So what ISN'T allowed in video games now?

[xPrometheusx]

I was thinking about this earlier: 5 years ago, there were certain things that, generally, were NOT accepted into the mainstream. 10 years ago, Halo was controversial for the FPS factor. 5 years ago (actually, more like 7 now... christ) Gears of War was controversial for the giant amount of gore. Now you can see games like Dead Rising and not bat an eye. The FPS has become a standard, and our culture is... pretty accepting of it. Meanwhile, Dead Space has you blasting away schoolhouses of undead children and Modern Warfare's latest "controversial" scene was, a child dying. Boo hoo.

But I was thinking that the one line that had always been drawn was sex. In that most games, like Mass Effect, at least have the courtesy to fade to black and rely on the internet for filling-in, in which case I was disproven by Far Cry 3, where you are literally fucking Citra in first person. TWICE. And she's topless, too. Not that I had a problem with that, but short of the squelchy jello-in-shoe (don't ask) noises and the P entering the V, there wasn't exactly many more barriers to be broken aside from maybe a quick-time event to grope, which, granted, would've been absolutely fucking hilarious (no pun intended).

So... I'm confused. Where is the line drawn at this point? Does one even still exist for what can be put into a game? What do people besides myself think?

 

[xPrometheusx]

It all depends on the rating. I haven't played Far Cry 3 yet, but do those scenes show full on mother effing hardcore penetration?

No, not directly, but from what I remember it literally only didn't show it because you couldn't swivel your camera down far enough.

Sorry for the triple thread post, long story short every time I posted instead of taking me to the thread, it gave me a 404 error, leading me to think that I hadn't posted. Turns out, I did. 3 times. Oops.

 

[DementedSheep]

I haven't played far cry 3 but can't recall any game actauly showing penetration or an erect penis for that matter. I have a feeling that might still cause problems for mainstream games.

 

[Auron]

Art should have no boundaries, games are art. The people will decide if something is bad and act accordingly.


Far Cry 3 is somewhat discreet on the matter, the first time you're basically raped during a drug-filled journey you wake from with her on top of you getting up while you're commanded to go somewhere else and the other time is at the ending scene,

Spoiler

and only if you pick the heartless ************ ending

, otherwise there's no extra sex.

 

[A_Parked_Car]

I'm fairly certain that there would be an uproar if a game depicted something like the Holocaust. Even if it was done in a respectful and serious way. I can't recall any game that even really mentions those kinds of atrocities openly. I could be wrong though.

 

[xPrometheusx]

I'm fairly certain that there would be an uproar if a game depicted something like the Holocaust. Even if it was done in a respectful and serious way. I can't recall any game that even really mentions those kinds of atrocities openly. I could be wrong though.

I assume that you mean 'depicted it positively'? In which case... yeah, I suppose I'd agree with that. I'm pretty sure WWII in general has been in a lot of games, though...

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

Happy Games isn't allowed in Video Games now, it's all grimdark.

 

[veloper]

Halo was ever controversial? FPS factor whut?
A little controversy is still very easy to stir up (just depict sex for example), but everything is allowed.

 

[DoPo]

Halo was ever controversial? FPS factor whut?

Thank you, my thoughts exactly: what controversy was, or even could be, there involving Halo and FPS?

Also, I don't recall anything about Gears of War, however, I could have missed it and I find the premise more likely. Still, I doubt it was a really huge deal.

 

[Altorin]

I'm fairly certain that there would be an uproar if a game depicted something like the Holocaust. Even if it was done in a respectful and serious way. I can't recall any game that even really mentions those kinds of atrocities openly. I could be wrong though.

in games things happen far worse then the holocaust all the time.

The holocaust is like, friday, to games.

 

[Lady Larunai]

I would guess child porn and snuff video's are not allowed in games

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

God of War actually has that QTE generally somewhere in it and has in most of its games, so...

But otherwise, I don't think it's so much that things were not allowed at some point as that developers just keep trying to top each other for contoversiality points. I think videogames, like any other media, do not have anything they shouldn't or can't explore. It's just a matter of, as far as I'm concerned, attempting to get cheap publicity/appealing to a target market as far as possible/virtual dick measuring.

 

[Hawkeye21]

I think its retarded how massive amounts of violence, gore and swearing are allowed to be in games, while depictions of nudity and/or sex are a no-no. That says something unpleasant about our modern society.

 

[Madman123456]

Americans seem to be easily offended. Some of them threw a hissy fit when EA said that you could be playing as Taliban shooting americans.
I guess russians just don't give a fuck.

Just make a game where you fly a Plane into the World Trade Center and you'll have your desired Shitstorm.

 

[Genocidicles]

snuff video's are not allowed in games

In Manhunt you play a man forced into making a snuff film. I don't know about the second one though.

 

[ItsNotRudy]

The actual descriptive depiction (not implication it once happened in the storyline) of rape, uncensored sex (not just breasts showing), proactive racism (kill 20 insertminorityhere)

 

[Lady Larunai]

snuff video's are not allowed in games

In Manhunt you play a man forced into making a snuff film. I don't know about the second one though.

it probably passed as its the death of a digital character, not actual footage on an in game television

 

[Mr. Eff_v1legacy]

Playing as Nazis or Al-Queda. God forbid people play a game from an opposing point of view...

 

[snowpuppy]

Have we got gay sex scenes yet? That would piss someone off.