Rated M and AO Games, Will we be seeing more as digital distribution becomes more popular?

By dfalken on November 13, 2009 12:25:05 PM from

There are a lot of people with firm beliefs on mature/adult content in games. Thus far, there haven't been a lot of titles with such content for fear of losing sales because outlet stores won't put them on the shelves. In my opinion, the outlet store is going to become a minor player in gaming sales if digital distribution continues to increase in popularity. What could this mean for game developers who would like to target an older consumer?

I'm of a mind that there is a place for games with more mature content/themes. Being an RPG fan, I'd appreciate the opportunity to play such if well done by devs capable of producing quality products. This country (USA) isn't the worst, but I think it's still far to conservative when it comes to this type of thing. Especially in the video games industry.

I'd be curious to hear what other members of the Impulse community have to say on the issue. Pro or con, please post what you think about rated M and rated AO games, and whether you think digital distribution might do to change the number of titles with these ratings.

+4 Karma | 66 Replies

Quoting Aractain,

reply 48

This debate, so old. Never ends.

I totaly agree that people should have a right to choose to not see whatever it is that upsets them. They have a right not to be forced into hearing swearing within reason (free speach n all). They have a right to not be forced to view sex or gore or mixed race marriage. They have a right to never speak to forgien people if they wish. I totaly support that right.

But they should have NO right to stop ME from talking to other races of people, watching sex or playing games rated N for "No sex please, we're brittish (but killin's fine)".

What the hell does interracial marriages have to do with this?

Quoting Nesrie,

reply 50

It's rather odd that you would lump interracial marriage with sex and gore in media.

Odd in the way most look at these things. My view point revoles around one central idea; "Why do they want to stop others doing something?" "Because they don't like it." I hate that kind of thinking, thats all. Maybe thats a simplistic view but I find this to be the most logical.

If it helps just ignore the bits in my post that were weird. My point is still the same - "don't you insult and degrade people by takeing away thier right to choose for themselves".

Quoting Aractain,

reply 52

"don't you insult and degrade people by taking away their right to choose for themselves".

Amen to that. Too often, society, in it's high and morally right self, takes it upon it's-self to govern what it thinks is best for everyone. We are all different. We all have different tastes, wants, and desires. We are not copies of each other. It should always be upon each individual to decide what is best for them and society and what it wants should have no bearing on that provided what the individual does hurts no-one but themselves. I myself am for the legalization of All drugs. Why? Because the stupid weak willed people will run out and over-dose on crack and meth and everything else because they have no self control. Meanwhile all of us who know how to party responsibly and act like adults could do what we want without the fear of being thrown in jail for the rest of forever just because we like to smoke a joint instead of getting stupid drunk.

Sorry to get off topic.

Well because of free speech, there is no actual law against bigots, but I have no issues with society trying to weed those bastards out and giving them a good whatfor. There is a HUGE difference between forcing people to accept the fact that interracial marriage is a right vs. encountering sex and gore in your choice of media as something you can choose to avoid without actually forcing your own views on someone else.... thus the rating system.

Quoting Charvel1,

reply 31

I'm not saying that the USA is not conservative or that there are no conservative values in America. You totally passed over my point. The OP said that the USA seems to be more conservative than MOST other countries in the VIDEO GAMES MARKET. I was saying that's just absolutely not true. Please tell me of a (non-porn) game that sold in other countries but never sold here in the USA.

AFAIK mass effect was sold cut in the US. One thing when you are talking about video games (and movies as well) is self censorship though. Most games companies produce games that are aimed mainly at the US (largest single market). This means that they are trying to avoid things that might hurt sales in the US, sexual content probably being the number 1 thing to avoid if you do not want to risk not being able to sell your product at Walmart for example.

Just look at the Elder Scrolls series. In Daggerfall you had quite some sexual references (besides some pixelated naked men/women). Nothing explicit but it made the world much more believable. In Morrowind they started to tone down these references and in Oblivion you'll have to look very closely for them. In Fallout 3 you could observe similar patterns.

Although all of these games did not have real explicit sexual content the little sexual content has been hidden so it would not hurt sales in the US.

This wasn't that much of a problem back in the 90s when games did not cost millions of dollars (therefore games like Daggerfall and Fallout could have some sexual references) but today companies won't take the risk of loosing sales in the US when they have to invest several million $.

This probably won't be changed by digital distribution. There might be a chance that small titles will have more adult content, but AAA games won't. This would fully depend on the main platforms though as they could just not sell titles that might hurt their US business.

Quoting Raven X,

reply 53

Quoting Aractain,
reply 52

"don't you insult and degrade people by taking away their right to choose for themselves".

