Video game controversies

Computer and video games have been the subject of controversy and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, racism, consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, propaganda, extremism or profanity in some games. Among others, critics of video games sometimes include parents' groups, politicians, organized religion groups, and other special interest groups, and may become a part of new laws and legislation in the United States and other countries. In recent years, particularly notable controversy was generated with the discovery of a downloadable modification that unlocked a sex driven minigame in the highly popular Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Video game censorship is defined as use of state or group power to control the playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of video games or computer games based on a valuation of the game's content. Video game censorship is a polarizing subject, with both proponents and opponents of censorship displaying passion for their views.

Brief history

Historically, this type of controversy and criticism is not unique to video games. The same situation has been applied to comic books; music, particularly jazz, rock and roll, metal music, hip hop, rap; and films. The age of the art medium also plays a role in the level of controversy since the longer an art medium exists the more likely it is to have generated broader public acceptance. In the above mentioned example, attempts at censorship in the United States were struck down as a violation of First Amendment rights, and they have all gone on to become integrated facets of society.

In June 2007, the American Medical Association considered a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. They recommended that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) consider the change when it revises the next diagnostic manual in 5 years. The APA has said that it could be considered for inclusion in the next diagnostic manual, which will be published in 2012.

History of notable criticism

In 1976, Death Race became one of the first controversial video games; based on the film Death Race 2000, it allowed players to drive around in a car, in order to run down "gremlins." However, critics inferred that the game actually simulated vehicular homicide—particularly considering that the game's original title was Pedestrian.

Causes of controversy

Criticism of crime and violence in video games

Video and computer games are periodically criticized in the media by some parents' groups, psychologists, religious organizations, or politicians for the level of violence, cruelty, and crime that some games allow players to act out, and often glorify. Examples are trivial to find, including Mortal Kombat and its sequels, a series of fighting games by Midway. Since 1992 the series has rewarded players for beating up an opponent with martial arts moves, and then for executing a "Fatality" move. A Fatality is a particularly gruesome killing of the defeated player.

It is particularly disturbing to some adults that some video games allow players to act out crimes, and reward them for doing so. A frequently-cited example is the extremely popular Grand Theft Auto III by Rockstar Games, in which a principal game activity is carjacking. Once a car is stolen, the player can run over pedestrians. The player may also purchase guns to shoot at and kill rival gang members (or pedestrians) as he completes missions for crime bosses. The game also became a center of controversy concerning attitudes toward women, because the player is able to pick up a prostitute, have sex to replenish health, then kill her to take back the money spent. It should be noted, however, that any activity of this sort in the game is done completely by choice and players are punished for committing crimes by the police. Considering this game allows one to freely choose, it could also be noted that the game is similar to real life. (A later game in the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas goes a step further, with levels that require the gamer to murder corrupt police characters before the game will advance.) Many of the groups that object to the game also seem to think that it is disturbing that children play this.

The game's immediate sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came under similar criticism, also for implying allegedly racist hate crimes: The game, taking place in "Vice City" (a fictional Miami) in 1986, involves a gang war between Haitians and Cuban refugees, and the player often serves both gangs to plot against one another. Haitian and Cuban anti-defamation groups highly criticized the game for these actions, including using phrases such as "kill the Haitian dickheads" (a phrase used in the game, actually referring to the Haitian gang with which the character is having a shoot-out). After the threat of being sued by the Haitian-American Coalition, Rockstar removed the word "Haitians" from this phrase in the game's subtitles.

These concerns have led to voluntary rating systems adopted by the industry, such as the ESRB rating system in the United States and the PEGI rating system in Europe, that are aimed at educating parents about the types of games their children are playing (or are begging to play). Game publishers’ near-universal decision to have controversial games rated shows that they are not targeted at young children. They are ESRB rated as "Mature" or "Adults Only" in the US, or given a "Certificate 18" rating in the UK. The packaging notes that these games should not be sold to children. If a parent or legal guardian buys a mature game for a child and the parent/legal guardian gives permission to a child to play said mature game, it is by the parents' choice and is not considered an offence.

Lt. Col. David Grossman, a former West Point psychology professor, has written several books that pertain to the subject of violence in the media, including On Killing and Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill. During heights of video game controversy he has been interviewed on the content of his books, and has repeatedly used the term "murder simulator" to describe first-person shooter games. He argues that video game publishers unethically train children in the use of weapons and, more importantly, harden them emotionally to the act of murder by simulating the killing of hundreds or thousands of opponents in a single typical video game.

Video game violence critics generally agree that violent video games are at least as bad an influence on children as are television shows with the same level of violence and cruelty, and most seem to believe that video games are more threatening to a child's well-being, because the video game player uses the controller to make an on screen character act out the violence personally. It was widely reported that the killers in the Columbine High School massacre were, like many teenagers, fans of first-person shooter games. They had recorded a videotape before the massacre in which they said they looked forward to using their shotguns just as in the game Doom. However, these teenagers were already mentally disturbed before playing the game, the game did not cause their actions.

Some studies have shown that children who watch violent television shows and play violent video games have a tendency to act more aggressively on the playground, and some people are concerned that this aggression may presage violent behavior when children grow to adulthood.

Most studies, however, reach the conclusion that violence in video games is not causally linked with aggressive tendencies. This was the conclusion of a 1999 study by the U.S. government, prompting Surgeon General David Satcher to say, “we clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the science is.” This was also the conclusion of a meta-analysis by psychologist Jonathan Freedman, who reviewed over 200 published studies and found that the majority did not find a causal link.

Controversy of speeding and evading the authority in racing games has surfaced when a copy of Need for Speed (game version unknown) is found on one of the street racer's car in Toronto in January 26, 2006, when two street racers were involved in an accident resulting a taxi-driver's death. However, the police denied any connection between the game and the incident. [1]

Criticism of sexuality and nudity in video games

Western video game publishers have not to date explored sexuality in video games to the degree seen in movies, books, or even TV shows. Almost no American video games display full frontal nudity. However, sexual themes are somewhat common in Japanese video games although closed console companies such as Nintendo and Sony do not license adult only content games for their systems. The following is a list of games containing sexual elements and nudity.

