So what ISN'T allowed in video games now?

[SinisterGehe]

Well currently for a fact violence towards minors isn't seen as a good thing in a game, which in my opinion is stupid because if protagonist is a minor, he can't really go trough physical challenges, he has to come on top always some how, or loose in a way that doesn't hurt him.

Which is stupid and I am so going to break that rule in the game I am making with my team, just because. And then enjoy the bad press I will get because I am odd that way.

 

[thePyro_13]

When was anything not acceptable in games, FPS games existed for ages before halo, and even Unreal Tournament included gore in the form of gratuitous decapitation.

 

[Bernzz]

Killing kids.

It's controversy when the bad guys do it (see: Modern Warfare 3), and people got up in arms when Skyrim modders made kids killable, even though in the base game they're invincible.

So, yeah. The death of children is generally frowned upon.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Well I don't think we'll see any games set in the Dark Ages any time soon. Nearly all of Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction books depict at least one rape or similar abuse, and the Warlord Trilogy (set in the Dark Ages) is the worst offender there despite also having a lot of huge and bloody battles between armies that would make excellent game material. It also has animal and human sacrifices by Druids, not sure where the ESRB would stand on scenes like that.

EDIT: Just watched Django Unchained, don't think we'll see many games using THAT particular setting much either. Heck, I haven't heard a single game use the N word once.

 

[hazabaza1]

A Hitman style game, or something similar, main character is a child. A game that forces you to do obviously bad things, and I mean come on, I mean things like abusing puppies.

Lucius does both of these.

OT: Honestly I long for the days where there won't be restrictions. But there are some things I don't think will ever be crossed, at least in AAA gaming. Like interactive rape, from either perspective. Rapelay's a thing yeah, but it's some weird Japanese H-Game. I just can't see Modern Warfare 72 having interactive unwillfull (that a word?) penetration action.

 

[PinkiePyro]

the harming of kids is a no go for the most part

 

[Bonecrusher]

10 years ago, Halo was controversial for the FPS factor. 5 years ago (actually, more like 7 now... christ) Gears of War was controversial for the giant amount of gore.

What was Halo controversial about? Halo was "just another FPS" comparing FPS ocean in PC gaming.

And before Gears Of War, we had lots of gore game, and may be even more gorey than Gears Of War. Examples: Fallout, Carmageddon, Mortal Kombat, Postal, Splatter House, Rise Of The Triad, Blood, Manhunt, Harvester, Blood Omen Legacy Of Kain, Soldier Of Fortune, Quake

 

[D-Class 198482]

you probably could turn FO3 into a rape fantasy as well, if someone else hasn't already.

Well, you can in New Vegas.
There's a pleasant little site by the name of Lovers Labs...jesus the mods there.

 

[D-Class 198482]

A Hitman style game, or something similar, main character is a child. A game that forces you to do obviously bad things, and I mean come on, I mean things like abusing puppies.

Lucius does both of these.

Ninja'd me, mate.
Gaaah.

 

[lunavixen]

Sex is still a bit of a taboo in gaming, and rape, attempted or otherwise (as evidenced in the Tomb Raider trailer) is a big no no. Other than that, killing children is still a shaky area.

Captcha: in the club - No captcha! not that way!

 

[PeterMerkin69]

I'll never forget my first play-through of Fallout 3. Oh, the times we had together...

What exactly is meant by "allowed?" Do you mean in mainstream gaming? I think market forces are more important than any ratings board panel in America. I'm not aware of anything being explicitly forbidden(kiddie fiddling, maybe) due to constitutional protection, but if you look to the indie sector you can find games for almost everything. I remember playing suicide bomber and twin-tower flash games on NewGrounds immediately after September 11th, year of our lord, twenny-oh-one. I occasionally dink around with my own Unity3D project which, if ever finished, will depict extreme violence and despicable sex acts involving baseball bats, towering crucifixes and slender young women in the basement of a church. Don't worry, my avatar isn't Catholic, although I might have him wear the collar just for shits and gigs. There's going to be a lot of sodomy either way. What was I talking about?

