Poll: Realism is offensive

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

So there's been about a hundred things with sexism, racism, people being offended and such. Some of these are valid. Others just representations of what they are actually like in reality. Here are my examples.

A prison management game that involves race problems and rape.
Lara Croft almost getting raped by bad guys. Because ya'know, rape doesn't actually exist, not legitimate rape any way *cough cough* stupid fucking republicans *cough cough*.
The occasional times when religious people found Assassin's Creed offensive because it portrayed religion exactly the way it was during that time period.

With my first example I just have to say that's what happens in prison. Don't like it? push your shitty government to reform the system then. Don't have a ***** at the game devs for portraying realism.
For the second example? Fair enough I suppose. I haven't actually seen it myself so I can't completely give a comment. But if they were going for a psychological approach to things then fine. Not all games can be massive sausage fests like all of today's AAA shooters.
Thirdly and finally because I can't be stuffed writing down more examples, religion. Was the church incredibly evil at that time? YES. Should they have made the church look fake and not evil? NO

So what are your opinions?

P.S. Please note that I'm only referring to realistic portrayals of things, no just stuff that might piss people off.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I guess many of the people complaining can't tell the difference between portraying and glorifying.

 

[Keoul]

A prison management game that involves race problems and rape.
Lara Croft almost getting raped by bad guys. Because ya'know, rape doesn't actually exist, not legitimate rape any way *cough cough* stupid fucking republicans *cough cough*.
The occasional times when religious people found Assassin's Creed offensive because it portrayed religion exactly the way it was during that time period.

With my first example I just have to say that's what happens in prison. Don't like it? push your shitty government to reform the system then. Don't have a ***** at the game devs for portraying realism.
For the second example? Fair enough I suppose. I haven't actually seen it myself so I can't completely give a comment. But if they were going for a psychological approach to things then fine. Not all games can be massive sausage fests like all of today's AAA shooters.
Thirdly and finally because I can't be stuffed writing down more examples, religion. Was the church incredibly evil at that time? YES. Should they have made the church look fake and not evil? NO

The first example I agree with you, though they could pick a better subject for a game but whatever.

The second however with Lara Croft is different. People are complaining not that rape is included but because it's used as a marketing tool to get more people into a game, using rape to advertise for things is just not tasteful.

The third I agree with you aswell, I'm not sure why religion is getting all pissy at games for what movies have done for years but apparently including them realistically is a bad thing.

 

[Bostur]

No but I sometimes get sick and tired when people think they have the right not to be offended. If people get offended by a piece of art or a game, thats a good thing. It means something was done right.

Games shouldn't try to offend for its own sake, there needs to be a reason for it. But being offended from time to time is a good thing. It makes us think, it makes us re-examine our beliefs and opinions.

I love (and hate) a game, or a movie, or a book that can offend me in a good way.

Taking offense is mostly harmless.

 

[Sixcess]

The problem is not 'realism' in video games, the problem is that video games, like comic books in the 90s, have little or no idea of what is realistic.

What is passed off as realistic in games, as in comics, is usually grim 'n gritty juvenile rubbish, an angst ridden teenager's view of what is real or mature or 'grown up', and is in any case utilised primarily as a selling point rather than out of any genuine desire by the developer to tell a 'mature' story.

Realism is often highly overrated. I think a rape/attempted rape scene is inapropriate in Tomb Raider, in the same was as it would be inapropriate in an Indiana Jones movie. Realism has no place in the genre of high adventure.

If CD want to shift Tomb Raider from high adventure to gritty violence and torture porn then let them do so, but it insults our intelligence when they try to excuse the unrelenting sadism and pointless brutality of the reboot as more 'realistic'.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Realism is a stylistic choice like surrealism and is just as artificial. What is accepted as "realistic" in a game is merely something expected and conventional but it is less real and authentic than astroturf or artificial sweetener. Reality is far more unbelievable and confusing than something manufactured to be realistic. So asking if people who find so called realistic games offensive are trying to censor reality is absurd. It's the people asking for realistic games who want to censor reality and present it as something that conforms to their often demented expectations. Like the expectations that a female "hero" should have to fend of rape attempts while a male hero never should.

 

[Comocat]

I went with "other" because if I want real world I'll watch the news.

 

[Mirroga]

I don't like some gamers who consider adding realism in games as useless or as pointless. Some narratives and gameplay add immersion when the environment and story is closer to reality than it is.

