Poll: what do you consider an "adult game"?

[Pyode]

same as with dvd's, rough, gory and full of sex...

a game with sublety, nuance and restraint is normally classified as "good"

I have to go with what this guy said. ^

Although, in reality, I wouldn't consider either "adult." When something completely relies on being full of gore and sex in an effort to be "mature" in my eyes that just makes it more childish.

However, I feel that most kids can appreciate when something is subtle, nuanced, and restrained. So, I wouldn't necessarily say that those things are "adult," because I feel that even a child with a reasonably functioning brain can enjoy them.

 

[NicolasMarinus]

same as with dvd's, rough, gory and full of sex...

a game with sublety, nuance and restraint is normally classified as "good"

Essentially this.

However, I understand that the Half Life series does have sublety, nuance and restraint; it also has blood and gore. I do see where you are coming from, the gore isn't the key selling point, whereas the story and depth is, but it is present.

At least it doesn't have raw sex!

The blood and gore is restrained in Half Life. They don't make a show of blood spatters or offer several brutal ways of killing someone (although carrying and shooting corpses with the powered-up gravity gun in the Citadel made me cringe).

Plus, you can spend a great deal of time in the game without having to use any weapon, especially in the episodes.

 

[WiwuX]

Why are the categories split up? One of the most adult games I can think of is Fallout 2, which contains plenty of blood, gore and sex, while also providing subtlety, nuance and to an extent restraint.

 

[TelHybrid]

Well any game can be enjoyed by adults. I'm 21 and I still enjoy games like the old Sonic games and Crash Bandicoot and such. Hell even something like Pokémon can be enjoyed by adults. So in that respect any game is adult.

In terms of games that are purely just for adults, I guess the raw sex/gore comes into play most, although to only enjoy games with that kind of stuff is either immature (ironically) or shows some deep psychological problems.

 

[dangitall]

I think its gotta be blood, gore and hardcore nudity. Although I can see how the other one works. I think there are 2 types of adult games.
Games that are only appropriate for adults, but most adults do not enjoy.
Or games that are appropriate for everyone, but only people as mature as an average adult can truly enjoy it for what it is. Big difference.

 

[zehydra]

The only thing that makes an Adult game "Adult" is if it has sex, or nudity or anything like that.

Granted, extreme violence and gore is not for children, but note the difference when you say Movies that are rated 'R' and Adult Movies. While it is true that movies that are rated 'R' are intended for adults, the term "Adult Movie" generally denotes a pornographic film.

 

[riotwraith]

Blood gore and raw sex. I could appreciate subtlety, nuance, and restraint long before I was an adult, so saying that only adults are meant to enjoy it would be just as stupid as saying the first poll option is meant only for children.

 

[Mr. In-between]

I'm with the OP on this one. Like I've said time and again, when I see games like FEAR and GTA, I picture a group of thirteen year olds sitting around a TV thinking that they are hot shit in a champagne glass because they are playing a game that has the word "fuck" in it.

It's why Nintendo falls victim to what I dub the "Barney complex". In an effort to look more like adults, teenagers lambaste Nintendo for making "childish games" much like a younger child goes through the whole "I hate Barney" phase in an effort to look less like a toddler.

I couldn't agree more with this. It really pisses me off when people hate on Nintendo because they're making colourful games. Who cares, they're FUN! Just because they didn't pump out "Brown Ultra-Violent Cover Based Shooter 36" doesn't make their games childish. The games may be suitable for children, but they aren't designed for children. Rated E for everyone should perhaps be taken a bit more literally.

To me, a game like the recently demoed Bulletstorm is immensely childish. With lines like "You scared my dick off", how can people not notice it's obviously pandering to young teens attracted to swear words and lots of gore to prove how grown up they are?

People hate on Nintendo because it's trendy to hate on Nintendo. Why is it trendy to hate on Nintendo? Because it's trendy to play FPS online multiplayer.

Eventually, the market will get bored with Brown Ultra-Violent Cover Based Shooter 36 and its endless imitators and they'll move on to something else. Nintendo foresaw this due to the XBOX's success in the previous console generation and they planned accordingly. As a result of this, they are LOLing all over both Sony and Microsoft in terms of units sold and speaking as someone who is currently in possession of a gamecube, ps2, and 360; I think it's insanely hilarious given all of the flak that Nintendo gets for making "kid games".