in the vernacular of the times and speaks in a cultural context that's the same as that its target audience has long been indoctrinated in by mainstream media and pop culture."

Citing examples of modern pop culture such as South Park and the Saw films, Steinberg suggests the current scare over Bulletstorm's vulgar content and over-the-top sexually-tinged violence ignores the fact that this kind exploitative fare has been a part of entertainment culture for decades.

"This isn't the first blockbuster (or big-budget game, for that matter) to aim below the belt or slather on the salty language," he says. "Yes, it's shameless, but also knowingly so, because it actively aims to parody much of both the gaming field and larger cultural zeitgeist's more asinine elements. The designers make no secret of their intentions, or to whom the title caters - The Oregon Trail, this isn't. The giant M for Mature rating on the front of the box says it all: Only discerning adults need apply."

As Steinberg notes, videogames are the current cultural whipping boy for so-called "concerned citizens" who would seek to eradicate media they find personally objectionable. Historically, any new media embraced by a younger generation has turned the heads of those youngsters' cultural forebears, but what we're seeing now is an altogether different issue. In spite of popular perception, videogames aren't just for kids.

"The average player is actually a mature, discerning adult in their mid-30s," says Steinberg. "The reality is that the vast majority of all games produced are perfectly suitable for children and adolescents. Bulletstorm just happens to be one of many that fall into the category of games for mature audiences, but it's hardly among the more head-turning ones, as those who've played previous outings such as human prey simulator Manhunt 2 can attest."

Stenberg suggest that the best way to handle adult-themed content is to keep it in the hands of the adults for whom it is intended, and that the key to alleviating the "threat" presented by this kind of content lies not in eradicating it, as many talking heads would suggest, but in proper parenting.

"The answer, as ever, lies in education," he says. "Being acutely aware of what and how your children play, and the manner in which they do so, which requires maintaining an open-minded perspective and taking the time to spend time with your kids, their games and the systems which play these titles."

Steinberg is but one of many videogame advocates and detractors sounding off on this issue. Between Bulletstorm and the upcoming Duke Nukem Forever, 2011 looks to be a very interesting year for the battle between concerned citizens and those who would make mature-themed videogames. This is undoubtedly only partly a result of the fact that we're leading up to a major election year, and perhaps partly owing to the approaching due date for The US Supreme Court's ruling on whether videogames are protected speech, under the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Anyone with even half a horse in this race (which is everyone) should probably buckle up.


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Lost In The Void

When in doubt, curl up and cry
Aug 27, 2008
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Thank you!

You'd think that after seeing parodies in other media [American Psycho anyone?] that we would likely understand that this isn't a new thing they're doing here.
 

KingKamor

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Jul 8, 2008
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I was waiting for these guys to smack some sense into Fox, and here it is; a very well thought out, concise, and detailed explanation of their game and why it is not even aimed at younger audiences that Fox thinks is getting "corrupted." Like the developers said, it all comes down to education and good parenting. It really shouldn't take a video game company to tell people these things nowadays.

But in hindsight, it's not as if anyone listens to a word Fox News says anyway.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Also, I think I should post this [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/09/churnalism-fox-news-selective-quoting/].

It describes Fox's uncanny ability of "selective quoting" with this particular story. Granted its exactly what you'd expect from them, but I feel it still needs pointing out.

As for this particular article, I wish more parents took the time to learn what their kids were doing/playing. If all these game bashers put just half the time into educating parents about games, everyone would be a lot better off. Or maybe not, since they'd probably just teach parents how much of a raping murderer these games will make kids.

EDIT: Also this [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/10/the-fox-news-debacle-techsavvy-update/#more-50219] story.
 

Nightfalke

Just this guy, you know?
Sep 10, 2008
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He brought up Manhunt 2?

FFS! There should be a Godwin's Law type rule when someone mentions Manhunt 2 in a violent video game discussion...
 

gigastar

Insert one-liner here.
Sep 13, 2010
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Sigh...

Bulletstorm is already Rated M for Manly [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RatedMForManly], And if this goes down anything like the Mass Effect controversy, its also going to be Rated M for Money [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RatedMForMoney] too.

Slightly more OT: Yes there are far, far worse games for Fox to have a go at. Dead Space 2 is probably this going to be years most Gorn [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Gorn]-ish game and Fox didnt even mention it or that awesome advert Visceral did. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106977-Visceral-Proves-Your-Mom-Hates-Dead-Space-2]
 

ProfessorLayton

Elite Member
Nov 6, 2008
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Sure, because we all know how mature adults love playing games in which the phrase "dicktits" is used and you get bonus points for shooting people in the balls.
 