• Duke Nukem 3D The 1996 PC first-person shooter game, which features many topless women throughout the game, posters of nude women, strippers and prostitutes, and even a pornographic book store/movie house. The main character (Duke, whom you control) even offers prostitutes and strippers money and asks them to "shake it baby". In the case of the strippers, they will open their top and expose their breasts.
• God of War featured several scenes of big-chested topless women, including a particular scene where the character could have off screen sex with two half naked women in order to gain red orbs.
• Custer's Revenge was a game for the Atari 2600, released by Mystique under the brand "Swedish Erotica" that featured a naked General Custer advancing across the screen, dodging arrows, until he could reach a topless Native American woman who was apparently tied to a pole, and then rape her. The game was controversial for its racism as well as its sexuality, and, while television news coverage on the subject featured game animation, parts of the screen were concealed with black rectangles in order to avoid showing nudity.
• Sierra's Leisure Suit Larry computer games were popular tongue-in-cheek adventure games for adults in which the protagonist constantly attempted, usually without success, to convince women to have sex with him. The games did not excite much controversy despite showing partial nudity with increasing graphical quality over the years.
• Eidos's Tomb Raider series were action-adventure games which featured a female protagonist named Lara Croft with extremely large breasts. The series did not explore sexual themes at all, but Lara was featured in video game magazines as a sex symbol, and it is generally believed that the success of the series over the years was partly due to the prominence of her appearance in the game's advertising and packaging (the game's appeal also inspired two movies based on it).
• Acclaim released a BMX game called BMX XXX in 2002 which included a topless woman as the game character riding a bicycle, and rewarded players with video footage of topless strippers. The game was originally intended to be a Dave Mirra title without nudity, but it is generally believed in the industry that the game was of low quality - its average review in the gaming media was about 55%, while in most gaming publications a 60% score is considered poor — and that Acclaim decided late in the game's development to attempt to create a controversy and hopefully prop up sales by including some nudity. The attempt at publicity was rather successful, although the publicity achieved was of the wrong sort for Acclaim; with television reports that Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, and most major IEMA retailers in the United States declined to carry the game in their stores due to the nudity. Consequently, sales were poor: under 100,000 copies were sold. The game was not greeted with controversy or with much sales interest in Europe, while it was sold with the sexual content removed in Australia.
• In June 2005, an entire portion of unused code for an interactive sex mini-game was found within the main script of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game could be accessed in the PC version via a modification, and through Action Replay codes in the PS2 and Xbox versions. The fact that the scene was left on the disc and could be accessed by altering a few bytes of the game's code via a hex editor prompted the ESRB to change the rating of San Andreas to "Adults Only" on July 20, 2005. The game was pulled from many stores; Rockstar Games posted a loss of $280.8 million that quarter. (see hot coffee mod)
• The US version of the game Fahrenheit (re-named as Indigo Prophecy for American audiences), published in September 2005; had scenes depicting sex and other "adult content" removed in order for it to be classified as a "Mature" title, as opposed to an "Adult Only" rating. This was probably done in light of "hot coffee" scandal (above).
• The US version of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was re-rated from "Teen" to "Mature" after it was discovered that a topless skin on female characters could be revealed through a Mod.
• The Sopranos: Road to Respect-Towards the beginning of the game, the player enters the Bada Bang, the strip club owned by Tony and the gang. During many of the scenes, women are seen topless. There is also an option that if the player walks up to the stripper area, he can watch the show. Also, the player allows a stripper to do a lap dance for him.

Counter-arguments

Response to controversies over sexuality is generally in the form of indignation that video games are singled out where movies, books, and television shows currently are not (despite the fact that Hollywood exercised the Hays code to ban any movie which violated its strict moral regulations in the early half of the 20th century). Retailers have sold "R" and "NC-17"-rated (and in some cases "PG-13" and older "PG") movies showing nudity for several decades without generating an equivalent level of moral panic in doing so, and the moral problem they claim to have over video games with nudity is seen as hypocritical by some. Because video games have a rating system roughly equivalent to the movie rating system, the two are analogous. Video games have also been seen to be singled out from other forms of entertainment when it comes, not only to violence, but also to nudity; hence the term pop culture pariah.

Criticism related to psychology and children's social development

Over two hundred studies have been published which examine the effects of violence in entertainment media and which at least partially focus on violence in video games in particular. Some psychological studies have shown a correlation between children playing violent video games and suffering psychological effects, though the vast majority stop short of claiming behavioral causation. Critics to these argue that many of the studies involved fail to use standardized and reliable measures of aggression, and many selectively discuss findings that support their hypothesized link between video games and aggression, and fail to discuss findings that disconfirm this link.

The American Psychological Association summarizes the issue as "Psychological research confirms that violent video games can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative effects." Craig A. Anderson has testified before the U.S. Senate on the issue, and his meta-analysis of these studies has shown 5 consistent effects: "increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behavior". However, some studies explicitly deny that such a connection exists, most notably Anderson and Ford (1986), Winkel et al (1987), Scott (1995), Ballard and Lineberger (1999), and Jonathan Freedman (2002). More recently, Block and Crain (2007) claim that in a critical paper by Anderson (and his co-author, Bushman), data was improperly calculated and produced fallacious results.

On March 6, 2005, the TV show 60 Minutes took on the case of 18-year old murderer Devin Moore, wherein plaintiffs have argued Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City inspired him to kill three police officers that came to arrest him for stealing a car. This episode of 60 Minutes has been criticized by the video game community. In October 2005, the Alabama judge sentenced Moore to death by lethal injection.

Some psychologists and parents' groups have criticized video games because they believe they cause children to sit alone in the television room for many hours in a row, interacting with a machine rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve their social skills by playing with other children. They claim that video games can be even more addictive to children than TV , and therefore more likely to isolate them socially in this way. Some studies have purported that there is a correlation between depression and playing computer games.

Counter-arguments

Many respond that video games can enhance children's social interaction because many video games are multiplayer games, where two or more players can have fun competing or co-operating on the same television screen, and that if a child is isolated and antisocial, this is not the fault of video games, but perhaps of the child's inborn disposition, or perhaps of the parents' lack of attention to making sure their child has enough opportunities for social interaction with other children. Additionally, with the advent of online video gaming, it is not difficult for children to find others to play with, although these experiences are often anonymous.

One response came from social critic and author J.C. Herz, who suggested that some criticisms of video game violence come from distinctly Marxist and socialist viewpoints from academia, and do not reflect the realities of modern life:

That's what we do in America: glorify autonomous individualists. What else would we possibly glorify? The autonomous collective? One can only imagine the kind of arcade game that would pass muster with the leather-elbow-patch set (leap over the running dogs of capitalism, liberate the oppressed proletariat, and accumulate enough petition power to defeat the evil Murdoch). (Herz, Joystick Nation, 1997).

Specifically, Herz claimed that such things as a "lack of cooperative behavior" and "aggressiveness" are both necessary and useful traits in a capitalistic society, but that academic psychologists tend to ignore this.

Also, it should be noted that the majority of video gamers are adults. “The average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 9.5 years”[2]

“The average game buyer is 37 years old. In 2005, 95 percent of computer game buyers and 84 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.”[3]

Some psychologists claim that while causation has been linked between playing violent videogames and an increase in hostile behaviour, the effect is very low. They also claim the effect tends to increase depending on how angry the person was to begin with. Some also claim the effect violent videogames have on adults is very similar in magnitude to the effect they have on the behavioural processes of children. [4]

While not a noted psychologist per se, Brian Clevinger (author of 8-Bit Theater) makes an eloquent statement against efforts to censor video games, sharply criticizing parents who fail to involve themselves in their children's lives as the cause of flawed intellectual development. He accuses said parents of using video games as a convenient scapegoat -- when ironically they are generally the same people who purchase the games for their own children. "It's not my fault my kid doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, or fantasy and reality, it must be those darn video games I kept buying him in lieu of parenting." [5]

Criticism from religious organizations

See also: Censorship by organized religion

Video games have received criticism from religious sources. A large percentage of criticism of video games originates from religious sources, often in similar response to claims of violence, crime, sexuality, nudity, rebelliousness, materialism, occultism, and offensive references to religion in these games.

Such content found in video games are often criticized by religious groups of specific denominations. Games such as Breath of Fire II, La Pucelle Tactics, Xenogears and Xenosaga, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy X, Castlevania, Tales of Symphonia, and Grandia II contain religious themes that some might find offensive. Often, RPGs in particular make use of a corrupt and powerful church as the game’s antagonist. It should be noted the corrupt and powerful church is a common story element in all entertainment mediums, including literature (such as novels by the popular fantasy author David Eddings and sci-fi author Frank Herbert).

