S@$!, F*&#, and Everything in Between

[RoseCoveredCadaver]

We've heard every single possible curse word in existence, thanks to our game-playing ways. I overheard a conversation at the Game Stop the other day however. I won't bore with details, I'll simply pose the question.

Should all physically or verbally violent games give the option to censor said violence and/or bad language?

While playing Bulletstorm, I took a trip through the options menu and found that both of these options exist, but only if one were looking for them in the first place. Nearly all games have varying degrees of some sort of violence these days. For the sake of opening up said games to larger audiences of players, perhaps said options could be beneficial.

For instance, someone who doesn't mind profanity but has a weak stomach for violence may avoid games they could otherwise enjoy. This isn't about the distinction between kids and adults and allowing kids to play violent games, it's about adult players and their different tastes.

 

[The Wooster]

We've heard every single possible curse word in existence, thanks to our game-playing ways. I overheard a conversation at the Game Stop the other day however. I won't bore with details, I'll simply pose the question.

Should all physically or verbally violent games give the option to censor said violence and/or bad language?

While playing Bulletstorm, I took a trip through the options menu and found that both of these options exist, but only if one were looking for them in the first place. Nearly all games today have varying degrees of some sort of violence these days. For the sake of opening up said games to larger audiences of players, perhaps said options could be beneficial.

For instance, someone who doesn't mind profanity but has a weak stomach for violence may avoid games they could otherwise enjoy. This isn't about the distinction between kids and adults and allowing kids to play violent games, it's about adult players and their different tastes.

While the option is nice (there is literally no reason not to have them), personally I don't care for it. I think it's kind of insulting to the creator to take a work that's somewhat challenging, be it via content or presentation, and to change it to make it less so. Some movies have thrived on making people feel uncomfortable, depriving games of the same opportunity seems a little off to me.

 

[Ozzythecat]

I'm pretty sure most shooters have had the option to turn off blood, and I know a handful of games that offer disabling of gore. Though I don't really use the settings I definitely think they should be in place. For people who want to play the games but don't want the direct violence or profanity. Although without profanity games like Metal Arms Glitch in the system would have been much less hilarious...

 

[Mehall]

We've heard every single possible curse word in existence, thanks to our game-playing ways.

I disagree. I, for one, have never heard the word "cuntnugget" in a game.

 

[imnot]

I'm pretty sure most shooters have had the option to turn off blood, and I know a handful of games that offer disabling of gore. Though I don't really use the settings I definitely think they should be in place. For people who want to play the games but don't want the direct violence or profanity. Although without profanity games like Metal Arms Glitch in the system would have been much less hilarious...

Dam I love that game, But didn't it bleep the swears or was it a censored version I got?

 

[TuringTest]

I disagree. I, for one, have never heard the word "cuntnugget" in a game.

Ever notice that when gamers make compound curses, one half of it tends to be at least somewhat related to food? (****nugget. Yes, I'm aware that it means other things than in the 'chicken' context [like gold nugget], but f'ckoff.)

 

[Ozzythecat]

I'm pretty sure most shooters have had the option to turn off blood, and I know a handful of games that offer disabling of gore. Though I don't really use the settings I definitely think they should be in place. For people who want to play the games but don't want the direct violence or profanity. Although without profanity games like Metal Arms Glitch in the system would have been much less hilarious...

Dam I love that game, But didn't it bleep the swears or was it a censored version I got?

You're right it was bleeped, I don't know how I forgot XD

Now I feel like I took quality away from this thread... T_T

 

[Gigano]

If the swearing and violence is such small part of the overall experience that censoring it out of it doesn't hurt it - and the developers vision of it - then it probably shouldn't have been included in the first place.

So don't put in censor filters that hurt the full experience and artistic vision. Make full experience violent/profane games, and make full experience games without these elements.

 

[Mehall]

I disagree. I, for one, have never heard the word "cuntnugget" in a game.

Ever notice that when gamers make compound curses, one half of it tends to be at least somewhat related to food? (****nugget. Yes, I'm aware that it means other things than in the 'chicken' context [like gold nugget], but f'ckoff.)

o rly?

fucktard
Donkey rapist
Gorram assmonkey(ok, ok, but most Firefly fans are gamers damnit)

 

[BENZOOKA]

Wow. English doesn't even have any proper curse words...

No. If you're a big enough boy to play a game where there's violence more than enough; a fuck or two, here and there shouldn't really matter.

No censoring. Ever. It's disgusting to say the least.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I think it's a good idea. Granted, when I play Fist of the North Star violence is always on 'extreme' and, when I play Mass Effect 2 I don't bother turning off the 'fuck' word. I do think it's a good idea though especially if you use the parental controls. Like, if your parental controls could be tweaked so as to automatically select low/no violence and, censors on those few filthy words. It would open up those fringe games (ie: M rated games that really aren't that bad like ME2 or, Fable in general) to more people. Actually, in Fable's case I'm still unsure why it's rated M other than the whole sex/birth aspect but that's different than the fuck word and violence: sex, love and, baby-making is just plain wrong [/sarcasm]

 

[The Wooster]

While the option is nice (there is literally no reason not to have them), personally I don't care for it. I think it's kind of insulting to the creator to take a work that's somewhat challenging, be it via content or presentation, and to change it to make it less so. Some movies have thrived on making people feel uncomfortable, depriving games of the same opportunity seems a little off to me.

Yes but lets face it alot of times especially with bulletstorm the language ruins the entire game. Unless your playing it with the sound muted the game is not even playable. Censoring the game in no way at all makes it less challenging, duno why you would even suggest that.

Some people might really like the concept of a certain game but are put off from all the excessive swearing or gore in it. Having an option to censor it increases your potential sales for the game by expanding your audience.

You misunderstand my use of the word "challenging". I didn't mean it makes the gameplay more difficult, I mean it makes the game itself a more challenging, uncomfortable experience. In the same way, say, American Psycho is a challenging book.
While we can argue all day over whether or not foul language can "ruin" a game the fact remains that the game's characters were written in a very specific way for a specific audience. Using omission or censorship to change that intent is insulting to the creators and demeaning to the consumer.
The idea that the creator should allow the end user to radically change a fixed narrative to cater to their own tastes in order to increase sales (which I considerably doubt regardless, anyone offended a game would certainly have reached that conclusion before buying it) is a poor one.