RatRace123

Elite Member
Dec 1, 2009
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"NO IT'S A VIDEO GAME THAT MEANS IT'S AUTOMATICALLY TARGETED AT AND FOR CHILDREN. WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN. BLAH BLAH BLAH MURDER RAPE SIMULATOR BLAH BLAH!!!!!"

You can use whatever logic and facts and sensible thinking you want, but that will forever be the opinion of the fear mongering moral guardians.
Still, it's nice to see people trying to get the truth out there.
 

TheKruzdawg

New member
Apr 28, 2010
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Irridium said:
Also, I think I should post this [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/09/churnalism-fox-news-selective-quoting/].

It describes Fox's uncanny ability of "selective quoting" with this particular story. Granted its exactly what you'd expect from them, but I feel it still needs pointing out.

As for this particular article, I wish more parents took the time to learn what their kids were doing/playing. If all these game bashers put just half the time into educating parents about games, everyone would be a lot better off. Or maybe not, since they'd probably just teach parents how much of a raping murderer these games will make kids.

EDIT: Also this [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/10/the-fox-news-debacle-techsavvy-update/#more-50219] story.
Thank you for posting those articles! I have had a similar discussion with my mother, who takes an issue with the content of the music my sister listens to (mostly being hip hop and dance music) and actually took away her iPod. My sister is almost 17 and my mom is worried about these things "corrupting" her and "lowering her potential". While I can agree that these things aren't associated with higher culture, they are not intrinsically bad. They are a part of our culture and represent a group of people, their interests and their work. Compared to my sister's classmates, she is an outstanding human being: she doesn't do drugs, have unprotected sex and volunteers. My mom raised her right and is over-reacting.

Thanks again for posting that article. I wish parents would take more responsibility for how their child turns out and stop blaming everyone but themselves (although there are certain situations that are out of their control). Show them what's right and wrong from an early age and there will be nothing to worry about! Then society can stop targeting mediums, like video games, for their failings.
 

PrototypeC

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Apr 19, 2009
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I'm glad at least that these kind of gory, silly, insulting, over-the-top games this year are also going to be just genuinely good games, but it does kind of bother me that other series designed for adults, like Silent Hill pre-Homecoming, Half-life, not to mention games like:
-Amnesia: The Dark Descent
-Shadow of the Colossus
-Assassin's Creed
-Mass Effect
-Fatal Frame
-Bioshock
-etc. etc.
are barely mentioned in these kinds of discussions. Children wouldn't understand or, often, be able to play through these games without the maturity of an adult.

It's no coincidence that all of these are among my favourite games, because I don't feel like a trigger-happy lab chimp pumped full of electrodes when I have to use my brain as much as my trigger finger.
 

mjc0961

YOU'RE a pie chart.
Nov 30, 2009
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Russ Pitts said:
"The answer, as ever, lies in education," he says. "Being acutely aware of what and how your children play, and the manner in which they do so, which requires maintaining an open-minded perspective and taking the time to spend time with your kids, their games and the systems which play these titles."
This advice also works to make sure your kids don't spend $1,700 on Xbox Live or $1,400 on smurfberries.

PrototypeC said:
I'm glad at least that these kind of gory, silly, insulting, over-the-top games this year are also going to be just genuinely good games, but it does kind of bother me that other series designed for adults, like Silent Hill pre-Homecoming, Half-life, not to mention games like:
-Amnesia: The Dark Descent
-Shadow of the Colossus
-Assassin's Creed
-Mass Effect
-Fatal Frame
-Bioshock
-etc. etc.
are barely mentioned in these kinds of discussions. Children wouldn't understand or, often, be able to play through these games without the maturity of an adult.

It's no coincidence that all of these are among my favourite games, because I don't feel like a trigger-happy lab chimp pumped full of electrodes when I have to use my brain as much as my trigger finger.
You do know that Mass Effect already had its time on the whipping table, right?
 

Ren3004

In an unsuspicious cabin
Jul 22, 2009
28,357
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This man said pretty much everything that had to be said about this. *sigh* I wish someone would sue Fox News every time they come out with one of these blatant lies and fearmongering news stories.
 

PrototypeC

New member
Apr 19, 2009
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mjc0961 said:
You do know that Mass Effect already had its time on the whipping table, right?
That's what I'm saying, that games never get examined publicly for their merit as medium for adults... Mass Effect got in hot water only because of the fear that Only Children Play Games, and therefore children might see PG-13 sex scenes. It was "too adult" but somehow not designed for adults, but to corrupt our innocent children.
 

risenbone

New member
Sep 3, 2010
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You know what really makes me laugh about the whole Fox thing.

This institution supposedly the great voice of American patriotism and ideals and morals,the protector of American jobs and American business. The majority stake holder of this institution is a British citizen born in Australia (Mr Rupert Murdoch).

So is it any wonder they know how to filter out the inconvient truth and deflect inquiries with a screen of bullshit.