Mass Effect is Pornographic, Apparently

[Loki[D.d.G]]

Originally Posted by BuckGB

Yes there will be many snickers that I decided to bring this issue up in the Presidential cycle of 2008 but how refreshing would it be for a President to prove to the nation that his own manhood was not in question and put his pen and signature to a bill that dealt with such simulated sex excess in a way that was punitive to its creators to such a degree that they would never recover from it?

Simulated sex excess? Oh Gods how ignorant can these guys be... The internet is already full of pornographic material and all they want to gripe about is simulated sex.

Originally Posted by Kipi

It sounds like the author is making Mass Effect number one enemy of USA, even above the terrorism...

Bah, just another aide trying to find new reasons for people to vote for his boss.

[Brother None]

I think we should petition BioWare to name the sequel to this game
Mass Effect 2: Sodomize Anyone, Anywhere

Originally Posted by fable

Guys, are you even trying the link I provided?

The group that's claiming this is notorious for its wingnut fundie agenda.

Yes, we know, we're just making fun of 'em.

[Loki[D.d.G]]

Originally Posted by Brother None

I think we should petition BioWare to name the sequel to this game
Mass Effect 2: Sodomize Anyone, Anywhere

Now, that'll get Bush's attention...

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by fable

Guys, are you even trying the link I provided?

The group that's claiming this is notorious for its wingnut fundie agenda. They are off-the-edge, off-the-wall, screaming, barking mad. If they didn't have a good deal of money and press thanks to a few hghly placed members, nobody would even report them, except for a laugh. As it is, their only power lies in fearmongering, which is what the wingnuts do so well.

Don't ask why they do it, or what makes sense. None of it makes any sense. Nothing they ever do does. They sow hate, and they want everybody to do whatever they say. Let it go at that.

Except that it doesn't mean this is a unique case by far. We've seen similar things way to often, some reaching the mainstream media and societies having IMO ridiculously consequences.

It stems right back at the fear of sexual content in computer games, movies et al in some countries, which affect us all.

[fable]

Originally Posted by Xandax

It stems right back at the fear of sexual content in computer games, movies et al in some countries, which affect us all.

Not in this case, it doesn't. That was my point. The Family Research Council isn't about fear of sexual content. It's about control: setting up a governmental theocracy based upon some bizarre, distorted interpretation of the RCC, by a very small, fanatical and well-funded group of people.

[BuckGB]

Just when I thought it had blown over, we have more comedy. At least someone from Spike TV was attempting to set the uninformed straight. It's just too bad his factual information fell on deaf ears.

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by BuckGB

Just when I thought it had blown over, we have more comedy. At least someone from Spike TV was attempting to set the uninformed straight. It's just too bad his factual information fell on deaf ears.

The stupidity is stupidifying.

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by fable

Not in this case, it doesn't. That was my point. The Family Research Council isn't about fear of sexual content. It's about control: setting up a governmental theocracy based upon some bizarre, distorted interpretation of the RCC, by a very small, fanatical and well-funded group of people.

Except if they didn't have the fear of sexuality, much of the ravings would fall for much more deaf ears and get much less attention.

Thus they are using the fact that there is sexual content and the fear of it, to fuel the engine with which they can get "control". It is very much about playing on the sexual content is horrendous card. And it is nothing new, and it will not be the last time.
It stems from the society which it is based in.

[AvatarOfLight]

Originally Posted by BuckGB

Just when I thought it had blown over, we have more comedy. At least someone from Spike TV was attempting to set the uninformed straight. It's just too bad his factual information fell on deaf ears.

Just blows my mind this stuff gets on the news. I want to stop looking as it's making me angry, but I want to be involved =/

If this was about the Witcher ok, but ME? COME ON...

[fable]

Originally Posted by Xandax

Except if they didn't have the fear of sexuality, much of the ravings would fall for much more deaf ears and get much less attention.

It's been said for some time that many of Hitler's most stalwart, high-ranking followers really weren't anti-Semitic maniacs, just cynical opportunists. But whether true or not, they still gave the speeches they did, and had an enormous effect on many people of the period. My point being that whether one believes something or not doesn't necessarily have much to do with the influence one has over people, using this same issue.

There is no evidence that the Family Research Council is made up of people who fear sexuality. This may individually be true for any or all of them; but there is every evidence based on their own press statements, interviews, letters, and actions, that they urgently push an agenda favoring the Roman Catholic Church as the center of government and control of people's moral lives in all respects.

So you are welcome to believe that fear is the motivator behind their actions, but I've sees no examples of this over the last several years that they've been in the spotlight. And they make the news fairly regularly, over here.

For the rest, we're getting off subject. If you want to discuss whether the desire for sexual control implies fear of sex, we probably should take it to SYM.

[BuckGB]

EA has fired back:

As the parent company of BioWare, the studio which created the game, EA would like you to set the record straight on a number of errors and misstatements which incorrectly characterize the story and character interactions in Mass Effect.

Your headline above the televised story read: "New videogame shows full digital nudity and sex."
Fact: Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots - a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows. It's also worth noting that the game requires players to develop complex relationships before characters can become intimate and players can chose to avoid the love scenes altogether.

FNC voice-over reporter says: "You'll see full digital nudity and the ability for players to engage in graphic sex."
Fact: Sex scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic. These scenes are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time.

FNC reporter says: "Critics say Mass Effect is being marketed to kids and teenagers."
Fact: That is flat out false. Mass Effect and all related marketing has been reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and rated Mature - appropriate for players 17-years and older. ESRB routinely counsels retailers on requesting proof of age in selling M-rated titles and the system has been lauded by members of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission. In practical terms, the ratings work as well or better than those used for warning viewers about television content.

The resulting coverage was insulting to the men and women who spent years creating a game which is acclaimed by critics for its high creative standards. As video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness.

Do you watch the Fox Network? Do you watch Family Guy? Have you ever seen The OC? Do you think the sexual situations in Mass Effect are any more graphic than scenes routinely aired on those shows? Do you honestly believe that young people have more exposure to Mass Effect than to those prime time shows?

This isn't a legal threat; it's an appeal to your sense of fairness. We're asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect.

Sincerely,

Jeff Brown
Vice President of Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc.

[Brother None]

Cute, but EA should know better. Responding just validates the nonsense, it doesn't actually stop it. Good going in giving him more time in the spotlight, EA.

[Loki[D.d.G]]

Then again, EA just loves the publicity and extra hype stupid things like this generate, don't they?

[Siberys]

Originally Posted by Brother None

Cute, but EA should know better. Responding just validates the nonsense, it doesn't actually stop it. Good going in giving him more time in the spotlight, EA.

Whoa Whoa, so you're saying the best course of action was for EA to say nothing and let these pricks walk all over them?

That's giving into a HUGE amount of slander, and this isn't something you just sit back and care nothing about. Sure, if it were a review saying the game is crap, EA could ignore it, but this is a bunch of pricks saying Mass Effect is WAY way worse than it actually is, and EA clarifies why these guys are totally and completely wrong.

[Brother None]

Originally Posted by Siberys

Whoa Whoa, so you're saying the best course of action was for EA to say nothing and let these pricks walk all over them?

Walk all over them?

Seriously, a handful of blogposts and a few forum posts do not make any walk over anyone. Guess what the net effect of this stupidity has been on the sales of Mass Effect, hmmm?

Originally Posted by Siberys

That's giving into a HUGE amount of slander.

If it's slander, you sue. If you don't sue, you shut up. It's one of the most basic rules of dealing with addlecoved people.