Fox News: Video games are EEEEEVIL

The BBQ Pit
#1

Here’s the interview.

Long story short- Fox News claims that Mass Effect for the XBox360 has “full digital nudity and sex”. Geoff Keighley, video game journalist, has been invited to speak on the show, and tries to set the record straight.

I’ve seen less railroading in a game of Railroad Tycoon. Sheesh- he didn’t stand a chance.

Fox’s “Psychology Specialist” claims that statistics show that the average gamer is an adolescent male… untrue, as the actual average gamer age is 33. She doesn’t stop there- why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

Geoff goes on to explain that the “nudity” is an alien sideboob shot, and the entire sequence lasts less than two minutes out of a *thirty hour *game. That’s less than in a PG-13 movie or on primetime TV, both by actual duration and amount of skin, and by percentage of story. What’s more, it’s not just a “Do you want to have sex?” choice, but rather the culmination of a story… to which the vapid “Psychology Specialist”, again pounding on the adolescent gamer theme, says, “Yeah, right, like the young boys aren’t going to choose to have sex!”

She claims that women are sexually objectified in the game… to which Geoff rebuts that it’s also possible to play as a female in the game. Not surprisingly, she’s never played the game and finds the idea laughable when he asks her if she has.

Amusingly, when she decides to stop listening to him, she dismisses him as “Darlin’”.

When the host cuts Geoff off and goes back to the panel, the consensus is that sex in games is a bad thing, and therefore Mass Effect is evil. :rolleyes:

One member of the panel says that of course the kids are going to come home after school and play Dad’s game… shit, let’s hope Little Precious doesn’t figure out how to switch the channel to Cinemax, or how to pop a DVD in the player! Thankfully, another member of the panel does have the balls to suggest that perhaps it’s not the government’s responsibility to censor games, but rather that it’s the parent’s job.

I suppose it’s true- video games DO encourage violent behavior. I wanted to punch the “expert”, the panel, AND the host right in the face after watching the clip.

#2

Good thing you didn’t have a BFG handy.

#3

That’s why its so pointless for people to go on shows like that- you make tons of great points, the chick has no rebuttal and so then just dismisses you like you’re a lying idiot- see also Bill O’Reilly.

#4

The audience that watches Fox News isn’t looking for impartial.

Quality pitting.

#5

I much prefer the HL2 Gravity Gun with upgrade myself. :wink:

#6

Penny Arcade sums it up.

#7

I give this a big meh. Trying to argue with the anti-gamers is like trying to milk a goose. I just fantasize about feeding them to a giant tentacle monster (Hey, there’s a reason it’s called ‘fantasy’ :p) and move on.

#8

Or the portal gun. Create a portal underneath them and put the other portal above a tree shredder

#9

See, this is what gaming has done to me – I read that as giant testicle monster.

I’m past the average gaming age, and female to boot.

The HORROR. :smiley:

#10

And how do you feel about that?

#11

Normally, I’d agree with you… but the problem is that Fox, by presenting an opinion like that as a fact despite evidence to the contrary, has a very high chance of affecting my life both as a gamer and a game developer. Many people trust Fox News to tell them how to think and vote (or, more likely, to reinforce how they were going to think and vote in the first place).

Yeah, Fox is basically conservative propaganda… but average Joe Voter doesn’t realize that- he just thinks it’s objective reporting. What’s more, while there is an alternate liberal viewpoint expressed on other outlets, there’s not really a pro-gamer voice (aside from the easily-dismissed gaming websites).

Grr. Yes, I’m irritated. No, I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about it.

#12

Eh, the end result is the same. Either way, they’re fucked :smiley:

#13

Agreed. :smiley:

Oh, and elucidator, depends on what you’re referring to. You talkin’ about mah age, or the fact I apparently have GTMs on the brain?

#14

well, how do you feel about that?

#15

Actually, I think it’s brilliant from a marketer’s perspective.

#16

I feel fine, man… just fine.

Are grandmas allowed to talk about Giant Testicle Monsters?

#17

While I agree that many games are needlessly violent and graphic – just as much TV is – that doesn’t make me enjoy them any less. I played GTA and Bully and I went to go see Cloverfield and the latest Die Hard. And yet I’ve never raised a fist, let alone a crowbar, in anger. I had my squeamishness for hitting and being hit trained out of me at an early age – part of my ninja training :stuck_out_tongue: – but while I do admit to some distressing instincts behind the wheel after playing ten straight hours of Grand Theft Auto, I’m pretty sure the only detriment video games have made in my life is taking up time that could have been spent more profitably working out or making new friends.

If you’re going to find something to bitch about where computer games are concerned, bitch that they contribute to childhood obesity. Except they really don’t, not any more than television does. It is at least in part the neglect of parents insufficiently involved in the lives of their children. Is Little Timmy getting violent and sullen? Certainly it isn’t impending adolescence or my disinterest in his life. Obviously it must be playing too much Everquest. :rolleyes:

#18

Video games have their own channel on cable, don’t they? Or did that go off the air?

#19

Sure. How else are you gonna answer questions from the chilluns when they ask how you and grandpa met?

#20

Goddammit. Of all the games, Mass Effect? I mean really? The sex is like 1/1,000th of the game and is so tastefully done I’d watch it with my parents. Whatever. As the videogame playing demographic expands (thanks, Nintendo Wii!) this is going to become less of a problem.

Re: GTA–I did have a rather shocking moment when I’d been playing GTAIII for a few hours, then went for a drive. Saw a police car come up behind me and very nearly slammed on the gas reflexively. It made me more than a little uncomfortable.