In response to potential criticism, religious content has been censored in some Western releases of Japanese-origin video games. Nintendo in particular censored many of its US releases back in the NES and SNES era. Castlevania, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and other games containing such references as crosses, the words holy, monk, and names of Biblical figures were censored for their US release. The game Terranigma was never released in North America, one of the stronger reasons being its religion-influenced plot. One trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tamagon, was locked out of the US release of the game, possibly due to religious reference and the title of the game in which he originally appeared (Devil World).

In 2002, the Xbox fighting game Kakuto Chojin offended many Muslims with the use of religious chanting in background music. The Saudi Arabian government made a formal protest, and Microsoft pulled the game internationally in early 2003.

Many Muslims were also offended by the Nintendo 64 game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In one of the game's dungeons, Muslim chanting can be heard in the background music. This was changed by Nintendo in later versions of the game, with to the older versions being discontinued.

As in the film industry, many groups promote restriction on games children should be allowed to play, but do not believe that games themselves should be censored. These websites are directed at parents who want to avoid video games they consider too explicit and graphic for their children. Many of them (especially those that review games based on their view of the game's permissibility) receive criticism for being overly harsh, but some of them have large followings that appreciate their service. Some of these websites have stopped reviewing "M" rated games due to criticism from fans of the game upset at its low rating.

Criticisms of the gameplay in and of itself

Some criticisms from both game players and non-game players alike are directed at the gameplay in and of itself. This primarily is focused toward RPGs, especially MMORPGs, and First-person shooter (FPS)'s, whose gameplay, critics feel, causes obsession or addiction. This is often joked about and admitted in the MMORPG communities. A prominent aspect of RPGs is the immersion factor, or virtual reality, which is seen by critics as escapist. Finally, as most RPG levelling mechanics allow for getting stronger by repetitive fighting of weaker enemies for a long time, this is seen as discouraging risk taking or instilling a fear of losing in the gamer. In fact, most MMORPGs place a level range requirement for getting experience points, in which the lower the enemy's level is relative to the player's, the less experience is gained (until it reaches zero).

The First-person shooter is the other type of video game, with arguably the highest immersion factor, since the player "sees through the eyes of the character the player is controlling". It was the 1993 first-person shooter Doom which some activists blame partially for the shootings at Columbine high school by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, a game that the two played a lot and mentioned in their suicide video. Critics of FPS games claim that the immersion factor is just too high, and that the U.S. armed forces uses them for training their soldiers.

Uninteresting and uncreative games

Some critics of film and literature look down on video gaming as an inferior form of entertainment. The majority of criticism of video games from within the video-gaming community also relates to quality. This is probably because of the impression that earlier video games had either simple, linear story structures with very little plot or essentially no story whatsoever. A frequent counterargument is that this is like complaining that a game of football does not contain much plot or character development, and that although most video games contain a narrative, it serves only to propel the player's actions in and against a virtual world, which is not primarily based upon passively seeing and hearing. Another point of view compares video games to the movies, which during the silent era were also considered mere entertainment.

Other criticisms include unrealistic aspects of graphics or gameplay, games that are simply not fun to play, a perceived lack of games that appeal to women and girls, and a strong and increasing tendency of video game publishers to avoid risks and originality by only funding games which have very clear promise to succeed financially. For example, the use of violence in games is seen as a crutch for creativity; it is alleged that if a developer cannot invent an original, fun activity for the player, he'll end up giving the player the time-honored task of shooting a monster, usually in a violent manner (as opposed to shooting a monster in a nonviolent manner). In particular, there has been a perceived increase in:

• sequels to, prequels to, and enhanced remakes of previously successful games.
• games which use a licensed intellectual property (in the sense of a copyright and trademark portfolio related to a specific brand) from some other medium, often movies, comic books, television shows, or books;
• games whose game play is more or less copied directly from previously published games that were successful. It is generally agreed that in the early days of video games there seemed to be an explosion of creativity with genuinely new types of game play appearing in some new game every month, and now a new type of game play is seen only a couple of times per year. The Grand Theft Auto series is one of the most notorious for having copy-cat games made (see GTA Clone).

It should be noted that problems with low creativity are also seen in the movie industry; many movies are based on TV shows, novels, or previous entries in series.

Highly-publicized tragedies

Several high-profile tragedies relating to video games in recent decades have helped fuel controversy.

• On April 20, 1999, American high school students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and themselves in the Columbine High School massacre. The pair had been fans of the Doom and Wolfenstein 3D video games.
• In November 2001, 21-year-old American Shawn Woolley committed suicide after what his mother claimed was an addiction to Everquest.
• On June 7, 2003, 18-year-old American Devin Moore shot and killed three police officers after grabbing one of the officers' weapons following an arrest for the possession of a stolen vehicle. At trial, the defense claimed that Moore had been inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto III.
• On June 25, 2003, two American step brothers, Joshua and William Buckner, aged 14 and 16, respectively, used a rifle to fire at vehicles on Interstate 40 in Tennessee, killing a 45-year-old man and a wounding a 19-year-old woman. The two shooters claimed to have been inspired by Grand Theft Auto III.
• In October of 2004, a 41-year-old Chinese man named Qiu Chengwei stabbed 26-year-old Zhu Caoyuan to death over a dispute regarding the sale of a virtual weapon the two had jointly won in the game Legend of Mir 3.

Counter-criticism by proponents of video games

The most common argument against video games is that they promote violence. A counter-argument commonly expressed in the video game community is that playing these games does not motivate players to actually commit acts of violence in reality; playing a "first person shooter" game does not cause most people to commit murder. A US Secret Service study found that only 12 percent of school shooters were attracted to violent video games, while 24 percent read violent books and 27 percent were attracted to violent movies. An Australian study found that only children already predisposed to violence were affected by violent games.

Many gamers accuse critics of overreacting and imagining effects. As with Fredric Wertham's widely publicized crusade against comic books in the 1950s, the association of video gaming with youth crime can be at best seen as a correlation; because a very high percentage of adolescents and young adults play video games (analogous to youth readership of comic books in the 1950s), it would not be surprising that these video games show up in the possession of young violent criminals as well.

Within the video game industry itself, there is not much self-criticism about excessive sexuality or violence, as it is generally agreed that video games are for a wide range of ages, as with movies and books, and are not always toys for children. In fact, there is considerable evidence that children actually represent a minority market, and the vast majority of game players are adults, whose much greater disposable income represents a vastly more attractive market to game developers. The industry also argues that video game publishers have as much right to explore adult-oriented, mature themes as do movie studios or book publishers. Some developers and publishers find some of this type of content distasteful and do not produce it, but in general there is not much agitation to set limits on adult content for the industry as a whole, beyond the presence of the ESRB rating system, which has come to be viewed by most people as a bad move for the industry.

A tongue-in-cheek parody of a GTA-clone was featured on a sketch on popular Adult Swim stop-motion sketch show Robot Chicken. The sketch, which is set out in the form of an ad, points out some exaggerated features that are commonly associated with violent video games, such at the ability for the protagonist to shoot his parents, urinate on homeless people, run people over with a school bus, and date-rape an intellectually disabled person. But at the end of the ad, a voice says, "Rated E for Everyone".

