Taboos in Video games

[octafish]

You know why Fallout was modified? Because it showed that if you took Morphine you become more durable. In Trainspotting it showed if you took Heroin you became a scaberous, theiving, useless, junkie. Besides, it was stupid to call the game drug morphine, Med-X is better in a world of Rad-Away, Stim-Packs and Jet, it just shows that Bethesda didn't quite "get" Fallout.

 

[Doctor VonSexMachine]

Wanna see what's taboo in gaming? Play I Have Candy, Get In The Van.

 

[therookie95]

Even if Ao games could be bought and played without shame, the issue is games being able to incorperate these things within them and be taken seriously. It'd be hard to incorperate murdering a child in a game and not be just pointless,or a way to get the game publicity, the same goes for showing sex within a game, unless they could put it within the game and have it make sense

 

[Funkiest Monkey]

Vaginas. I've never, ever played a game where you can see a vagina (and don't quote me saying "OH BUT WHAT ABOUT HENTAI GAMES AND DATE SIMS", because I don't give a shit). I'm not asking for vag to be more prominent in games, it was just an observation.

Excellent censorship Vincent McInsomniacAfro

 

[Erana]

Yes, there are video game taboos, but more often, its a matter of social taboos. More importantly, can anyone here think of a game that could be genuinely improved by breaking one of these sorts of taboos? Take for example the "Killing children" thing everyone goes off on. The only thing I can see is an extremely mild bit of added realism to the whole, "Dicking around and randomly killing things" experience.
More often than not, there are games that have broken said taboos, but done it so well that it is perfectly understandable for the game to contain it. Such as Silent Hill. All sorts of terrible things are done to children in that series, from abuse and neglect to downright setting 'em on fire. Few people call the series out on it because it takes notes from the, "tragedies that really do happen in life, and how most people react to them," book. Unless you're completely apathetic or just plain sick, you comprehend these events as a representation of the horrors of life.

 

[Spinozaad]

In DA:O you can "persuade" a possibly underage girl to kiss your male warden. And we all know that sex is worse than violence, no?

Although it's not exactly a taboo, I'd say that actual mature content comes close to being happily ignored by developers. With this I do not mean the teenage fantasy of X-TREME gore and violence, nor the graphical depiction of sex. I hint at the exploration of deeper themes, the stimulation of the deeper and primal urges of the inner psyche. That kind of shit.

There's a reason why games are still no artform (although, of course, they do not necessarily need to be. In fact, I'd say that's not even their intention), simply because they fail to evoke more than just glee, excitement and the occasional squee and squick.

 

[Orcboyphil]

There's a reason why games are still no artform (although, of course, they do not necessarily need to be. In fact, I'd say that's not even their intention), simply because they fail to evoke more than just glee, excitement and the occasional squee and squick.

Well thats wrong, Manhunter made me sick for example, and it seems you've never played Passage or FF7. Or you could just be a cold hearted bastard I suppose. There are games out there that mae you pause and think, like any good book. Some can even make you cry. Though I have yet to come across a game that has made me stop playing it like the Raggard Trousered Philanthroipst made me stop reading it.

 

[tomtom94]

(Visible) sex and harming children are considered absolutely beyond the pale.
Just look at Fable 2.

 

[kawaiiamethist]

(Visible) sex and harming children are considered absolutely beyond the pale.
Just look at Fable 2.

Dante's Inferno let me kill babies. But they were coming right for meee!

 

[kawaiiamethist]

In DA:O you can "persuade" a possibly underage girl to kiss your male warden. And we all know that sex is worse than violence, no?

I don't recall anything along those lines. What part do you refer?

 

[Orcboyphil]

In DA:O you can "persuade" a possibly underage girl to kiss your male warden. And we all know that sex is worse than violence, no?

I don't recall anything along those lines. What part do you refer?

I think he means the girl in Redcliffe and her broter who goes hiding in the closet.

 

[Spinozaad]

In DA:O you can "persuade" a possibly underage girl to kiss your male warden. And we all know that sex is worse than violence, no?

I don't recall anything along those lines. What part do you refer?

I think he means the girl in Redcliffe and her broter who goes hiding in the closet.

Orcboy moves on to the next round, to play for the colour-microwave. Certainly, she might be an 18+ who lived with, and was completely dependant on, her parents. She might be an adult who, stricken by fear and indecisiveness, is completely unable to fend for herself and her little brother.

Or she's a teen, and most teens happen to be all of the above.

In any case, she's really, really young.

-edit-

Corrected a bbcode fail.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

(Visible) sex and harming children are considered absolutely beyond the pale.
Just look at Fable 2.

Dante's Inferno let me kill babies. But they were coming right for meee!

But does it count when they're devil babies with scythe-hands? Ahh, gotta love grey areas.

 

[joshuaayt]

I sure hope that games don't start upping the ante, or we'll never get any games over here.
Anyway, what are you talking about? Why, just the other day I blew the face off of every Little Lamplighter, using fabulous modifications.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

(Visible) sex and harming children are considered absolutely beyond the pale.
Just look at Fable 2.

Dante's Inferno let me kill babies. But they were coming right for meee!

But does it count when they're devil babies with scythe-hands? Ahh, gotta love grey areas.

Psh, they are just misunderstood and tortured babies whom weren't "cleansed" with baptism, and were given to William Stryker (aka: Mister Lucifer) after they died for experiments into adamantine and anger management issues after the whole Wolverine fiasco..

OT: Break them slowly, one by one. Kids are the most annoying characters in games, afterall. I should be able to make candles out of their heads and watch them run around in circles for nagging me nonstop to rescue their darned cat, damnit! /rant

 

[Meggiepants]

It's not really so much a line they refuse to cross, as the ratings fallout. I'm sure that if they go too far, they will be rated AO, and whereas some parents are fine with purchasing an M rated title, AO is akin to X rated for some reason. I know, the difference is vast, and perhaps we need an X type rating in gaming ratings to help differentiate, but I think that's why a lot of games toe the line.

I'm fairly positive Rockstar would cross plenty of lines if they thought they could do it and still be as profitable.

Whoa whoa whoa X rating? Slow down buddy, us Aussies are having a hard enough time trying to get an R18+ rating.

I'm not saying now, I'm saying in the future, when games become as ubiquitous as film. You can't escape the porn industry. Eventually they will see money can be made in the video game industry and will go for it.

But I think we're talking 20-30 years down the road. By that time, hopefully your lawmakers have had a change of heart about those R18+ games.