The F-bomb in video games

[YCRanger]

I was watching someone stream Dead Space 3 the other day and was bothered by something that has been bugging me for a while. The the prevalence of the f word (fuck, in case you thought it might be something else). Now I am not a prude by any means. I'll watch any movie or play any game regardless of 'mature' content. It's just that in games most of the time I feel it is overused or forced. I was thinking about it and I can't quite nail down the reason it feels that way. Maybe it could be that while an R-rated movie tops out at most at 3 hours, a game can take 6-20+ hours. Thats a lot of fucks. But another reason is that A). The writing in video games has not yet matched the level of movies and other mediums and the shabby dialog makes the cuss words stick out more and B). The technology to render character emotions is still not there to be able portray emotions all that well so when someone curses, you hear the word more than you feel the emotion behind it's use. And yet another reason could be that since the f-word has recently started to be used in video games writers are using it like a middle school teen without his parents around to be edgy and cool. Do you find this to be a problem at all in games, or have you ever felt this way?

 

[Shoggoth2588]

My problem with 'fuck' in video games is when it comes out of nowhere in a sequel when the original game (or games) didn't have it. Like in Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The original games were rated M but were soft M's. In comes the sequels and it's like 'Fuck' and 'Shit' were introduced to the universal vocabulary. It's not disturbing so much as it is a bit jarring. I don't mind when characters say 'fuck' really but I hate when it gets overused and I can't help but be a little fearful of the possible Legacy of Kain reboot going the DMC route and changing it's vocabulary to include the dreaded F-Word.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I remember the first time I heard that word in a videogame that I played. Mass Effect 2. Aria's one rule. That was a bit jarring, because no other game had used that word that I had ever played. There had been swearing, but that was the first time I heard the F-bomb in a game. Other games that I've played have said it, but I can't remember which. Aria's line will always stick with me though because it uses that word correctly: as in, don't flood the game with it to make your game seem hardcore or mature. Use it once to make a point about how serious something is.
Is it really said that much in Dead Space 3? I got to chapter 5 before I stopped playing (waiting for my friend to get it so we can do co op through the whole thing without ruining it for each other) and I don't recall anyone saying it. Of course, that could be because the word was overused so much that my brain blocked it out.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

Can't say it really bugs me at all. They're just words. The Walking Dead had a ton of profanity, and it was still awesome.

Obligatory (there are some visual spoilers, if you haven't played yet - just a heads-up):

 

[Limecake]

The only time it really bothers me is when it is part of a character's battle dialogue (for example Niko driving his car) but that's only because it happens often.

Truthfully Profanity doesn't bother me at all, it's the way people actually talk to each other and I feel that correct use of it can help humanize a character (as in the walking dead example).

The only time the F word surprised me was when it happened in GTA: San Andreas because I think that was the first time I ever heard a game use it.

They are just words after all.

 

[karma9308]

I'm fine with curse words or any words used, so long as they don't take the place of good or witty writing. In that I mean, instead of saying something clever or useful, a character just says 'Fuck' as if that automatically makes the writing better.

 

[recruit00]

Oh man did I notice that sequel effect in AC3. Ezio would go merda or cazzo every once in a while. The main characters now say it a lot more. I don't mind swearing as long as it is not at a ridiculous level and is not bouncing up and down. It was annoying when you go from no to little swearing to swearing everywhere. Vice City to San Andreas was very big on this. Vice City was mainly violence and some drugs and sex. San Andreas had swearing every other word. Was kind of dumb.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Yeah I do prefer it when they use swearing sparingly for added impact rather than swearing every two fucking seconds. Much like I do for some reason. I don't mind excessive swearing but I do *notice* excessive swearing if that makes sense.

I do like the charm of people almost swearing or using all those "swearing without swearing" words. Like Chie in Persona 4 always saying sheesh or the goons in the new Batman games never swearing once while insulting and/or fleeing in terror from Batman.

I do like how BlazBlue does it. It has a really good story mode with some characters using proper swears, Best Villian Ever Hazama does it amazingly, punctuating his lines and lines of barbed insults sparingly with a few swear words. Don't think he ever said "fuck" yet though. He can absolutely destroy someone with words without swearing once though, AKA to Tsubaki in his story mode. Fucking Hazama, man... So amazing. BRB looking up his VA

Seriously, you get to the end of a character's story and more than half the time it's just Hazama shit-talking them then kicking their ass. Oh and you have no idea how awesome it is to play AS Unlimited Hazama in his story. Fucking overpowered shenanigans.

 

[Goofguy]

As long as it's not in there for the sake of swearing. If it's gratuitous but believable because it's the kind of character who would swear that much, fine. If it's thrown in in a sad attempt to make it look cool or contemporary, no thanks.

