Taboos in Video games

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Dr. Octogonopus

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A good analogy to the current gaming taboo climate would be to look at Psycho. During production one of the most controversial aspects to the movie that the studio execs wanted removed was not the now famous shower stabbing scene...it was the fact that there was a scene where a character flushed a piece of paper down the toilet.

Having a toilet in a movie was scene as taboo at the time, flushing the toilet made it even worse as this was seen as crude and filthy.

And look at where we are now with the 500 sequels to the american pie trilogy were the main form of "entertainment" is nothing more than fart jokes.

My point is that society deems certain taboos okay but other lesser taboos cannot be seen by an audience that chooses to see it but after awhile it becomes accepted as norm and then it gets used to death.

Sex scenes in video games are now reaching this point. When Rockstar did it (if you can even count a shaky camera over a car or house a sex scene) it was controversial. It was kind of controversial when Mass Effect did it but now you have the God of War trilogy with a sex scene in every game which is now the norm for the series. The fact that God of War 3 changed the normal wenches to Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, to keep things different just proves my point
 

StBishop

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LooK iTz Jinjo said:
meganmeave said:
It's not really so much a line they refuse to cross, as the ratings fallout. I'm sure that if they go too far, they will be rated AO, and whereas some parents are fine with purchasing an M rated title, AO is akin to X rated for some reason. I know, the difference is vast, and perhaps we need an X type rating in gaming ratings to help differentiate, but I think that's why a lot of games toe the line.

I'm fairly positive Rockstar would cross plenty of lines if they thought they could do it and still be as profitable.
Whoa whoa whoa X rating? Slow down buddy, us Aussies are having a hard enough time trying to get an R18+ rating.
The Sex Party (They only run for positions in the Senate) want an R and X rating. But they also want to decriminalise drugs so....

meganmeave said:
LooK iTz Jinjo said:
meganmeave said:
It's not really so much a line they refuse to cross, as the ratings fallout. I'm sure that if they go too far, they will be rated AO, and whereas some parents are fine with purchasing an M rated title, AO is akin to X rated for some reason. I know, the difference is vast, and perhaps we need an X type rating in gaming ratings to help differentiate, but I think that's why a lot of games toe the line.

I'm fairly positive Rockstar would cross plenty of lines if they thought they could do it and still be as profitable.
Whoa whoa whoa X rating? Slow down buddy, us Aussies are having a hard enough time trying to get an R18+ rating.
I'm not saying now, I'm saying in the future, when games become as ubiquitous as film. You can't escape the porn industry. Eventually they will see money can be made in the video game industry and will go for it.

But I think we're talking 20-30 years down the road. By that time, hopefully your lawmakers have had a change of heart about those R18+ games. ;)
It'll probably be fixed by the end of 2012. The govenor general of SA (Michael Atkinson) has retired that position. The new guy/girl who takes up the position has the ability to be part of the unanimous vote to change the rating system. The last couple (3 i believe) time the tried to change the ratings system the old govenor general was the only one that voted against an R18 rating for games.
 

LooK iTz Jinjo

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Feb 22, 2009
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StBishop said:
LooK iTz Jinjo said:
meganmeave said:
It's not really so much a line they refuse to cross, as the ratings fallout. I'm sure that if they go too far, they will be rated AO, and whereas some parents are fine with purchasing an M rated title, AO is akin to X rated for some reason. I know, the difference is vast, and perhaps we need an X type rating in gaming ratings to help differentiate, but I think that's why a lot of games toe the line.

I'm fairly positive Rockstar would cross plenty of lines if they thought they could do it and still be as profitable.
Whoa whoa whoa X rating? Slow down buddy, us Aussies are having a hard enough time trying to get an R18+ rating.
The Sex Party (They only run for positions in the Senate) want an R and X rating. But they also want to decriminalise drugs so....
I'll have you know I voted for the Sex Party 2 weeks ago. Note that it is DECRIMINALIZATION (as you said) do not confuse that for legalization.
 

Hiphophippo

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If there's a line to cross chances are Running With Scissors did it years ago. Or, if they haven't, will soon.
 

StBishop

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LooK iTz Jinjo said:
StBishop said:
LooK iTz Jinjo said:
meganmeave said:
It's not really so much a line they refuse to cross, as the ratings fallout. I'm sure that if they go too far, they will be rated AO, and whereas some parents are fine with purchasing an M rated title, AO is akin to X rated for some reason. I know, the difference is vast, and perhaps we need an X type rating in gaming ratings to help differentiate, but I think that's why a lot of games toe the line.

I'm fairly positive Rockstar would cross plenty of lines if they thought they could do it and still be as profitable.
Whoa whoa whoa X rating? Slow down buddy, us Aussies are having a hard enough time trying to get an R18+ rating.
The Sex Party (They only run for positions in the Senate) want an R and X rating. But they also want to decriminalise drugs so....
I'll have you know I voted for the Sex Party 2 weeks ago. Note that it is DECRIMINALIZATION (as you said) do not confuse that for legalization.
Yeah, but I don't think selling illicit substances (which have the potential to take or ruin a life) should be decriminalised.

Sure, reduce posession for personal use to a slap on the wrist and manditory seminars re: the effect of drug use. But I don't think selling drugs should be legal in Australia.

It was a deal breaker for me.