Poll: The "C" word in Videogames

[Xanadu84]

Now I'm actually pretty positive on being PC. Common decency, and making the small sacrifice of watching your language to show respect to your fellow man is great. But there is also a time and a place. In a situation where the parties involved know that the word is used in jest/purposefully inflammatory to make a greater point/not serious contexts, then any swear is fine. The thing that bothers me is that we are talking primarily about mature (In the ESRB rating sense, at least) video games. When people are getting shot in the head, I cease to care about harsh language of any variety. Violence is fine in video games, but I am going to be much, much more concerned about who I show the game to because of its violent content then I am over its language content. Same deal with nudity really. I'm not going to show my hypothetical kid either foul language, nudity, or bad language, but the language and nudity arn't worth as much of my concern as the violence.

 

[Ladette]

Here in the states it seems like its as offensive to women as the N word is to black people.

It is because of this that I go out of my way to use it whenever possible.

You use **** when fuck just doesn't seem strong enough. If someone tries to kill you in real life you think you're going to stop and be PC? No! You're gonna rip into them.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Okay, this is not meant to be an incendiary post, and i'm not trying to offend our lovely lady escapists but the c-word has almost always been considered more offensive than most profanity.

Why would I think there was anything wrong with the C-word? Like *****, **** is a word that was originally used to insult a strong woman for being strong... which isn't nearly as much of an insult anymore. Actually, it's sort of a compliment. I rather enjoy being a *****, on the average day. Plus, it's an above-average swear word.

Also, Yahtzee uses the word **** in his reviews all the time, and they never fail to make me smile. Particularly when he uses **** as a preposition. So I'm all for more cunts in video games.

And yes, I'm aware of the double entrende there. One might almost think it was intentional, particularly since I support sex and nudity in video games.

 

[Karma168]

I remember once there was a day time TV interview where the guest said ****, at 10 in the morning. nobody noticed as it was the name of something. whereas a TV show on after the watershed still gets crap for using it as an insult; it's bizarre.

As for games, can't remember the 1st time i heard it; think black ops had it once or twice, though they censored it in the subtitles. cause y'know reading a bad word is so much worse than hearing it :s.

 

[Woodsey]

I don't really care, I rarely say ****.

In writing, unless it adds to the character or would be something that you'd just say in a desperate situation, swearing isn't really necessary.

Not because I'm against it, I swear in most of my posts on the Escapist, but it just feels like it's there for the sake of it.

 

[Ledan]

I find ***** more offensive. And slut + whore.
I'm sure Duke will provide offensive language + Bulletstorm.

 

[Denamic]

It's the female equivalent of 'dick'.
Who gives a shit?

 

[Stublore]

What the FUCK is the C word???????????????

 

[Caligulove]

People use that word in real life, therefore its used in scriptwriting.

I'm sure people said the same thing when 'fuck' seemed to be more prevalent in both games and films, etc- but look at us now, we moved on to another 'demon word' to take up the mantle of going-too-far or something.

 

[Gigano]

Having absolutely no problem with swearing, I wouldn't be bothered by it in video games either.

As long as it fits the game world and setting - which it certainly would with GTA - then it's entirely justified. And even when its use sticks out like a sore thumb, that's an artistic problem, not an ethical one.

 

[leady129]

Used in the right context, I have no problem with these words being used to to enhance or punctuate a point in the plot. Simply being thrown in randomly as an excuse to swear in a video game feels immature and lazy.

 

[Double A]

What's more offensive about the word **** than the word fuck?

If you get upset just because people tell you a word is bad you're a fecking eejit.

This is my opinion.

**** is a word just like quiz. People aren't offended by quiz (unless they're in High School), so I don't see why people can be offended by a synonym for vagina.

 

[SilverUchiha]

It's a word. Why bother being upset by it unless you have some problem with yourself and think that you may, yourself be a ****. Ergo, you have to lash out at people who say that in reference to anything/anyone because you have a paranoia they may be, indirectly, talking about you...

... enough head-fucking. As I was saying, it's a word. Nothing more.

 

[Trolldor]

Can't say I even noticed it that much. I am unphased by profanity, except when it is used cleverly, and then I laugh heartily.

 

[Donttazemehbro]

I swear like a sailor all the time, but the C-word is the one curse word i wont use. Personally i dont care if i hear it, i dont like it if i do, but i just dont like to say it

 

[BrionJames]

I have no problem with this word unless, like any other use of profanity, it gets cartoonishly overused.

 

[Mr Snuffles]

I really don't understand swear words, man created a language, created certain words, and now people are frowned upon for using something we created... I don't see how a word can be so offensive to be honest, so I don't see the big deal about it...

 

[dementis]

I see "swear words" as an extension of my vocabulary, so the word doesn't really bother me, it's under-used in my opinion

 

[Sneeze]

I don't see why the C-Word has the reputation it does, but in someways it kind of helps the word imo. Fuck, bastard and shit and thrown around like no-ones business, if one person calls another a **** in a game you know they mean business. The fact it go such a huge taboo about it kind of helps its impact I think, which is sort of a good thing. I do the same myself, I tend to avoid using the word myself unless I really want to draw attention to something or am really pissed off.

 

[Jegsimmons]

well im not offended with bad language, but i think that developers should use them sparingly or else it get quite annoying. such as in gta 4 they drop the f bomb so much it didnt mean anything by the third act.
and their are words that i just dont care to hear, not because im necessarily offended ( im not) but because some word just dont flow well. like if never liked the use of "****" or "god damn" for some reason they just dont flow and really sound immature at times.

so in a round about way : They can, by why should they?