FoxNews bashes Bulletstorm (LOL)

[gellert1984]

Spoiler is the article that I copied and made my own inane comments in italics as I thought of them. Fox news really gets on my goat.

Spoiler

Parents had better beware: There's a Bulletstorm on the horizon.

In the new video game Bulletstorm due February 22, players are rewarded for shooting enemies in the private parts (such as the buttocks). There?s an excess of profanity, of course, including frequent use of F-words. And Bulletstorm is particularly gruesome, with body parts that explode all over the screen.

kinda like hunting with an assault rifle then?

But that's not the worst part.

The in-game awards system, called Skill Shots, ties the ugly, graphic violence into explicit sex acts: "topless" means cutting a player in half, while a "gang bang" means killing multiple enemies. And with kids as young as 9 playing such games and where did the kids get the money? Oh yeah parents, the experts FoxNews.com cherry picked spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch violent crime in the US has dropped fairly steadily over the past 20 years...just sayin'.

?If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm's explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant,? True, for about 5mins as studies have proven, same is true for an adult Dr. Jerry Weichman google this guy and check out the pictures, seriously, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, told FoxNews.com and you haven't misrepresented his comments have you?.

?Violent video games like Bulletstorm have the potential to send the message that violence and insults with sexual innuendos are the way to handle disputes and problems,? Weichman said much like the USMC then? GET SOME MARINES!.

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence probably true, lets face it leia's metal bra outfit lends itself to a certain kind of play I find it hard to believe that there isn't at least one person who gets off dressing up like Krato's and abusing his girlfriend (with her permission, though, also nice skirt, pussy).

?The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games, or an increase in empowerment resulting in people reporting rapes, not necessarily an increase in rape ? she said.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), rates all video games as a guide for parents; each game carries a letter-label at retail (T for Teen, M for Mature) and an online-only summary. Lieberman and others say it's useless, because it isn't enforced at retail except that to the best of my knowledge it is company policy to enforce such ratings in major retail chains, can't speak for the ma' & pa' stores though.

Video game advocates say the existing warning system works fine: Parents are responsible for deciding whether their kids can play games, not the government. Epic, the game developer, did not respond to FoxNews.com's requests cos you guys lie through your teeth for your own agenda, BTW still looking for that fully interactive sex simulation with a space alien in mass effect. But game publisher Electronic Arts released the following statement: "Bulletstorm has been given an "M" rating by the ESRB, and we have adhered to all their guidelines in regards to the marketing and promotion of Bulletstorm."

More important, defenders argue that games with excessive violence and sexual content simply don't sell well.

?Games without sufficient quality of gameplay -- games that include highly objectionable violent or sexual content -- often pump up the level of this kind of content to gain media attention. This tactic typically fails, as can be seen in the poor sales performance of titles such as BMX XXX and Postal,? said Billy Pidgeon what this guy said, a video game analyst with M2 Research.

The most common response is that, in the U.S., game makers have the right to produce violent content. If the government restricts games they would have to further restrict all media.

Penalizing store clerks
There might be a simple way to address the problem: penalties for selling violent games to kids.

This year, the Supreme Court will make a landmark decision about video-game violence. A California law now makes it illegal for a merchant to sell a Mature-rated game to a minor; the law imposes a $1,000 fine. But the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) has sued to overturn the lawbecause under certain definitions of sale, selling to a parent who's buying for there child is still selling to the child, also this is only a partial definition of the california law, but you don't want to explain the whole thing do you Fauxnews.com?.

?Between a great ratings system, parental controls on the consoles and the major retailers inhibiting the
sale of Mature-rated games to minors, the matter is really one for parents and adults to consider, individually,? Hal Halpin, the ECA president, told FoxNews.com. ?I respect the creative rights of game developers to make a game like Bulletstorm in the same way that I appreciate Quentin Tarantino's right to make over-the-top movies like Kill Bill."

Melanie Killen, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Maryland who has pushed for laws that govern the sale of video games, disagrees that the ESRB rating system is working. She says 9-year-olds are playing games like Bulletstorm paid for by parents and that there is no real enforcementlike gun control in texas. The FCC monitors all TV broadcasts and stiffly fines broadcasters for violating decency rules, yet there are no penalties in place for retailers who sell violent games to kids.

?The marketing is clearly aimed at children and young adolescents yup I'm 26 going on 12...,? Killen said. ?Politicians were organizing efforts to address violent video games prior to the presidential election but got distracted by the election. It is time for senators and representatives to come back to the issue.?

Are the warnings enough?
To be fair, the online-only ESRB warning for Bulletstorm does spell out the objectionable content -- and even that is too graphic to reproduce entirely. Here's an excerpt:

The dialogue contains numerous jokes and comments that reference sexual acts, venereal diseases, and having sex with one's mother (e.g., "Guess I know where the ol' gal got that limp."). The names of some Skillshots are infused with sexual innuendo (e.g., Gag Reflex, Rear Entry, Drilldo, Mile High Club) and if you don't already know what they mean, there is no innuendo...thats why its called innuendo; one Skillshot (i.e., Fire in the Hole) allows players to shoot at enemies' exposed buttocks cos i never shot a guy in the ass while playing doom.?
Video game publishers traditionally stay glib about the issue of violence. Microsoft, maker of the Xbox 360 console, declined to comment. Epic Games did not respond to requests, and the developer did not respond. Remi Sklar, the vice president of Public Relations at Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, which makes numerous video games (though is unconnected to Bulletstorm), offered the following statement: ?We don?t have a comment for that story that you can twist for your own wicked purposes.?

