Violence,sexism and other controversial content in video games

[Levi]

I agree that "over-sheltering" can be a bad thing. By the time I was 11-12 I had seen things that a lot of teens/adults aren't aware are even happening/have happened. And now, as an adult, I feel I am more "balanced" for it. I am 100% a realist. No optimism, no pessimism... pure realist. People are freaking out saying

"The world is going to ****! Everyday in the news it "rape" this and "murder" that!"

But I, on the other hand, am not surprised... Crazy things have always happened... they're just being exposed/advertised more because News Outlets are in the business of mongering fear. [Edit: News Outlets seem to be in the business of mongering fear.]

 

[Kaiser]

I agree with you all the way Levi.

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

I think video games send positive messages and not negative ones. Sure there are violence, sexism and racism in games. I believe developers do this to criticize how bad some parts of society are. Our society as a long way to go to solve many conflicts. Developers are just putting the problems into the light.

The only problem I have with video games is the lack of African American or black characters. Many popular series do not have any black characters. Zelda, Mario, Super Smash Bros., Sonic, ect don't have black people. The games that do have black people feature them as side kicks. There's nothing wrong with being a side kick. There aren't any main black protagonist until the recent The Walking Dead Video game.

 

[Espon]

The only problem I have with video games is the lack of African American or black characters. Many popular series do not have any black characters. Zelda, Mario, Super Smash Bros., Sonic, ect don't have black people. The games that do have black people feature them as side kicks. There's nothing wrong with being a side kick. There aren't any main black protagonist until the recent The Walking Dead Video game.

Shadow's black! ...technically. Sega even tried to stereotype him as such in his own game. But then again the entire cast is made up of animals and a chubby villain...the only way you'll show any kind of racial character is through stereotypes, otherwise you'll never know what they're supposed to be (if anything).

Some of the series you listed have existed since the 80s or earlier and haven't really strayed from its roots since, things were not quite same back then compared to today. Don't forget that a lot of games do originate from Japan which isn't quite as racially diverse as the US. And with the way artwork goes it's hard to even say if a character is white or asian when they got large eyes, weird hair colors, and disproportionate bodies. Not trying to say there isn't an overwhelming number of white protagonists in western games, through.

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

Shadow's black! ...technically. Sega even tried to stereotype him as such in his own game. But then again the entire cast is made up of animals and a chubby villain...the only way you'll show any kind of racial character is through stereotypes, otherwise you'll never know what they're supposed to be (if anything).

Some of the series you listed have existed since the 80s or earlier and haven't really strayed from its roots since, things were not quite same back then compared to today. Don't forget that a lot of games do originate from Japan which isn't quite as racially diverse as the US. And with the way artwork goes it's hard to even say if a character is white or asian when they got large eyes, weird hair colors, and disproportionate bodies. Not trying to say there isn't an overwhelming number of white protagonists in western games, through.

You're making the worst and most racially offensive excuses I have ever heard.

Saying an animal is a black person is so politically incorrect and offensive. Saying that he acts like a stereotype isn't much better. I'm not a stereotypical black person. I don't relate to such characters. Personally I relate to characters regardless of race with some exceptions.

How is using stereotypes the best way to know someone's race? Acting ghetto does not mean someone is black. I have met plenty of white guys who act "ghetto" or in racist terms acting black. Mario and Luigi are Americans and they don't act like stereotypes. Epsilon the first black main MegaMan chracter is far from a stereotype and is a strong leader. Shiva from Resident Evil 5 is far from a stereotype. She doesn't act "black". She is from Africa and doesn't act like it at all.

The 80s weren't during slavery and segregation. Main protagonist black characters could had been made since the beginning of the video game industry.

Looks? Seriously are you talking about looks and eyes? Nintendo has officially announced that Mario and Luigi are white Americans despite having the accent. If a character has blue eyes then you should know that character is white.

 

[CodenameD]

Depends on the person's taste and game's genre really. Yeah I don't like excessive violence in most video games, unless it's a first person shooter or hack and slash variety. Sexism depends on target audience mainly. The male dominated gaming world in the gaming's early days were probably the reason sexism in video games exist. Still there are games out there for both genders.