Video game legislation around the world

Argentina

In Argentina, federal legislation (Law No. 26.043) states that Manufacturers and/or importers of video games are required to display the warning "Overexposure is harmful to health" on the packaging in which such products are marketed. The rating "Suitable for all ages", "Suitable for persons aged 13 or over" or "Suitable for persons aged 18 or over", as applicable, must also be displayed.

Australia

In Australia video games are rated by the Office of Film and Literature Classification, which also rates other media. Unlike movies however, no R18+ or X18+ category exists for video games, and as such if they do not fit into the MA15+ category (suitable for 15 year olds and over), they are effectively banned. This means that games deemed unsuitable for 15 year olds are banned entirely from sale and distribution within the country, even for use by adults. This has been a point of much debate for many years now, as the video gaming community view this as restrictive and archaic. Recently the Victorian government has announced plans to try and get an R18+ category introduced. A comprehensive list of games that have been banned in Australia can be found at Refused Classification. The argument for' states, that adults are allowed to see and hear whatever they like. Much of the problem seems to be caused by the outdated perception that video games are only targeted at children.

In 2002, Australia banned Grand Theft Auto III for its actions against virtual prostitutes; the game was later reinstated when this action was removed. Similarly, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was banned in July 2005 following the revelation that sex scenes were included in the minigame created by the Hot Coffee mod; these took the game outside the MA15+ category. The MA15+ rating was re-instated after a modified version was released by Rockstar Games, omitting the Hot Coffee minigame. In 2005 the game 50 Cent: Bulletproof was banned for encouraging gang violence (a version without the game's Arcade Mode and excessive gore, and with an automatic Game Over for killing innocents was later submitted and given an MA15+ rating), and Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure was also banned for glorifying illegal graffiti tagging. Reservoir Dogs was banned because the Australian government disliked the fact that the player was able to shoot the heads off of hostages during a bank heist.

Two other games banned in Australia are the highly violent (and controversial) Postal and Postal² from Running With Scissors.

Canada

Canada (including French-speaking Quebec) uses the same ESRB rating system as the United States. However, in British Columbia and Ontario, their respective provincial governments re-rated the video games Soldier of Fortune and Manhunt as R (Canadian film rating), which unlike the United States' R rating, these games are restricted to those 18 and over for their depictions of graphic violence.

China

Main article: Video games in the People's Republic of China

Through new laws the Chinese government has said it plans to restrict gamers to three hours of consecutive play, using a “fatigue technique” in games. Children and teenagers are strongly encouraged to play online games no more than 3 hours per day through this method. After 3 hours their character abilities will be limited. Gamers who spend more than five hours will have the abilities of their in-game character severely limited. Players will be forced to take a five-hour break before they can return to a game with the character back to full capacity. In some cases further playing is locked down through their IP identification number or account with the online game vendor. The operators face little choice as they need government approval to offer online gaming. [6]

The MMO genre of games is big business in China since subscription based games avoid software piracy, and most gamers use Internet cafes as they don't own a personal computer. The company that runs the popular World of Warcraft in China, The9, is listed on the NASDAQ market exchange so they must release an annual report which includes much information on how MMORPGs work in China. For a somewhat abbreviated version there is an article and summary of their report. [7]

China has also banned certain video games for their content. Foreign Internet games are subject to content examinations by the Ministry of Culture before being allowed to enter the Chinese market. Games such as Hearts of Iron, I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike, and Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour have all been banned for offenses such as "distorting history and damaging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "smearing the image of China and the Chinese army".

Germany

In Germany, video games, as with other media, are subject to censorship, or "decency standards", that are strict by the standards of other European nations. For video games there is the index, which is a list of video games, movies and other media considered having bad influence on children and therefore unsuited for anyone under 18. Articles not suited for anyone under 18 cannot be easily sold through mail order in Germany. There are a few specialized companies that sell such games, but require a photocopy of the buyers' ID card as age verification, and the package is only handed over to the buyer personally. Certain institutions can request that a game be examined by the BPjM (Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien). In some cases it is then placed on the index, usually because it is deemed to glorify violence, at which point it becomes illegal to advertise the games or even review them in a not age restricted medium, display them on store shelves, or sell them to anyone under 18. This of course dramatically impacts sales, so most video game companies selling games into Germany elect to create a special German version that narrowly avoids the index by changing the graphics. Instead of red blood coming out of a wound, green blood is shown, implying that aliens are being killed and not humans; or gears and springs are shown coming out of the wound, implying that the victims are robots. For example, the Contra series, known as Probotector in Europe, repeatedly replaced the heroes and many enemies throughout the series with robots. In Half-Life, the marines that are fought by the player are replaced by robots. The scientists also cannot be killed in Half-Life, they just sit down and shake their heads.

The problem with the index is that games cannot be examined by the BPjM prior to their release, even if requested by the manufacturers, as that would be considered censorship by German standards, which is clearly illegal by the German constitution. However, this has led to many publishers thinking with "scissors in their hands" and removing more content than would have been necessary.

Recently, the index has become a little redundant regarding video games, as the USK's (unabhängige Selbstkontrolle = independent Selfcontrol) ratings have been made obligatory and only games that didn't receive a rating can be placed on "the index". Before 2003-04-01 these ratings had been merely suggestions for gamers and the index was the only way to control sales. Nowadays violent games which received an 18+ rating can be sold openly in stores, but the stores are responsible for checking the buyers' age. The self censorship described above has also decreased because of that. Companies still employ it because a 16+ rating can improve sales, but it isn't as excessive as it used to be.

Moreover, because of Germany's law banning public displays of Nazism and the swastika, some games have been banned for using these symbols, even though the rationale behind their use is clearly critical of the Nazi philosophy. Games such as Wolfenstein 3D or Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, which involves Allied soldiers on missions to kill Nazi soldiers, are banned, and such software often reminds the player of its illegality in Germany. Although a censored version of Return to Castle Wolfenstein was released in Germany, the original Wolfenstein 3D remains illegal. It should be noted that confiscations of video games based on this law are not common, and most of the confiscated games are openly racist homebrews like KZ Manager.

The display of Nazi symbols in an accurate historical context is permitted nevertheless. This applies especially to World War II movies, which are classified as art and thus exempt from this ban. Video games however are denied being art. There are few World War II video games that are deemed to be historically accurate, but the backgrounds of titles such as Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Call of Duty and Commandos: Beyond The Call of Duty do operate on a historically true background, even if the stories central to the games are exaggerated or fictional for purposes of entertainment. Nonetheless, the symbols were removed, although all other references to the Nazis were kept.

In September 2006, due to its graphic violence, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle has refused to rate the Xbox 360 game Dead Rising. Microsoft does not allow unrated games to be published for the Xbox 360, effectively halting the production of a German version of the game. The game is available as an import to players of legal age. The same fate occurred to Gears of War as well as Crackdown.[8]

Greece

In July 2002, the Greek Parliament passed Greek Law Number 3037, entirely outlawing electronic gaming. This controversial law has been frowned upon, not only in Greece, but elsewhere in Europe and in the United States, and petitions were made against it. In December 2003 it was restricted to only affect Internet cafes in accordance with a letter from the European Union.