Amen to that. Too often, society, in it's high and morally right self, takes it upon it's-self to govern what it thinks is best for everyone. We are all different. We all have different tastes, wants, and desires. We are not copies of each other. It should always be upon each individual to decide what is best for them and society and what it wants should have no bearing on that provided what the individual does hurts no-one but themselves. I myself am for the legalization of All drugs. Why? Because the stupid weak willed people will run out and over-dose on crack and meth and everything else because they have no self control. Meanwhile all of us who know how to party responsibly and act like adults could do what we want without the fear of being thrown in jail for the rest of forever just because we like to smoke a joint instead of getting stupid drunk.

Sorry to get off topic.

This is called Anarchy. Unless you are someone like the unibomber who lives in the woods by himself like a hermit you actions has a impact on others especially the youth. (Even the unibomber couldn't help be impact others with his bombs) You see in a way we are all preachers by our actions and attitude.

So the fact that so many people got a house loan that they could not possibly pay and the banks were so willingly to give me does in fact me as the last few years has shown. Notice this bad loans didn't have an effect on my life until many years later. (Bushs idea let the banks rule themselves was not a great idea after all)

The same withit comes to entertainment. I know of so many example of parents putting their entertainment over the well being of their children and see the how this effected their kids.

Thus no one lives or dies to themselves which is one reason we are govened by laws and rules the start with.

Quoting Crassmaster,

reply 49

Uhhh...recent studies have shown that the average gamer is in their 30's and married with at least one kid. Gaming is NOT 'for the children'...the politicians just act like it is to create an 'instant controvesy' issue that gets them points from the older generation (aka the ones who have never played a game) without them having to tackle a real issue.

I'm over 40 yet games are still make believe. One time I was trying to explain to someone that I was not playing kiddy games like Mario. I was describe to her a wargame when she burst my bubble and said "In another words you are playing toy soidlers just with more complicated rules than a child would play". Ouch. She was right I was playing a kid's game after all just with more rules.

Games are childish and no matter what the rating on the game naturally, children will want to play them.

Quoting Smidlee,

reply 57

Quoting Crassmaster, reply 49

Uhhh...recent studies have shown that the average gamer is in their 30's and married with at least one kid. Gaming is NOT 'for the children'...the politicians just act like it is to create an 'instant controvesy' issue that gets them points from the older generation (aka the ones who have never played a game) without them having to tackle a real issue.

I'm over 40 yet games are still make believe. One time I was trying to explain to someone that I was not playing kiddy games like Mario. I was describe to her a wargame when she burst my bubble and said "In another words you are playing toy soidlers just with more complicated rules than a child would play". Ouch. She was right I was playing a kid's game after all just with more rules.

Games are childish and no matter what the rating on the game naturally, children will want to play them.

Really Than R rated movies are no different from kid movies just with real people? Hentai is for kids because the sex is fake and drawn out instead of a real man or woman actually having it. You see my point, because that girl has a simple mindset that "Games are for kids". That's one of the reasons people point fingers towards games when it comes to violence. But if you seriously think games are for kids than let your 5 - 10 year old play rapelay, Hitomi (step mother), costum slave fantasy, and I could go on and on and on with the list.

Quoting heavenlysynn,

reply 58

Quoting Smidlee, reply 57
Quoting Crassmaster, reply 49

Uhhh...recent studies have shown that the average gamer is in their 30's and married with at least one kid. Gaming is NOT 'for the children'...the politicians just act like it is to create an 'instant controvesy' issue that gets them points from the older generation (aka the ones who have never played a game) without them having to tackle a real issue.

I'm over 40 yet games are still make believe. One time I was trying to explain to someone that I was not playing kiddy games like Mario. I was describe to her a wargame when she burst my bubble and said "In another words you are playing toy soidlers just with more complicated rules than a child would play". Ouch. She was right I was playing a kid's game after all just with more rules.

Games are childish and no matter what the rating on the game naturally, children will want to play them.
Really Than R rated movies are no different from kid movies just with real people? Hentai is for kids because the sex is fake and drawn out instead of a real man or woman actually having it. You see my point, because that girl has a simple mindset that "Games are for kids". That's one of the reasons people point fingers towards games when it comes to violence. But if you seriously think games are for kids than let your 5 - 10 year old play rapelay, Hitomi (step mother), costum slave fantasy, and I could go on and on and on with the list.

Well we know what YOU'RE into!

The diffrence between kid stuff and NOT kid stuff is exactly the increase in compliexity of rules, ideas and emotions.

Quoting Aractain,

reply 59

Quoting heavenlysynn, reply 58
Quoting Smidlee, reply 57
Quoting Crassmaster, reply 49

Uhhh...recent studies have shown that the average gamer is in their 30's and married with at least one kid. Gaming is NOT 'for the children'...the politicians just act like it is to create an 'instant controvesy' issue that gets them points from the older generation (aka the ones who have never played a game) without them having to tackle a real issue.