Oh, right. Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart determines the content of your entertainment more than you'd like to think. They don't want to stock items that aren't "family friendly," as I'm well aware from another hobby: action figure collecting. The whims of Wallyworld has directly lead to changes in both character selection and character depiction for decades for properties such as Marvel's Red Skull and some Indiana Jones toys, particularly the depiction of certain historic German political paraphernalia. Likewise, depictions of balls-to-the-wall ass fucking are just as unsavory to the Common Man, at least when he's in public, so I wouldn't expect to see Rapem Holdem appearing on store shelves any time soon. It simply mustn't be done.

People who've earned enough money to fund consumer entertainment projects usually aren't dumb enough to push the boundaries of good taste with artistic expression, or for the sake of art. Which is a pretty goddamn nebulous idea to begin with. No, they'd sooner see their own money reproducing in the form of big sales figures, something that's much more likely if you appeal to the lowest common denominator.

If the outside world could see inside me they would tear me down in the streets.

 

[Something Amyss]

stop saying "we can't get it" like it's banned or something.

I didn't. Stop putting words in others mouths.

I said "we can't get it" like it won't make it to market. Which, even by your own post, is true. If you want to dispute me on the facts, fine, but do not seek to speak for me.

 

[introverted_surd]

as time goes on, the line of what is acceptable is pushed more and more. Every so often a new game or movie tries to push the limits. If it is successful then the next one to push the limits will go even higher and the first one to push no longer seems bad in comparison so more people make things at that level.

basiclly it's a cycle that can't be broken so go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

 

[Carpenter]

stop saying "we can't get it" like it's banned or something.

I didn't. Stop putting words in others mouths.

I said "we can't get it" like it won't make it to market. Which, even by your own post, is true. If you want to dispute me on the facts, fine, but do not seek to speak for me.

as I already pointed out, they can and have made it to the market.

I didn't put words in your mouth, I quoted you, you just said yourself that you said "we can't get it" right after claiming I made that up. Seriously, get your things together if you want to debate. If you want to argue, find a child that can join you.

 

[Carpenter]

A Hitman style game, or something similar, main character is a child. A game that forces you to do obviously bad things, and I mean come on, I mean things like abusing puppies.

Lucius does both of these.

OT: Honestly I long for the days where there won't be restrictions. But there are some things I don't think will ever be crossed, at least in AAA gaming. Like interactive rape, from either perspective. Rapelay's a thing yeah, but it's some weird Japanese H-Game. I just can't see Modern Warfare 72 having interactive unwillfull (that a word?) penetration action.

Wait so now it's based on what specific games do?

So does the fact that postal didn't let you drive cars somehow evidence that driving is taboo in games and will be rare or nonexistent?

Rape is taboo but really only for one gender. A woman being raped in a game conjures controversy (although not really banned, and they get the free marketing) but you still have games like fear 2, bully, GTA SA, and others that features a man being raped by a woman. Fear 2 even showed it from the first person perspective and GTA and Bully treated it as a complete joke. In bully you actually gather the materials needed for her to drug the man.

 

[Carpenter]

Violence wise there isn't anything as long as it serves a purpose and isn't violence for violence sake. Violence that serves no purpose hasn't been as well received in recent history as it used to be.

There still isn't any full on intercourse in mainstream games. Same-sex intercourse is also very limited. Dragon Age has touched on it but it's limited.

Side note: This completely ignores mods. Elder Scrolls mods provide enough evidence that nothing is taboo when the players are the ones making the decisions.

Dragon age didn't "touch on it" it was a triple A game that featured "full on intercourse" not limited to straight sex. No it was in fact "full on" it's not like you just stick the tip in or something.

Indigo Prophecy had a sex scene long before Bioware paid fox to pretend they were breaking new pornographic ground in gaming.