Italy

In Italy some sporadic attempts of video games censorship and/or banning have been made in the past. The game Carmageddon was censored when first released, showing zombies instead of people and green blood. This censorship was not applied to the sequels, and apparently even the first game was re-released into its original form after some time; When Resident Evil 2 was released in 1998, it was banned from stores after a protest made by a group of conservative mothers, but it reappeared after few days following the sentence of a judge. In November 2006 Italian politicians inaccurately attacked Rule of Rose for alleged violence against children perpetrated by the player.

Japan

Due to cultural preferences, Japanese video games tend to be less bloody than their American counterparts. Gory games are tolerated when such gore is realistic in the context of the game ('in good taste'), as demonstrated in the Japanese born game series Biohazard (known as Resident Evil outside of Japan), Devil May Cry, God Hand, Samurai Spirits (also known as Samurai Shodown, which was notably censored in the US), and Dead Rising (although Dead Rising was made with U.S. audiences in mind). However, games in which depictions of violence and gore are deemed unnecessary, extravagant, and unethical are censored, such as Mortal Kombat. Consequently, Japanese critics tend to focus instead on the pornography found in some adult Japanese computer games (which have generally not been released outside of Japan). Since 2002, a non-governmental organization CERO is reviewing games and issuing an age recommendation for all products that have been submitted.

Violently pornographic games came to national attention in Japan in 1986 with the release by dB-soft of 177, a game where the player takes the role of a rapist. (The game's title originates from the number of the Japanese law criminalizing rape.) 177 was not actually the first game designed around this premise, but it was unusually explicit for that time. The game caused debate in the Japanese parliament and was eventually recalled and re-released with the most controversial scenes removed. In 1992 the pornographic game industry formed the "Ethics Organization for Computer Software", setting industry guidelines for acceptable content and packaging. Those games deemed inappropriate by this organization for minors are released only to people 18 years or older.

See also bishojo game and hentai game.

New Zealand

The relevant law for New Zealand is the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. Apart from age restrictions, a publication can be declared objectionable:

For the purposes of this Act, a publication is objectionable if it

describes, depicts, expresses, or otherwise deals with matters such as sex, horror, crime, cruelty, or violence in such a manner that the availability of

the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good.

Objectionable publications can be seized any time by an Inspector from the Department of Internal Affairs, a Customs officer or a member of the police, and mere possession is an offence, punishable with up to five years imprisonment for an individual. Supply, distribution, display, or exhibition to any other person, or possession for this purpose, can be punished with up to ten years in jail under certain conditions.

Manhunt, Reservoir Dogs (video game) and Postal² were declared objectionable under this law.

Poland

Poland, just like the rest of Europe (except for Germany), is using Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system. In early 2006, it was announced that there will be a rating system unique to Poland created. Law project probably will be presented with the end of 2007. Additionally, former Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych stated that his “No tolerance for violence in school” ("Zero tolerancji dla przemocy w szkole") project will also apply as a ban on distributing violent video games. The project has been suspended by his succesor, Ryszard Legutko, on August 14, 2007.

South Korea

Video game violence is similarly controversial in South Korea, and similar "no blood" regulations apply. South Korea also regularly bans games that depict North Korea and South Korea at war, or that demonize North Koreans. Ghost Recon 2 and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction have been banned for these reasons. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was also banned in South Korea due to the destruction of the South Korean capital Seoul in the game. However, the ban was recently lifted in late 2006.

United Kingdom

The introduction of controversial games featuring photo-realistic images, such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, led to calls from the tabloid press for games to fall under the Video Recordings Act. The UK games publisher trade body ELSPA responded by introducing a voluntary age rating system in 1994. The ELSPA ratings were succeeded by the pan-European ratings system, PEGI, in 2003. However, although games are generally exempt from the Video Recordings Act, those depicting sexual content, or gross violence towards people or animals, must still be submitted to the BBFC for consideration. BBFC ratings are legally binding, and British law imposes stiff penalties on retailers who sell to under-aged customers.

Carmageddon, in which the gameplay involved mowing down innocent pedestrians, was the first game to be refused classification in 1997 (effectively banning it). The game's publisher, SCI, had a modified version created in which the pedestrians in question were replaced by green-blooded zombies, which completed a successful appeal against the BBFC to overturn their original decision. The uncensored, unmodified version of Carmageddon was later released under an 18-certificate.

In 2002 the Io Interactive game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was withdrawn by a number of retailers due to religious sensitivities.[9] The area in question involved a Sikh sect that were depicted as terrorists involved in arms smuggling and assasination. It also involved a section that many Sikhs believed to closely resemble the 1984 massacre at the Amritsar temple.

In 2004, the parents of a murdered 14-year-old boy blamed the game Manhunt as having been "connected" to the murder (It was later found not to be, as the game was found in the victim's home, rather than the killer's.) [10]; however, Leicestershire police "did not uncover any connections to the computer game." [11] The accusations prompted some retailers to remove the game from their shelves [12]. However following this incident the sales of the game rose due to the free publicity from newspaper headlines. The sequel to the game, released in 2007, was banned in the UK by the BBFC [13].

In June 2007 The PS3 game Resistance: Fall of Man was criticised for the use of Manchester cathedral as one of the games' backdrops. Sony, the publisher of the game, responded by saying "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the cathedral authorities... and we naturally take the concerns very seriously. Resistance: Fall of Man is a fantasy science fiction game and is not based on reality. We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game."[8]

United States

In the United States, the ESRB ratings system was established in 1994 as the video game equivalent to the MPAA film rating system. The ESRB was created as an industry response to criticism from politicians, notably Senator Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl, over the easy availability of violent video games such as Doom and Mortal Kombat to children, and over the resulting alleged corruption of public morality. At the time, some politicians who lent their voice to this cause threatened legislation relating to video game violence, essentially saying to the video game industry that if they didn't do something, politicians would. Nearly all video games are now rated with ESRB ratings, which are primarily intended to inform parents about the content of the games that their children have purchased or want to purchase.

Senator Lieberman stated in 2002 that in his opinion, the video game industry's rating system had become the best rating system of any medium, including the film industry. However, many video game players have criticized him, citing his work as too broad and unaware of the industry as a whole. The ESRB itself has, on numerous occasions, blamed any continued problems with video games on parents. It boasts an extremely high approval rating on its ratings, and claim that the labels are there and are properly used. It says that parents need to be more aware of what their children are buying and what they're buying for their children.

In December 2004, Hal Halpin, the president of the retail trade association announced that all IEMA member companies - which included every major retailer of computer and video games, including such notable names as Wal-Mart - would now have policies to check the identification of young purchasers of games rated "Mature" to ensure that the purchaser is at least 17 years old, as recommended by the "Mature" rating. The association also required its members to post ESRB signage in every store and begin training retail clerks about the ratings system in order to help parents understand the process more thoroughly.