In the end, those who don?t see a problem with Bulletstorm praise the game for being innovative another pet hate of fauxnews, thinking with your weapon instead of your gun (hey look! innuendo!).

?One thing that tends to be ignored is that if Bulletstorm consisted solely of beating people up, it wouldn't be fun to play,? said Hal Levy with the National Youth Rights Association theres a reason people dont play the first mortal kombat anymore, besides the bad graphics.

?It's been praised for encouraging innovative thinking. Bulletstorm involves developing new moves and dispatching of enemies creatively. Plenty of emotionally unstable adults will play the game and they?ll be fine,? he said.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Huh, where have I seen this before?

 

[meece]

If a parent doesn't notice their kid buying and playing these sorts of games then it's their issue if the kid turns out badly.

 

[Goldeneye1989]

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence.

?The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,? she said.

Seriously. There's not much else I can say.

-m

And this is why (as a student of psychology) I want to see the APA reinforcing this kind of stuff. UNLESS YOU HAVE SOLID EVIDENCE that would pass in a respected psychological journal, you should not be allowed to say opinions as fact.

Either say that your a parent or a concerned member of the community and provide no evidence

or

Say that your a psychologist and provide data and where you got that data.

 

[Bloodstain]

Oh, Postal 2 has a successor.

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence.

I refuse to believe that. Especially, I refuse to believe that this is the common consequence of sexually violent video games.

 

[aenimau5]

I'm going to blow up Fox News (ironically of course) anyone want to join in?

 

[Ddgafd]

Every game store ever needs to hire a guy whose job is to stop a parent buying a violent game for their kids and inform that "This game is rated M meaning that your child can't play it. Go online and learn the ESRB rating system, thank you." Should effectively stop Fox Newbs from spewing bullshit about games.

 

[Enkidu88]

I'd like to point out that their major sources are a religious hospital and "Dr. Carole", whose a TV psychologist akin to Dr. Phil. Notice the complete lack of any reputable sources, like the APA or really any scientist that's not on Fox's payroll.

 

[MaVeN1337]

Kids learn worse things at school, there, I said it.

And you couldn't be any more right.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

Please music and movies are just as bad. When I was in 2nd grade (about 7 or 8 yrs old) I was saying gang bang due to the music I listened to.

 

[Superasil]

?The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,? she said.

God help me, i lol'd

 

[HK_01]

You made it further than me anyway.

"And with kids as young as 9 playing such games, the experts FoxNews.com spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch."

That was as much as I could stomach.

Yeah, that's where I stopped too. It's ridiculous that they bash a game that was clearly not made for kids and has a rating that specifically states it's not meant for kids for the possibility that kids may get their hands on it...

I've kinda gotten used to that though. Parents cannot be blamed for anything because apparently nobody can be expected to have any sort of common sense.

 

[Exterminas]

For once I can totally understand that.
Bulletstorm has a very specific kind of humor that you can only enjoy by totally not taking it serious. Asking people who take things too serious for a living (News people) to get that is kind of an insane notion.

 

[Soods]

Are they serious?? Either way it's really funny.

 

[Sparrow]

Proof that Fox News is full of morons! Wait. Let me rephrase that.

Even more proof that Fox News is full of morons, even though we didn't exactly need any more.

 

[Irridium]

I'm going to blow up Fox News (ironically of course) anyone want to join in?

I'll bring the balloons.

 

[Revenge Revisited]

Oh no! Fox News doesn't like videogames! What a suprise!

 

[bossdirge]

I really don't understand this... you could say the same thing about all stuff that kids are not allowed to do. Drink, smoke cigarettes... etc. I think the rating system is a great start, but first off the kids shouldn't be coming home with these games in the first place. There should be enforcement at the retail level. If a bar sells a minor booze they have their license suspended, if they do it again they have their license revoked. This would be easy to do with game retailers.

Also, if a kid gets so bad at school that child services has to be called in and they feel the need to inspect the kids home, why not check it for mature games in which case it's the parents fault.

They said pornography caused rape years ago, and we all know that it's bullshit. It's not the content of the game that causes violence it is irresponsibility of the parents and retailers.

 

[Vykrel]

Kids learn worse things at school, there, I said it.

again, one of the first posters says exactly what i was thinking. last year i had a class in school where i would go and basically tutor the kids at the elementrary school. you wouldnt believe the shit that 8 year olds are saying

 

[RuralGamer]

Kids learn worse things at school, there, I said it.

Yep - my social eduction (British term for "killing time period") teacher used to teach us about;

- How to distil our own alcohol
- How to inject alcohol into fruit and vegetables to make them alcoholic
- How he used to get involved in sectarian violence (he went to a Catholic school in Livingstone) and the details of what he and others did
- How to mix such potent drinks you will pass out and wake up in hospital with you stomach pumped

All of this was with the "I did it, but you shouldn't" label, even though he obvious had no regrets about any of it.