Poll: Scary or just morally wrong?
- Thread starter Arkhangelsk
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I think it scarcely matters whether it furthers the story or character development. The nature of video games and movies is gratuitous, for entertainment. Unless the director is trying to make a political or social point the reason for any content is to create an emotional reaction, which this does. The character or story can be developed other ways, but it is always better to show the audience something rather than tell them.
Final point, why are games still the subject of such discussion? A scene like this in a movie would create little comment.
To clarify: scary.
Final point, why are games still the subject of such discussion? A scene like this in a movie would create little comment.
To clarify: scary.
To be honest, Silent Hill 2 is probably the only game that can get away with this kind of thing. Seeing as the the town Silent Hill itself is a character, everything in that town should be fucked up. It creates that feeling of uncomfortable fear that Japanese horror games are so well known for.
Wasn't he the representation of James's guilt over his wife's death? He felt so bad, in the way that he thought he deserved suffering, and thus came Pyramid Head to fulfill that in a very literal manner.Nmil-ek said:
Frankly, not showing rape does not make it go away, rape is an ugly fact of an imperfect world. Frankly, I think rape should be a topic explored in some games.
First off, I'd like to say that it's difficult to tell what the hell is going on in that scene, but if you think it's a rape, then I'm not going to argue with you. It's just not the first thing that jumped into my head.
The average age of gamers is in the mid thirties. It's time to stop treating this medium like it's strictly for children. Are things like "Rape Lay" appropriate? No, and neither is rape pornography.
Having mature or disturbing content is often an excellent way to provide characterization and provoke an emotional response. If we're really going to contend that this is an art form that can be used as an effective storytelling medium, then arguments like this undermine that assertion. If it's art, then any storytelling device should be okay. If it's not, then I guess we have an eternity of mario repeats and halo throwaway titles.
No, but it is going to start the "If it's okay for mainstream movies and other art forms, then it should be okay for games" argument.robert632 said:
The average age of gamers is in the mid thirties. It's time to stop treating this medium like it's strictly for children. Are things like "Rape Lay" appropriate? No, and neither is rape pornography.
Having mature or disturbing content is often an excellent way to provide characterization and provoke an emotional response. If we're really going to contend that this is an art form that can be used as an effective storytelling medium, then arguments like this undermine that assertion. If it's art, then any storytelling device should be okay. If it's not, then I guess we have an eternity of mario repeats and halo throwaway titles.
grimsprice said:
I agree with these two statements wholeheartedly. Video Games are a legitimate art form and the designers/storytellers/whatever can include whatever they wish to achieve the end goal so long as it's coherent and (hopefully) good. So long as the magical supreme beings that control the ESRB don't muck up the rating and cause, as Jim Lahey would say, a sh*tstorm. I also happen to be playing around with using multiple quotes in a reply for the first time. How am I doing?Srkkl said:
Sarcasm: the Internet's wonderful, wonderful language. What flavour should the ice cream have been, pray tell?Cxizent said:
Q.F.T.DeadlyGlitch said:
though i would like to see Pyramid Head have his way with Elmo..... but then, i an really creeped out by Elmo. /shiver
Wasn't the first thing that jumped into my head too. I first thought he was trying to shove the monster down the sink or something. But he who sat next to me said it was rape, and it made most sense. It was symbolic in a way.PhiMed said:
This is one of those really odd things, where X is fine but Y isn't. I suppose we've been, in gaming at least, nullified over digital murder. We'll laugh our arses off in GTA when running people over, we'll squeal with joy when we cause cranial explosions with a sniper rifle, you get the idea. Murder, and death, are both completely normal things in video games and as such it only really affects us if certain characters die (Imagine if Alyx Vance died 
).
Rape, however, is something we're not used to in games. It'll also be different for victims in the real world. A murder victim, for example, would be dead and as such not suffer after the event. A rape victim, however, could have psychological (and maybe even physical) issues after the event that last their whole life. But at the same time, some victims "come to terms" with what's happened and just get on with their lives.
The more we're exposed to it, the less we'll care. I am indifferent to it, as long as it's not too graphic (So, for example, seeing a woman being dragged off by a man and then hearing it, for me, is the "less evil" depiction of it than it happening there and then).
). Rape, however, is something we're not used to in games. It'll also be different for victims in the real world. A murder victim, for example, would be dead and as such not suffer after the event. A rape victim, however, could have psychological (and maybe even physical) issues after the event that last their whole life. But at the same time, some victims "come to terms" with what's happened and just get on with their lives.
The more we're exposed to it, the less we'll care. I am indifferent to it, as long as it's not too graphic (So, for example, seeing a woman being dragged off by a man and then hearing it, for me, is the "less evil" depiction of it than it happening there and then).
Question!crazyhaircut94 said:
How far are you into the game, do you know what Pyramid Head 'is' yet?
Yes of course things like that should be in horror games (provided there is some kind of reason for it, random acts are rarely more than just gore porn), that's why they are horror games. You are supposed to be horrified!
I'm not the one saying it's inappropriate, I think it's perfectly fitting. I have some vague knowledge of what he is in this particular game. Isn't he a manifestation of the protagonists guilt? Haven't gotten that far yet, but I read some, and some others I know have let slip a few spoilers.fix-the-spade said:
The easy awnser is yes, like movies or books it is all about context. Video games are such a rich media for story telling and giving morre adult themes and situations in games just shows "those" people that games are not just for little kids.crazyhaircut94 said:
It is my sincere goal and aim to be so sarcastic that people can hear it through the internet.AvsJoe said:
Sometimes it's even funnier when it doesn't work. My goals are self-defeating! Hooray!
And OT: I haven't actually played any of the SH games (to-do list ++), but I'm all for the "If you can't handle what occurs in the game, don't play it" methodology. I don't think that I would enjoy very much a game like Rapelay, where rape is used soley as a gimmick and selling point, but I would like to play through the SH games, etc, etc.
Exactly, it's not like banning violence in games will make the murder rate drop.Dancingman said:
Don't get me wrong, im not suggesting we allow player characters to go off and rape people willy nilly, but if done in the context of horror or general mind fuckery [i.e in the right situation, lets not have the ratchet rapes clank scene] then go for it, it's not going to encourage kids to go off and rape people
though according to the tabloids it might ¬_¬
Really doesn't bother my mind at all that enemies get raped my him yes iv seen it basically sends a message saying don't fuck with this guy. But for it inducing fear in me well no since its voyeuristic though did bring him out as very masculine character since is a way of asserting ones self over someone basically making him the alpha male of the game.