And I don't like these..."sensitive" people who consider portraying real life violence or religion in games as offensive simply because they don't want such a serious topic as a game. You know what? Ignore them. And I mean ignore even the concept itself. There will be less racism in the world if the politically correctness WHITE crowd and the "It's because I'm black, isn't it" crowd actually just forget the whole thing existed. To me, sexism, racism and everything wrong in the world is just one big troll.

 

[MBurdock]

Some books are offensive, so are some songs and some visual arts. It's clear that games aren't intended only for children (though individual ones may be) so big deal if there are offensive games. It's a grown-up medium. The only people that could reasonably get upset about offensive games are those with a stake in the issue that feel a need to expand the discussion or those who mistakenly think that games are for kids. As an example of the former, persons who wish to defend the church against its portrayal by AC may want to raise counterarguments. That's a legitimate thing to do.

 

[PrimitiveJudge]

Remember when Resident Evil 5 and Left for Dead 2 came out and people went batshit insane? Some people just need to chill out, it turns out it was no big deal.

 

[Rumpsteak]

No, we have not yet reached the point that when I take a shower I get one of those fancy black bars to float in front of my bits and bobs. In all seriousness though some people need to learn that showing something isn't the same as endorsing it.

 

[TehCookie]

Only the extremist. I find Lara's "rape" and what the guy said about it offensive. I'll voice my displeasure but I won't force them to do anything. I'm against censorship so I think you can do anything, but that doesn't mean people can't call it out for what it does.

 

[DugMachine]

I couldn't pick a poll option cause I don't agree with any of them. There is no problem with bringing up topics and calling foul on them. What I do have a problem with is feminists/PC police screaming at the top of their lungs to get their point across as it does nothing but annoy people and encourage them to ignore you. I sure as hell ignore people when they're yelling at me.

edit for clarity; Realism has it's place in video games and I hope we keep advancing and exploring new and taboo topics to implement without forgetting what they really are, a game.

 

[CaptainKarma]

So there's been about a hundred things with sexism, racism, people being offended and such. Some of these are valid. Others just representations of what they are actually like in reality. Here are my examples.

A prison management game that involves race problems and rape.
Lara Croft almost getting raped by bad guys. Because ya'know, rape doesn't actually exist, not legitimate rape any way *cough cough* stupid fucking republicans *cough cough*.
The occasional times when religious people found Assassin's Creed offensive because it portrayed religion exactly the way it was during that time period.

With my first example I just have to say that's what happens in prison. Don't like it? push your shitty government to reform the system then. Don't have a ***** at the game devs for portraying realism.
For the second example? Fair enough I suppose. I haven't actually seen it myself so I can't completely give a comment. But if they were going for a psychological approach to things then fine. Not all games can be massive sausage fests like all of today's AAA shooters.
Thirdly and finally because I can't be stuffed writing down more examples, religion. Was the church incredibly evil at that time? YES. Should they have made the church look fake and not evil? NO

So what are your opinions?

P.S. Please note that I'm only referring to realistic portrayals of things, no just stuff that might piss people off.

"It's realistic" is an argument that carries exactly zero weight when talking about the content of a videogame. Because the game is fiction. If the game was a 100% perfect simulation of reality then the realism defense works. But they aren't. Devs pick and choose which bits of reality to emulate. And if they emulate the worse parts of reality we have to question WHY they put them in. Are the reasons legitimate? Is it adding to the game? Or is it just prurient trivialising of the subject matter?

 

[devotedsniper]

In all honesty these things do go on in the world and provided it's not too graphic when it comes to it being in a video game i don't care, hell i'll probably enjoy the game more because it might keep something more authentic (e.g. gang crime/racism), i'm not saying what happens is a good thing but it's a story and provided it's clearly labeled (like the age rating systems) if there's something graphic i have no problem with it in video games.

Those who don't agree need to just give the game a miss if there offended in all honesty, it's like with books, you don't agree with some of the content? Then don't read it, there are other books out there for you.

 

[zehydra]

I voted "we should censor reality" because of how it was worded.

 

[Popadoo]

This sums up my thoughts.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I guess many of the people complaining can't tell the difference between portraying and glorifying.

Indeed. Sometimes fiction needs to expose us, the audience, the things that we will no doubt find disturbing and/or unpleasant in order to effectively tell their story. As long as these elements aren't being glorified then I don't see a problem with this; and if one can tell the difference well... that's just sad.