 

[Jedi-Hunter4]

do you find this to be a problem at all in games, or have you ever felt this way?

It vary's so so much on an individual basis. Because the fact is like any piece of the English language people use it differently. I assume your in the states by saying middle school? In my experience in general, so not every individual, american attitude's are allot more restrained towards curse words. I mean I was re-watching 24 the other day 8 seasons of hell he goes through without once saying anything worse than "son of a *****" where as if it was a British program with that strong a rating would have probably been allot stronger language.

So yer you have cultural differences to consider, the situation, the individuals charter, what other charter's they are interacting with. All can affect their use of the language. I mean you may think they are using it a little OTT but that may just be the charter. So hard to set a rule of thumb.

I mean for me personally. I know when I drinking with my mates or in a casual relaxed situation I probably do swear more than the average person, if I'm with my family it tones back a bit an as soon as I'm in a formal situation or with grandparents etc it's like a switch an I don't swear at all.

People tend to swear in moments of emotional extremes as well, so it is kind of natural for there to be swearing in games, as they are normally unusual situations. I mean tbh when you think about it in Halo it is actually a bit odd master chief has never look out over the crest of the hill at the next massive force he has to take on and cursed under his breath. But yer on the most part I would say it's actually stranger when game's deliberately avoid it. but like any language it has to be well written, wouldn't make sense for a serious charter to have a stupid catch phrase they say every 5 mins like "what's bouncing boys?" just like it wouldn't make sense for them to be saying F this, F that, I'm going to open this F'ing door an so on.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Swearing doesn't bother me as long as there's reason behind it. Swearing just to have swearing is kind of tasteless and unnecessary, as far as I'm concerned. If it's there just to make the character look edgy or badass, I think you're doing it wrong.

 

[Windcaler]

Curse words can often be used to portray a characters more emotional connection to a situation so they have a place. However constant cursing makes a game far less mature. Im of the opinion that there should be a profanity filter on games though, giving us the option to keep it or remove the curse words. The reason I think that is, I like to play battlefield 3 a lot and one time I had the window of my bedroom open and my neighbors son heard the soldiers cursing. I got told about it later that day and because of that I cant really play any Mature games on hot days anymore

As much as the game industry likes to build tools to keep violent games out of the hands of children I think its time we started getting filters so situations like the above dont happen due to situation that are outside the players control.

 

[Dead Seerius]

Doesn't bother me in the sense that it'll phase me (words are just words), but unfounded/excessive profanity just draws attention to the word. In doing so, it seems immature. And because it seems immature, I get an 'eye roll' attitude towards what I'm playing.

I should not be eye-rolling at something I'm trying to enjoy.

 

[BrotherRool]

I don't mind the use so much (although with younger sisters who plays, it's annoying when a game has gone and racked up it's age rating with something easily avoidable), but as you said, so many game writers are just too immature to use them properly in a game. It's less the f-bomb and more that it isn't an f-bomb at all, they're just scattering in the foul language in the hope that it makes the work seem more mature because they find themselves lacking in talent to write satisfying material to adults. (Or maybe there's the other implication with MMS' that they're trying to make a fairly immature fantasy seem respectable and this is a way to do it)

It annoyed me in the Witcher, making the NPCs say 'whore' every other sentence doesn't make your game mature, it means it's time to grow the hell up and write some decent NPC dialogue.

 

[TheNaut131]

I'm alright with swearing as long it...makes sense to a degree. Dropping it once in awhile in a crappy situation it alright. However, when it's used in pretty much every piece of dialogue, it get's irritating. Not because it's immature, or tasteless, but because it's simply repetitive. The first game that ever really bothered me with it, was Prototype. Because everyone and their mother was dropping the F-bomb within the first few minutes of the game's story, BEFORE you start tearing people apart. And they made sure they you knew they were yelling FUCK. Which is another thing, how loud it is when someone yells fuck or shit.

I myself have always been a fan of the quieter, whispered, more personal "shiiiiiiiit."

 

[Gottesstrafe]

You see gratuitous F-bombs to make a game seems edgy or mature? Check out Mafia 2:


What we really need is a collection of all the different times characters in different video games spit out F-bombs set to the William Tell Overture. Or maybe something akin to the Francis Hates Left 4 Dead [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc9f-VVQK3k] song.

 

[krazykidd]

I'm telling mom!

OT: Unecessary and pointless. A shameful attempt to attract children to the games.

 

[loa]

This is a "problem" only if you want it to be one.

 

[TehCookie]

I'm not bothered by the swearing, but by the poor use of it. If a character swearing makes you think of how unnatural it sounds they're doing it wrong.

 

[Evil Smurf]

As long as the swearing is not every second word I'm okay with it.