From time to time, local officials attempt to restrict the playing or selling of violent video games. Predictably, the ESA (representing video game publishers) and the IEMA (representing game retailers) oppose the legislation and have been, to-date, victorious in overturning each bill passed. For example, the city of Indianapolis, Indiana in 2000 passed an ordinance barring children from playing arcade games with graphic violence unless parental consent was given. It was generally thought that this law was intended to target the game The House of the Dead, in which players use plastic guns to shoot at the game screen in order to kill zombies that try to kill the player. The ordinance was struck down at the appellate Federal court level, on the grounds that in the United States, video games enjoy some measure of First Amendment free speech protection because they contain real expression of ideas, and children have constitutional rights before the age of 18, and given this, the city did not demonstrate an overriding public interest in passing the ban. Recently, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich passed a law banning the sale of "violent or sexually explicit" video games to minors under the age of 18. The new law would have taken effect January 1, 2006, but was struck down by District Court judge Matthew Kennelly. As Kennelly so concisely put it: "In this country, the state lacks the authority to ban protected speech on the ground that it affects the listener's or observer's thoughts and attitudes." In doing so, the Judge confirmed yet again that video games are protected under the First Amendment and deserve treatment no different than film and literature. Illinois was forced to pay the ESRB legal fees, approximately 1 million dollars. About three months later, similar laws were passed by Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California law, as California Assembly Bills 1792 & 1793, was sponsored by Leland Yee, the Speaker pro Tem of the Assembly and a child psychologist. The laws were deemed unconstitutional by Judge Ronald Whyte on December 21st, 2005; preventing it from going into effect on January 1st, 2006.

On 2005-11-29, Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act to much criticism. The act was intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games. It has not passed through the Senate. Similar bills introduced at state level were found to be unconstitutional.

It should be noted that a large reason that such legislation described above has never been enforced in the United States is because such legislation has been unanimously ruled unconstitutional in US courts. Judges the nation over agree that, if nothing else, video games are a fine art, and thus are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution's guarantee of freedom of press (press instead of speech because video game files are more long-term than pure oral words). In response to this, some proponents of video game liberty are starting to use much cruder ways of expressing their belief. Some even consider Lieberman's and Kohl's threats of legislation if the ESRB was not formed to be completely empty threats, and, ultimately, that the government should "just go shove it."

List of video games considered controversial

This lists video games considered controversial based on specific types of content deemed offensive, especially by the censorship crowd.

Crime and Violence

These games have been the subject of controversy mainly due to depictions of violence, bloodshed, and criminal acts.

• 25 to Life (for violence against law enforcement officers and the use of human shields)
• Carmageddon (a racing game centered around driving through and killing crowds of pedestrians, in order to score points)
• Commando Libya (execution of prisoners as a bonus level)
• Conker's Bad Fur Day and Conker: Live and Reloaded (for graphic violence, sexual content, strong graphic language, mature humor, and alcohol usage)
• Custer's Revenge (for violent, sexual racism; the player must guide General Custer, sporting a large erection, to rape a bound Native American woman)
• Cannon Fodder (original packaging artwork featured a poppy plant, a reference to the UK dead during World War I)
• Doom, Doom 2, Final Doom, and Doom3 (for extreme graphic violence and satanic themes)
• Duke Nukem 3D (for graphic violence, exotic dancing and negative portrayal of women)
• Dead Rising (extreme blood and gore through use of blunt objects and various weapons, profane language, and alcohol use - all which have contributed to the possibility that the game might become officially banned in Germany)
• Death Race (arcade game with goal of killing pedestrians with cars)
• Ethnic Cleansing (for neo-Nazi propaganda, racism and depiction of crimes against humanity)
• F.E.A.R. (intense graphic violence, disturbing content.)
• Firebug (goal is to burn down a building)
• GoldenEye 007 (for graphic although bloodless violence and disturbing deaths)
• Grand Theft Auto Series (for intense violence, sexual content, drug use, strong language, strong sexual themes, carjacking, negative portrayal of ethnic groups (specifically Cubans and Haitians in Vice City) and the Hot Coffee Mod (San Andreas only))
• GUN (for extreme graphic violence in gameplay and cut-scenes, strong language, alcohol usage during gameplay and recovering your health, depictions of Native Americans, and sexual themes that involved women in different clothing)
• God of War (for extreme violence, sexual interaction, and large amounts of blood and gore)
• I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (depiction of the Holocaust)
• Kakuto Chojin (pulled from release internationally due to the offensive use of Muslim chants in background music)
• Kingpin: Life of Crime (first high profile first-person shooter to be released after the Columbine High School massacre)
• Killer7 (for graphic violence and sexuality)
• Manhunt (for extreme graphic violence and dealing with the taboo subject of snuff films). The sequel, Manhunt 2 was banned in the UK and Nintendo and Sony refused to license the game in the U.S. due to the ESRB giving at first Manhunt 2 the AO rating that it may receive for heaping amounts of extreme violence. (As of August 2007, Manhunt 2 has been re-rated as M and has been cleared for release.)
• Mortal Kombat series (for extreme graphic violence and gore while fighting your opponent)
• NARC (for heavy violence and drug use by law enforcement)
• Night Trap (for alleged violence towards women and sexual themes all in which were live action)
• Nightmare Creatures (for violence and dark images)
• Postal² (for extreme graphic violence with very small plot)
• The Punisher (for strong language, extreme violence, use of human shields, and extremely graphic depictions of brutal torture techniques used for interrigation)
• Redneck Rampage (for stereotyped depiction of Southern Americans)
• Perfect Dark (for language, more violence than its predecessor GoldenEye 007 and the inclusion of a feature called PerfectHead, which was quickly scrapped due to poor media coverage)
• Primal Rage (for extreme violence, crude images, and negative images of the human race)
• Pyro 2 (for arson and destruction of government buildings)
• Reservoir Dogs (for violence against law enforcement officers, use of human shields, strong language, and the ability to torture hostages)
• Resident Evil series (for rather disturbing graphic violence and scary images)
• Rule of Rose (erotic undertones involving a cast of female minors)
• Saints Row (for graphic violence, strong language and gang-related themes)
• Scarface: The World is Yours (for extreme graphic violence and strong graphic language in gameplay and cut-scenes )
• Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (For violence, dark images, language and strong satanic themes; however, Japan's CERO rated it All Ages and Europe's PEGI rated it 12+)
• Silent Hill (for graphic violence and very disturbing imagery)
• Soldier of Fortune and Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (For advanced graphic innovation in the depiction of decapitations, use of controversial location settings, and allegations of perceived cultural insensitivity)
• Thrill Kill (for extreme graphic violence, BDSM references and minor nudity, although it wasn't officially released)
• True Crime: Streets of LA (for violence, extreme shoot-outs on streets and missions, strong language, and S&M)
• True Crime: New York City (for violence, extreme shoot-outs on streets and missions, strong language, use of drugs, and racial slurs)
• Twisted Metal: Black (for extreme graphic violence in cut-scenes only)
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (graphic violence)
• The Warriors (Excessive brutal Violence, sexual themes, large amounts of strong launguage throughout and drug use to refill the player's health named "flash".)
• Unreal tournament series (extreme graphic violence)
• Wolfenstein 3-D and Return to Castle Wolfenstein (for violence and constant references to Nazi Germany)
• Waxworks (extreme graphic violence and gore)
• The Xenosaga series (for paedophile reference in Episode 1 and extreme violence see for example the controversy caused by one of the recurring characters.)

Adult content

See also: Adult video games

These games have been the subject of controversy mainly due to sexual themes, graphic nudity, obscene language, or drug use.