Some games like Rockstar's GTA series has been notorious for their over-the-top violence (and of course touching 18+ margins), yet they are successfully probably because a lot / majority of players enjoy THAT violence and freedom the game gives. Then again, I consider some of the games from Nintendo does games without any of those and to me, they are much more epic and enjoyable in every way than any Rockstar's game ever.

While some may argue that Violence and Sexism are there to please some specific gamers or make the game spice up a bit more, but Nintendo certainly proved them wrong.

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

While some may argue that Violence and Sexism are there to please some specific gamers or make the game spice up a bit more, but Nintendo certainly proved them wrong.

Nintendo games have plenty of sexism. Nintendo keeps it covered up. Mario is a womanizer. He has a girlfriend in New York and one in the Mushroom KIngdom. At times he has messed around with Daisy in the 90s. If you played the RPG games then you can see women acting like sexist stereotypes by trying to get all over Mario.

Look at Peach and Daisy's uniforms in the Mario Strikers. They look like hookers. Real female athletes don't dress very revealing with tight clothing.

 

[Espon]

You're making the worst and most racially offensive excuses I have ever heard.

Saying an animal is a black person is so politically incorrect and offensive. Saying that he acts like a stereotype isn't much better. I'm not a stereotypical black person. I don't relate to such characters. Personally I relate to characters regardless of race with some exceptions.

How is using stereotypes the best way to know someone's race? Acting ghetto does not mean someone is black. I have met plenty of white guys who act "ghetto" or in racist terms acting black. Mario and Luigi are Americans and they don't act like stereotypes. Epsilon the first black main MegaMan chracter is far from a stereotype and is a strong leader. Shiva from Resident Evil 5 is far from a stereotype. She doesn't act "black". She is from Africa and doesn't act like it at all.

The 80s weren't during slavery and segregation. Main protagonist black characters could had been made since the beginning of the video game industry.

Looks? Seriously are you talking about looks and eyes? Nintendo has officially announced that Mario and Luigi are white Americans despite having the accent. If a character has blue eyes then you should know that character is white.

You're completely flipping around what I said. I'm not trying to make racially offensive excuses, or any excuses for that matter. I'm just trying to point out that you can't call someone a white based on skin-color alone. The world doesn't consist of just 2 kinds of people.

I was making a joke when I said Shadow the Hedgehog, but Sega really did try to turn him into your stereotypical black guy when they gave him his own game. But seriously, you asked why there are no black characters in a game like Sonic when the entire cast is made up of anthropomorphic characters. How can you label any of them as any race unless they act and talk like a stereotype people are familiar with? It's impossible to tell what a blue hedgehog would be just by simply looking at him.

Just because a character has blue eyes, why does that immediately make him white? What about a red haired swordsman with a katana? Is he white, asian, or neither? Sure Mario was created as an italian plumber from Brooklyn, but I can start naming dozens of examples of characters with a wide variety of hair and eye colors, many of which live in Japan (just look at almost any anime that takes place in Japan). If placed outside of their home setting, would you be able to tell if they were asian or white? I certainly couldn't, definitely not when the creator uses an exaggerated artistic style. Doesn't change the fact that many games originate from Japan and over there they'll try to appeal to the majority, which isn't quite the mixed society like it is in the US.

Not even going to comment on the slavery bit.

 

[Levi]

@RATED-RKOFRANKLIN

I understand... but it's not just "Blacks". That is the case with most/all 'people of colour'' (that is to say... non "white" people).

Also, this seems a bit off topic. Not backseat moderating.... just saying h34r:

 

[Volrath]

Nintendo games have plenty of sexism. Nintendo keeps it covered up. Mario is a womanizer. He has a girlfriend in New York and one in the Mushroom KIngdom.

Haha, what? At the beginning of that sentence, I thought you were going to say something about Peach always getting kidnapped by Bowser and having to wait for Mario to rescue her. I thought the (limited and vague) Mario mythology was that he and Luigi were originally from New York but got stuck in the Mushroom Kingdom and couldn't go back and forth with ease. So if Mario had a girlfriend in New York, he probably hasn't seen her in quite a while. Also, simply depicting a man as a womanizer is hardly sexist against women...I could only see it being problematic if the writing was obviously trying to build this guy up as some kind of awesome rode model (James Bond?). But usually "womanizing" is depicted in fiction as a character flaw, not a virtue. I'm still not really convinced that applies to Mario. Honestly, I think the whole Peach "damsel in distress" thing would have been a much stronger point.