I'm over 40 yet games are still make believe. One time I was trying to explain to someone that I was not playing kiddy games like Mario. I was describe to her a wargame when she burst my bubble and said "In another words you are playing toy soidlers just with more complicated rules than a child would play". Ouch. She was right I was playing a kid's game after all just with more rules.

Games are childish and no matter what the rating on the game naturally, children will want to play them.
Really Than R rated movies are no different from kid movies just with real people? Hentai is for kids because the sex is fake and drawn out instead of a real man or woman actually having it. You see my point, because that girl has a simple mindset that "Games are for kids". That's one of the reasons people point fingers towards games when it comes to violence. But if you seriously think games are for kids than let your 5 - 10 year old play rapelay, Hitomi (step mother), costum slave fantasy, and I could go on and on and on with the list.

Well we know what YOU'RE into!

The diffrence between kid stuff and NOT kid stuff is exactly the increase in compliexity of rules, ideas and emotions.

It is not amatter of being into it,but instead it's simplycommon sense knowing games are not always for kids.

Quoting heavenlysynn,

reply 60

It is not amatter of being into it,but instead it's simplycommon sense knowing games are not always for kids.

QFT

It is so disappointing to see people still link kids to ALL video games. It's as if there is this disconnect between reality and what people believe. Some of the games in question aren't exactly complex to the point where an 8 year old wouldn't get it, but the material covered is beyond their maturity so this is where parents have to step in which so many refuse to do at this point. Just easier to write your rep. and bitch about how hard it is to parent and how that anger built up inside of you is going to explode if you find our neighbor enjoys something you don't.

Quoting heavenlysynn,

reply 60

It is not amatter of being into it,but instead it's simplycommon sense knowing games are not always for kids.

I was actualy jokeing there obviously. You can't be into ALL of that... How would you find the time?

The ironic thing is that most games arn't for kids at all. Even if they have a 3+ or equivlent rating. Too much effort is put into these games that simply isn't nessesary to get a 12 year old girl interested (vampires it seems ATM). The idea that you can think even most games are for children is absurd.

I don't like to genralise THAT much but I wonder if it really is true, as Nesrie is talking about, that all these "Down with entertainment!" people are simply bitter that they can't enjoy themselves as much as others do?

Quoting Aractain,

reply 62

Quoting heavenlysynn, reply 60It is not amatter of being into it,but instead it's simplycommon sense knowing games are not always for kids.

I was actualy jokeing there obviously. You can't be into ALL of that... How would you find the time?

The ironic thing is that most games arn't for kids at all. Even if they have a 3+ or equivlent rating. Too much effort is put into these games that simply isn't nessesary to get a 12 year old girl interested (vampires it seems ATM). The idea that you can think even most games are for children is absurd.

I don't like to genralise THAT much but I wonder if it really is true, as Nesrie is talking about, that all these "Down with entertainment!" people are simply bitter that they can't enjoy themselves as much as others do?

Oh my bad but I have know people who actually call some of the games I play for children. So I wasn't quite sure here, because your example threw me a curve.

I swung and I missed.

Quoting heavenlysynn,

reply 58

Really Than R rated movies are no different from kid movies just with real people?

Most movies including R rated ones are as dumb and cheesy as SpongeBob. Often they use gore,profanity and/or sex to cover up just how cheesy they really are.

Quoting Smidlee,

reply 64

Quoting heavenlysynn, reply 58

Really Than R rated movies are no different from kid movies just with real people?
Most movies including R rated ones are as dumb and cheesy as SpongeBob. Often they use gore,profanity and/or sex to cover up just how cheesy they really are.

I don't remember saying many of them were good

Quoting Smidlee,

reply 57

Quoting Crassmaster,
reply 49

Uhhh...recent studies have shown that the average gamer is in their 30's and married with at least one kid. Gaming is NOT 'for the children'...the politicians just act like it is to create an 'instant controvesy' issue that gets them points from the older generation (aka the ones who have never played a game) without them having to tackle a real issue.

I'm over 40 yet games are still make believe. One time I was trying to explain to someone that I was not playing kiddy games like Mario. I was describe to her a wargame when she burst my bubble and said "In another words you are playing toy soidlers just with more complicated rules than a child would play". Ouch. She was right I was playing a kid's game after all just with more rules.

Games are childish and no matter what the rating on the game naturally, children will want to play them.

And that's where parents come in. Parents should be the ones deciding what their kids play, just like they decide what their kids listen to and watch. It's no different. And yet it's played off as different so that political entities can score cheap points by bringing up the 'games are evil' point the same way as they used to demonize rock music as something that would basically end society.

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Rated M and AO Games, Will we be seeing more as digital distribution becomes more popular?