• Beat Em and Eat Em (Bold sexual nature)
• BMX XXX (nudity; the PS2 American version was censored at Sony's demand.)
• Conker's Bad Fur Day/Conker: Live and Reloaded]] (profanity, scatological humour)
• Crash Twinsanity (features a scene in which Cortex passes through what appears to be a strip club, and exclaims, "Are those real?!?".)
• Custer's Revenge (1980s video game with "rape" goal)
• Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (alleged exploitative and overtly sexualized display of the Dead or Alive series' female cast)
• Duke Nukem 3D (player can pay strippers to dance and reveal breasts)
• Fahrenheit (because of some strong sexual content the game was cut in the United States and released as Indigo Prophecy)
• Final Fantasy VI (formerly Final Fantasy III in the US) (Japanese version included minor nudity and was reformed through U.S. transport)
• Gals Panic (a Qix-like game where players uncover images of scantily clad or semi-nude models)
• Gotcha (controls look similar to breasts)
• H-games (H-items are animated pornographic items)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (a mini-game of simulated intercourse was left in the game's programming but disabled: See Hot Coffee)
• GUN (for sexual themes/humor during gameplay and cut-scenes)
• The Guy Game (for revealing the breasts of an underaged female)
• Kingpin: Life of Crime (profanity)
• Leisure Suit Larry series (goal of game is to "score"; constant sexual humor and dialogue)
• Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (for strong sexual content, nudity, alcohol usage, and strong language)
• NARC (Presence of "adult book shops" and prostitute non-combatants as background scenery in one stage, drugs are present throughout that are confiscated by police as evidence)
• Night Trap (vampire-themed brutality and non-graphic voyeurism)
• Panty Raider (players fire green goo at female characters, dissolving their outer clothing and photographing them for aliens)
• Phantasmagoria series (graphic rape scene)
• Playboy: The Mansion (sexual)
• Rule of Rose (sexual themes involving underaged characters)
• Scarface: The World is Yours (graphic profanity during gameplay while pressing the circle button, adult-themed cut-scenes, explicit discussion of sexual humor while talking to someone or yourself, and selling grams (drugs) to get money)
• Thrill Kill ( an unreleased tittle that contained graphic, brutal nature and sexual themes)

Social issues

These games have been the subject of controversy due to recent or historical events and precedents that make a game potentially inappropriate.

• Cannon Fodder (original packaging artwork featured a poppy plant, a reference to the UK dead during World War I)
• DJ Boy (reputedly racist imagery based on caricatures)
• Dragon's Lair (sexist stereotyping in depiction of the Princess Daphne)
• Ethnic Cleansing (promotes killing non-whites as part of a "race war")
• EverQuest (Reportedly causing severe addiction, as well as the suicide of Shawn Woolley.)
• GUN (putting Native Americans in a bad behavior)
• I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (depiction of the Holocaust)
• Islamic Fun (for anti-Zionist and anti-Atatürk propaganda, targeting children)
• Kuma\War (for recreating real life military operations currently going on in the Middle East, particularly by the United States)
• KZ Manager (Lets the player "manage" a Nazi concentration camp)
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (The use of Islamic crescent moon and star used with the Gerudos, which was interpreted to show that Muslims were stereotypically portrayed as dark skinned, thieves and murderers. Only the Nintendo 64 version used this symbol. The Gamecube collection changed it to an original design.)
• Lineage (Supposedly causing addiction, murder over virtual theft)
• Rainbow Six Vegas (Attacked by the mayor of Las Vegas who claimed its premise would scare people away, thus causing the city to lose revenue from tourism.)
• Raid over Moscow (Part of game is destruction of cultural monuments in Moscow.)
• Super Columbine Massacre RPG (based on the Columbine High School Massacre)
• Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Attacked by the mayor of Mexico city who claimed its premise would scare people away, thus causing the city to lose revenue from tourism.)
• Tomb Raider series (sexist stereotyping in depiction of Lara Croft)
• JFK Reloaded (For its depiction of the JFK assassination.)
• Under Ash (for anti-Israel propaganda)
• Wolfenstein series (banned in Germany for depictions of Swastika; distribution of Swastika is illegal in Germany)
• World of Warcraft (Reported to cause severe addiction in players; also known as "World of Warcrack")
• Left Behind: Eternal Forces for what is interpreted to be promoting violence against non-Christian minorities, mainly the secular population.

Specific examples

Video games that depict or reference spanking

• Backyard Wrestling 2, one of the created female wrestlers says "Ooh, somebody needs a spanking."
• In Codename: Kids Next Door Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. two of the missions are based around a spanking vampire named Count Spankulot. The missions are named S.P.A.N.K.-H.A.P.P.Y. and S.P.A.N.K.A.R.I.F.I.C.
• In Crash Twinsanity, Crash Bandicoot is spanked by Doctor Neo Cortex. This only occurs if the player stops during one specific mission, which results in a variety of scenes such as this.
• In Earthbound, the main character Ness gets a letter from his next door neighbor Pokey which reads "Come and get me, loser! Spankity spankity spankity!"
• Final Fantasy VIII is an RPG for Sony Playstation. There is a short spanking scene, a mother spanking her son for trying to take money from the main character. She scolds him, then bends him over and whacks his bottom twice, and he cries, "WAAAAH!" Later, he and his siblings/friends talk about grabbing the badguy and giving him a great big spanking.
• Leisure Suit Larry features a spanking scene.
• God Hand (Playstation 2) allows the player to OTK spank non-player characters. This short film advertising the "God Hand" videogame shows a live action dramatization of the in game spanking. Further information about this game can be found here. (clip)
• Outlaw Golf is a golf game for the Xbox. The golf game features a system where players can improve your game by spanking your sexy stripper-like caddies when players earn enough tokens.
• Persona Other RPG Quotes: "Maggie's so evil! She deserves a spanking!" -Mary
• Riviera: The Promised Land (Gameboy Advance; RPG) contains a threatened spanking during the second chapter. A female vampire informs the archer girl Lina that if she's going to steal from her, she should be ready for a spanking. The player has the option of responding "You're on your own, Lina!" (losing 2 Trust and 1 Mood points) or "You're too old for that" (no change); however, regardless of choice, no spanking takes place: only the dialogue is affected. Notably, if the second option is chosen, Lina's friend and roommate, Fia, suggests it might be good for her.
• Shining in the Darkness is a video game for the Sega Genesis. This is the prequel to the Shining Force series of RPGs (system ?) noted for their cartoon-like animated style. The spanking sequence takes place roughly half way through the game, during an intermission in the game play. Pyra Myst, an elf girl who is the player's companion, encounters her mother at the tavern. Mrs. Myst is upset at Pyra because she has run away to go adventuring with the player. She grabs her daughter, holds her bent over in one arm, and begins spanking her. During her punishment, Pyra explains that she left home because the player really needed Pyra's help on his quest. Mrs. Myst asks the player to confirm this. If the answer is yes, she sets Pyra down, forgives her, and the game continues. If the answer is no, she'll continue to spank Pyra repeatedly until the player finally answers in the affirmative. No reference is made to this scene throughout the rest of the game. (image)
• Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic is an RPG for the Xbox and PC. If players create a female character in the beginning of the game, players can become romantically involved with a character named Carth. If players choose to use flirting dialogue on Carth in a certain part of the game, Carth threatens to put players over his knee.
• In Tales of Symphonia an RPG for the GameCube, there's a short scene near the beginning. Party member Raine, a schoolteacher, gives her younger brother (and the game's black mage) Genis a spanking for ducking out of class and entering a temple infested with monsters. She gives him at least two whacks and then turns to Lloyd (the player's main character) and says "You're next!" But instead of giving Lloyd a spanking, she drop-kicks him. (clip)
• In various games of the WWE Smackdown series (Shut Your Mouth, Here Come The Pain, Smackdown vs. RAW, Smackdown vs. RAW 2006, and Smackdown vs. RAW 2007), all contain a move called 'Hips Struck' in which the attacker assigned the move will place the opponent on their knee and spank him/her. In Smackdown vs. RAW and Smackdown! vs RAW 2006, there is a minigame that is centered around this move.
• In WWF Attitude for the Playstation, a created female voice option says, "I see your blisters have all popped, come here for another spanking," "I'm the discipline your mother should have been," "When I whip you ...", and another one in which she mentions spanking.