As for the main issue at hand, I don't believe in any kind of censorship. When I hear a book or movie was banned somewhere, I go out of my way to find it and check it out as this kneejerk symbolic way to say "You can't tell me what I can or can't read/watch." However, introspection is not a bad thing and I don't think it would hurt anyone to think about the implications of their work.

 

[Xeon]

The only problem I have with video games is the lack of African American or black characters. Many popular series do not have any black characters.

I think you make a valid point. However, I think turning this into a racially charged debate is excessive. Rather, I think the problem is simply a lack of character diversity. Many people tend to draw on their own experiences and model characters after themselves or people they know. If you don't believe me, look at ethnicity and music. People create what they know. An Italian American game designer is more likely to create an Italian American hero, not a Chinese, Russian, or African hero. Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions. Some designers like to attempt something they aren't familiar with or break stereotypes, but it's harder to do. Stereotypes are helpful because they provide a sort of "pre-made" profile for a character (even if it's a lazier approach).

I think a good example where a writer broke from convention was the re-imagined BSG series with Star Buck as a female. That was a daring move and it initially angered a lot of people. In the end, it worked out great though. Things like this are daring and they sometimes blow up in your face. Maybe that's why more writers/designers stay with what works.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

It gets really weird when you notice that games made in Japan still feature for the most part, Caucasian looking dudes. (Actually, while I haven't done any real study into it, I wouldn't be surprised if Japanese games are more whitewashed than American ones.)

 

[Lunarea]

I've read that Japanese idea of perfect beauty is pale, clear skin. One of the reasons why Geisha's painted their faces white was because of this cultural ideal. I imagine this plays into it.

 

[The_Renegade_]

We really have to get mad at the right people. kid playing violent video games is alright to me, I'm upset with the parents telling them that it isn't wrong. Most of all, I want to yell at the guys that gave kids guns in the first place.

 

[Samven]

Agreed. Parents need to look at the age ratings more. My parents were strict as hell with them but I can see why now. After all, many children tend to subscribe to the "monkey see, monkey do" philosophy.

 

[RyanA]

Well...I think all of this stuff is acceptable in games, not only because they do tend to tie in to the games story line, like a race who treat women as inferior or make slaves of other races. Sometimes, I think controversial things have to be in video games, maybe to give you a reason to hate the bad guys but really just to make it seems like you are playing in a different world with different ideals.

I think people tend to over react this stuff, already Brewmasters in MOP have had some of their skills censored because some guy didnt like the idea of a skill being called 'Drunken Brawler or Drunken Haze'

Now that class has lost a lot of it's charm that was present in Warcraft 3, and it wasn't really hurting anyone anway -_-

 

[Kaelan]

Agreed. Parents need to look at the age ratings more. My parents were strict as hell with them but I can see why now. After all, many children tend to subscribe to the "monkey see, monkey do" philosophy.

Depends on how old they are. If they're past the "age of reason" mark, there shouldn't really be any problem, and parents can always talk to them about it to clear any doubt. I distinctly remember being ~10 or 11, going to a friend's house (of the same age) and being absolutely horrified that his parents wouldn't let him play Resident Evil or GTA because they thought it was "too violent". Even then I remember thinking that was a ridiculous idea - I remember thinking I was glad my parents didn't do that; I'd feel a bit insulted if they had.

Kids (raised properly) should be smart enough to deal with these things as soon as they're old enough to hold a conversation. Banning or censoring things is almost universally, across the board, a worse idea than education and conversation.

On the main topic on violence/sexuality/etc. in games: I don't think there should be any limits on what's explored. That's the whole point of fiction, exploring territories you otherwise wouldn't be able to safely, because it's in a fictional world. If you can't even do that, you're getting dangerously close to saying you shouldn't even be allowed to think of these things. And if you can't even think about what is and isn't taboo even within the context of fiction, how can you decide what should be in real life? After all, you can't make intelligent decisions about things you haven't thought about.

I think it falls under the same territory as censoring content in movies or books and the same arguments against it apply: