Oh no, the antagonists of a game poke fun at the protagonist, who just so happens to be in the same demographic as my daughter!
Actually, Tim Minchin said this better than I can.
"I'm outraged, I'm gonna write a shit letter to a bad newspaper!"
...
it's fucking Portal, you have to take that into context and the kid probably wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't made a big fuss about it.
Besides that you have to give the guy credit for not parking his kids in front of the TV but spending time with them.
and kudos to the kid, portal would have frustrated the shot out of me at age 10
I think it's great that he loves his kid that much that he gets so worked up over this (he's clearly a good parent, and we need more of those), but he's taking his complaint too far really. It's a harmless joke, and she doesn't seem too bothered about it, so just let it go.
You can't be serious. This is for real? This is actually making it to news headlines? There are people out there who really take offense at that? The game is pointing fun at the player for being adopted? God some people are dumb.
How far is political correctness going to go? Is there going to be a point in time where we can't express anything at all?
Hey, Dad, you want an explanation for your daughter? How's this? They're VILLAINOUS CHARACTERS! They're there to act against the PROTAGONIST! They say horrible things in an attempt to get to her! Valve isn't making fun of adoption! They're characterizing their villains as horrible people! Good sir, your reaction is the equivalent to dog owners everywhere complaining to media outlets about how a game or a movie features the villain kicking a dog!
I for one am shocked at how an antagonistic character is insulting towards the protagonist! Clearly this is unacceptable. My god, children could play this game and get the impression that people who are constantly insulting you and trying to have you killed aren't actually nice! That they're actually kind of jerks.
I mean is that really the message we want to send our kids?
Yes, how dare this man try to spare his daughter's feelings in some small way. Why don't you try to see things from someone else point of view for once before you throwaround petty insults. Makes you look like less of a jerk
I think they over reacted a bit. OK i can see where they are coming from but still.
Does this family avoid all films and tv shows featuring orphans. Its quite hard to get away from.
I definitely think he's overreacting.
Especially considering the girl understands it's a joke and/or just doesn't care.
You would have a hard time avoiding all references to adoption in the media, and considering it's a joke supposedly made by a vengeful psychotic AI it has to be taken with a grain of salt. She also made fat jokes about Chell, but it's sort of understood that she's only saying it out of spite.
But, kids being kids, this whole episode will probably spell out to more ridicule, teasing and bullying for the girl in the video from her schoolmates.
I would commend him but unfortunately, there only seem to be two types of people: parents who don't care what their kids play or don't think it'll affect them at all, or an overbearing nit-picker who won't let their kid play a game because it says crap once. Is there no middle ground???
Or maybe those are the only two types of parents we hear about and most parents are actually pretty good at teaching their kids to take everything with a grain of salt and to make good decisions which will help rather than hinder their future. But then how the hell did we get here?
OT: I'm always surprised but never amazed by these sorts of stories. What I was surprised at was the reporters claims saying it was educational (apparently assumed from the E rating which is a thing in and of itself) and saying it was "unfriendly". Have they actually seen any other parts of the game??? Despite the fact that the game is constantly trying to KILL you (another bullet in the "educational" idea's face) the taunting is heard throughout the entire game and is meant to be humourous and used to bolster your desire to reach the end and destroy GlaDOS.
Perspective is a funny thing. Glass can be see through from one angle and dazzling from another. Try it sometime.
But, kids being kids, this whole episode will probably spell out to more ridicule, teasing and bullying for the girl in the video from her schoolmates.
Why does everyone assume that this guy is a rabid anti-gaming advocate? Perhaps he just wanted to point out that some of the dialogue could perhaps hit a little too close to home for some kids and parenta who play it, especially since it IS rated "everyone".
But no, "he said something bad about games raargh he's the next jack Thompson raargh he's obviously a deranged individual who pant allowed an opinion raargh"
Seriously, if I was an impartial judge and this was a debate, this guy would win hands down. Let's look at the arguments shall we?
Him: "this game has dialogue that could be considered offensive to certain parties."
Escapist Commentors: "you're a fucking idiot shut up idiot!!!!!!"
If your daughter is not offended, then move on for frack's sake. What are you, some kind of knight with white shining armor bent on defending the innocent and the orphan from... orphan jokes?
Right, well as an adopted child, I feel like I have a unique answer here because- Oh wait. No, I'm not offended, that man is a sensationalist idiot.
I myself am adopted, and didn't find out until I was ten years old. It was pretty hard for me, but as they said, they never made any secret of the fact she wasn't their biological child and she evidently knows. He's putting words in her mouth by saying she "isn't ready to talk about it" when really, it just seems that she didn't hear or doesn't care.
They also managed to remove all context of the remark, as it is delivered as an extremely ineffectual dig from one of the least threatening characters in the game.
In fact, let me ask my dad how he feels about a game called me adopted. Transcript follows:
Me 17:09 said:
Hey Dad, a game made fun of me for being adopted, how do you feel about this?
Not really, more making fun of the person trying to make fun of me. Also kind of me, but only as a "Haha adoption is funny" thing that was put in because a character is potentially lying to you about your life.
Doesn't work out that way, sorry. Glados says "Oh that's right. You're adopted." She is by no stretch making an ironic statement ala "smarty pants". When she says "adopted" she means "you are a foundling". She goes on to say "your birth parents are here." As though meeting them is the dream of every adopted person. Tell me how she has been particularly witty about it.
Being adopted is not demeaning. Being black is not demeaning. Being jewish is not demeaning.
All three can be used as an insult. All three can be used as a fact. It depends on context.
Yeah, cause games get away with making racial slurs all the time.
Scribblenauts got in deep shit for "Sambo", which was both accidental and really, really ancient. We can't just say Valve can get away with worse behavious because we like them.
This would be fine and dandy if I was treating VALVe differently. I'm a firm supporter of letting companies put whatever the hell they want in a game language wise, as long as it fits. If it's fitting for GLaDOS to call you fat, let her do it. However, it wouldn't be fitting for her to bust out a bunch of racial slurs.
I'm not sure where you're getting this "we" from as I don't let the opinions of the masses change my opinion on issues like this.
I think the biggest problem here is the fact that we live in an idiotic age of "political correctness", and no matter what happens, someone will make up some inane way to be offended by it.
It's frustrating to the point that one would become a hermit and live in the wilds for the rest of one's life.
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