Video games that depict or reference urination

• Call of Duty Several games in the series depict the player sneaking up and killing urinating German soldiers.
• Canis Canem Edit/Bully The player is able to urinate in the school bathrooms.
• Conker's Bad Fur Day/Conker: Live and Reloaded In order to defeat fire demons, Conker must drink a large amount of alcohol and then urinate on them to put out their flames.
• In Dead Rising, players can save your game by urinating in a urinal.
• Duke Nukem 3D allows use of the urinals and toilets in the game.
• Fahrenheit At various points urination can be used to relax player characters.
• Final Fantasy IX features a scene in which Zidane and Vivi indulge in some "male-bonding" involving urination. The caption "tinkle-tinkle" appears, and Zidane remarks that it feels good to "let yourself go under the stars".
• Several of the Leisure Suit Larry games (including the most recent, Magna Cum Laude) feature the ability to both urinate (usually in bathrooms, sometimes in other places as well) and defecate (only in bathrooms).
• GUN Occaisonally you can find people urinating behind or by the side of buildings in Dodge City.
• In Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor: Underground, the enemies can often be seen in the position of urination, however no traces of urine itself can be seen. Also in Medal of Honor: Frontline, if the player comes by a toilet, a flushing sound can be heard and when the door is opened the player is encountered by an enemy.
• In Metal Gear Solid, Hal Emmerich (Otacon) wets his pants when Solid Snake enters his laboratory, frightened that he will be killed.
• In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, there is a guard urinating off of a building, leaving him vulnerable for a kill. You can actually stand under the stream and watch it come down on you in first person view.
• Okami During fighting the player may urinate on enemies, and be rewarded with rare Demon Teeth.
• In Overlord, one can send ones minions over beer mugs, whereafter the minion becomes intoxicated, turns away from the camera, and urinates.
• Postal² The player is able to urinate on anything in the game.
• Primal Rage In this fighting game one of the character's "Fatality" involves him urinating on his enemy, dissolving him to the bones.
• Redneck Rampage players can urinate or defecate in toilets for health benefits, or "take a quick pee" anywhere for a smaller health boost at any time, once a level.
• Resident Evil 4 In the intro of the game one of the Eurpeon Police Officers stops the SUV and gets out to urinate.
• Scarface: The World Is Yours The player can urinate in garbage disposals to recover his health.
• Soldier of Fortune first mission, when creeping into the subway toilets a guard is seen urinating against the wall, it is possible to shoot his penis off whilst in the act of urinating, this was used to showcase the game's damage engine.
• In South Park, players can urinate on snowballs and use them as weapons.
• Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without A Pulse At one point the player urinates into the water supply for the city of Punchbowl.
• The Haunting Starring Polterguy features two children (a male and a female) who wet their pants when Polterguy scares them.

Other

• Dead Rising (players can drink wine to restore their health)
• Donkey Kong 64 (the "DK Rap" says "One hell of a guy!" despite the ESRB rating, though it was changed in future games, such as Donkey Konga and Super Smash Brothers Melee to "One heck of a guy!")
• Firebug (goal is to burn down a building)
• GUN (players can drink alcohol to recover their health)
• Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Religious Recruiting game with prayer and worship based on the Left Behind Book series.
• Scarface: The World Is Yours (the player character can recover his health by killing an amount of enemies in "rage mode")
• The Warriors (Violence and drug use to refill the player's health.)
• Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Grinding on a stone hand to make it show the finger gesture; character Eric Sparrow wets his pants when he is scared by Bam Margera, who has a chainsaw and is wearing a mask.)

See also

• First Amendment to the United States Constitution
• Game addiction
• Greek electronic game ban
• List of banned computer and video games
• Media controversy (disambiguation page)
• Media influence
• Moral panic
• Nanny state
• Video games censored by Nintendo of America

External links

• growFolio February 2006 issue (PDF) Features prominent article on the video game controversy
• Video Game Voters Network - Take action to stop government regulation of video game sales.
• Does Media Cause Violent Behavior? - (WomenGamers.Com)
• Sexual Assault in Games - (WomenGamers.Com)
• Healthy Hobby or Addiction? - (WomenGamers.Com)
• GamePolitics.com - "Where Politics and Video Games Collide"

External links used as references for list of video games considered controversial

• Sexual Moments in Video Game History from I-Mockery
• Spanking in computer and video games
• The Haunting, house 1 - reference for urination in this game
• When Two Tribes Go to War: a History of Video Game Controversy
• Games Censorship Collection Australian site covering the early years of games censorship.
• Refused-Classification.com Australian database of banned and controversial games.
• The Melon Farners UK anti-censorship site.

Rating systems

• Entertainment Software Rating Board official Web site
• Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand) New Zealand games classification.
• Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia) Australian games classification.

Legislation

• Office of the Governor of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm Signs New Laws to Protect Chldren from Violent and Sexually Explicit Video Games
• Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association - Includes tracking of video game legislation.
• GamePolitics.com Video Game Legislation Tracker

Viewpoints of the video game controversy

Proponents of video game censorship

• Children 'made more aggressive by video games' (Times Online) - Nonreligious angle
• Common Sense Media - Nonreligious angle

Proponents of video game caution, but not censorship

• Al Menconi Ministries - Religious angle
• Christian Spotlight's Guide to Games - Religious angle

Neutral

• When Two Tribes Go to War: A History of Video Game Controversy
• "Virtual reality" The Guardian on the question whether video games can lead to violence (March 15, 2005)
• Playing a "Good" Game: A Philosophical Approach to Understanding the Morality of Games
• [14] A 26 page report on The Video Game Controversy
• A Brief History of Video Game Controversy
• Media Awareness Canada

Opponents of video game censorship

• Thesis X, Session 1: Hate and Appeal
• National Coalition Against Censorship - Video Game Players Mysteriously Avoid Killing Selves and Others
• Nintendo Gamer Coalition - Banning of Video Games
• The Free Expression Policy Project
• BBC News: Blaming the Dark Side of Gaming
• Buzzcut.com: Video Game Theory and Criticism
• A Game Is Just a Game: Should Society Oppose Violent Video Games?
• Youth Free Expression Network
• Gamers' Alliance Against Censorship
• Free Expression Network - Censorship - Video Games
• ABFFE: Violence in the Media Joint Statement
• Violent Video Games Do Not Cause Aggression
• Indepth report from The Economist about the social impact of video games
• Pop Culture Pariah
• Citizens Against Personal Censorship
• Fighting For Our Games
• PBS - The Video Game Revolution: "Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked"
• Video Game Censorship Support?
• The Truth About Violent Youth and Video Games
• The Onion violent video game parody
• Software Reality parody of arguments sometimes made against violent video games