Does it really have to come to this?
Do you remember a little game for the Xbox and PS2 called BMX XXX? Sure some of you do, and most likely, some of you bought it. It was a adventurous romp into BMXing and nudity. Critics held it up as another reason to ban games or kill games all together. After all, if our precious kiddies are exposed to these things in a video game, what will come of them?
Probably not as bad, since they have the playground at school, and television and movies to fill up the space that the occasional lude game would occupy. Wal-Mart made a big fuss with this game, proclaiming that it would not carry the game. PS2 developers toned it down for the PS2 version, making it safe for suburbia.
I don't want ot get off on a tangent here, especially about the effrects of videogames like GTA: San Andreas and the like. I was sick of people picking on the games and got frustrated.
Now the videogame industry is doing it to itself. They know that there is a fillibuster of critics out there waiting to jump on the next videogame that stretches or breaks the moral line, and then they go out and publish some.
Case in point, June's release of Singles 2.
Reading on a site, I saw the phrase " Downright pornographic".
Of course, I deleved a little deeper. It seems that this game is little more than a excuse to watch rendered models of sims get it on. I understand that the game is supposed to be a lot like the dating sims in Japan, but somehow this falls short. When Tom's Hardware ( www.tomshardware.com) says that it's the Sims with debbie does Dallas, that disturbs me. In the consecutive months before, we also saw the release of Leasure Suit Larry: Magna cum Laude, and The Playboy game.
Don't get me wrong. I am red blooded and these things don't bother me. What bothers me is that the gaming industry, who sits back and cries unfair to every protestor out there, then does the irresponcible thing and releases these games on console systems that kids play. Yes, Singles 2 is PC, but maybe not for long. Is it any wonder that gaming comes under fire?
And, sure, there is a rating system for games. I have never experienced a sale clerk at a local store (name withheld) ask a small kid for ID or a parent to purchase these games, and that goes for the biggie games like San Andreas. It is great that there are these steps, but people need to inforce them.
So, it seems like the gaming industry might slide a little to adult games, but maybe it shouldn't.