[tcaudilllg]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.games/07/27/game.lawsuit.ap/index.html

So we know already, all of us here do, certainly, that "dummying out" game data is a common technique for game developers to use when they want to target a game towards an audience who might be offended by it's original content, but don't want to make the effort (for whatever reason) to strip out the data outright. We remember the infamous "porno mag" in Final Fantasy IV, and, too, the "stripper" scene also present in that game.

The sad thing is, we in the United States have long suffered under the burden of these religious righteous ideologues' opinions. Now they have their right to their opinions and we have a majority rules philosophy in this country. (offhand, I don't mean to insinuate that everyone here is under the United States, but certainly a majority are) Still, we as gamers remain hamstrung by the supposed outrage potential of radical mothers and ignorant religious leaders. We never saw Bahamut Lagoon come to these shores (legally, at least) for sake of its embrace of all sorts of behavior we consider "taboo" here in the states, and Terranigma never appeared either, for sake of the parallels between the protagonist and Christ. Were it not for Andrew Vestal, and the wave of outrage he summoned against Square in 1997, we might not have seen people using the bathroom in Final Fantasy VII, or even a date with Barette.

Although I started this post with the intent on framing the need to appeal to the radical emotional fringe of our society as something we as a consumer group should begin doing, rather than simply complaining about their powers over us, the courage of Andrew Vestal reminds me that perhaps greater activism would be a better choice. Perhaps it's time we sent a message at the polls to those leaders who do not share our values, that we don't like what they are doing. Perhaps we should set up a barrier between them and us, and only vote for those who have expressed a sincere desire to leave gaming alone.

Hardcore gamers number 3 million strong is this country. We can be a powerful swing vote if we unite in our common interests to keep politicians out of the game industry.

[Terry]

As usual, Adam Cadre comes along and says it better than anyone:

http://adamcadre.ac/calendar/11496.html
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http://www.distractionware.com

[Verious]

[Sirocco]

Maybe if the industry concentrated on pushing out unique, enjoyable games, they wouldn't have to resort to blatantly whoring out sex and violence to get a game to sell. I'm getting tired of half-naked women and guns.

.

[Mandrake]

[Terry]

[Adam]

[Sirocco]

[Mandrake]

actually, I was just being a smartass.
_________________
"Well, last time I flicked on a lighter, I'm pretty sure I didn't create a black hole."-
Xmark

http://pauljessup.com

[Sirocco]

And yet I thought it was a perfectly valid question... and quite frankly, dangerously close to being more than a shot over the bow... so to speak.

.

[LeoDraco]

[biggerUniverse]

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=158
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We are on the outer reaches of someone else's universe.

[Nephilim]

[Sirocco]

I'm copying this verbatim from my Allegro.cc post, where the general concensus is I've nailed the crux of the problem... since people seem all worked up over the wrong issue(s).



I think the real issue is being obscured by all the people on both sides of the media pontificating; what it all boils down to is that according to the original ESRB rating there was no strong sexual content in the game, and as it turns out... there was. How you access it is (apparently) irrelevant -- it's there, and the ESRB deemed it worthy of an "AO" rating.

And that's it. In their eyes, you either set your rules down now, or let every developer put whatever they want in their games under the guise of "inaccessible features" that anyone with a Gameshark can uncover.

That's the issue.

.

[tcaudilllg]

That's one side of the issue, certainly. I recently read a post to the Editorials section of RPGamer that puts it (the issue) in light of the people involved and their motivations, however.

http://www.rpgamer.com/editor/2005/q3/080105pb.html

This should have been left to the consumer. Sure, people can dummy stuff out. Who knows what is lurking in the depths of FFVII's code? The Aeris resurrection scene? Possibly.

Besides, most people don't use gamesharks, because they have a history of adversely affecting systems. I remember the GameGenie did "wonders" for my NES, including drastically increased glitches even without it being used. Even though a GameShark isn't gonna affect the integrity of a modern, CD-driven system, the stigma remains. Not every game system owner has a game shark, nor even most of them.

That said, you make a good point, Sirocco. Gameshark sales could go up, and porn could be a common content point in games. I really can't argue with that, and it's a matter of opinion whether that is "acceptable" or not. There is intrigue in the controversy: people eager to examine for themselves the political intrigues and processes that usually don't appear very often, although this debate is mostly about values first and foremost. Culturally, is there that big of a difference between the anti-Harry Potters' attempts to ban the books because they teach sorcery, and the accessibility... no there isn't. This woman made a big deal out of it and gathered attention to it. Otherwise, it would have probably gone by relatively unnoticed. I mean, if you can make Laura's body all tan in Tomb Raider by resetting the colors, does that mean you have made her naked? Only in your mind's eye. All the same, it goes in different directions: there are radical people out there on both sides who want to push the issues completely in one direction or another, and it is by activating them that this woman has produced so much outrage.

Besides, there is a world of difference between using a GameShark to change something, and using a mod that tweaks with the code on all kinds of levels. It's a PC game for crying out loud. Doom has an M rating. It's perfectly possible to replace the graphics of the creatures with naked women....

Question: how explicit is this content, really?