Mature Games and Mature Gamers
James Cain
Whether you’re a loyal fan of video games or simply familiar with them, you most likely
know or are familiar with the excitement that spreads from coast to coast when a new game
prepares to hit the market. Lines form in front of Wal-Marts and GameStops, commercials for
the game are shown on multiple TV channels, and many new cardboard displays are set up in
stores. Some impatient gamers will even download hacks to their computers, allowing them to
play a foreign version of the game before it’s released in their country. Exactly what type of
crowd this new game will attract depends on what the new game has on the front of its box: the
rating given to it by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Or does it?
Virtually every game is rated by the ESRB, a self-monitoring panel with a tiered rating
system (E, E+10, T, M, and AO). How does a game earn a specific rating? The reasons behind
an individual game’s rating depend largely on its content, ranging from comic mischief and
crude humor to violence and sexual content, all with varying levels of frequency and intensity in
the game. Similarly, the reasons that the maker (or makers) of a game have for including such
content are just as numerous; it may be an attempt to shock or frighten players (as in horror
games), to give the game a more realistic look and feel, or simply to appeal to players who are
used to and can handle (and may even enjoy) unpleasant content in general. Factors such as
these have gradually made M-rated games less frowned upon and more widely accepted among
gamers of many different types. This poses an important question: are these games a passing
fad, or has society as a whole developed a dangerous indifference toward them?
The video game industry, now on the same financial level with the movie industry, has
experienced an exponential growth in the past twenty years, in terms of quality, variety, and
overall popularity. Over time, it has attracted more and more customers of different ages,
including many who have never played a single game. This incredible evolution carries with it
many new benefits, as well as many new dangers. The benefits include more connection
between distant game lovers, new creative possibilities provided by user-generated content, and
more fun and interactive ways to learn new skills, from cooking to speaking French. The
dangers, which have become more obvious in recent years, can be summarized as follows: an
increase in violence, profanity, and addiction, both in games and in reality. Today the
development of new technology has pushed these dangers to an unsettling new level.
An overexposure to certain levels of violence, which is now much more rampant through
violent games, has had apparent psychological effects on those who have experienced it.
Similarly, the issue of profanity – both profane language and profane actions – has made its way
into games of all kinds, depriving them of appeal and overall value to many different audiences.
Finally, the widespread issue of gambling has been perpetuated to the point that real money is
spent on virtual, immaterial items – this sort of addiction, along with many others, has been
heightened and spread to gamers of many different ages through the inclusion of addictive and
addiction-related content. Needless to say, the use of adult content in video games has
introduced a sufficient number of new societal problems, as well as worsening existing ones, to
bring about serious concern for the gaming industry and, most importantly, its consumers.
The origins of adult content in games are not easily pinpointed, but a few notable games
may serve as beginning points in the “evolution” of this content. The first game to receive much
attention for its content was the stand-up arcade game Death Race, released by Exidy in the
United States in 1976. In this pixelated game, one or two players used a steering wheel and an
acceleration pedal to control a car (two cars if there were two players), and attempted to hit as
many fleeing “gremlins” as possible. Every gremlin that was hit would scream or squeal and be
replaced by a tombstone, which the player (or players) would have to avoid colliding with.
Despite the fact that its graphics were far from realistic, as well as Exidy president Pete
Kaufman’s denial that the game was intended to promote violence, a major result of this game’s
release was a nationwide campaign against game violence. The National Safety Council called it
“sick and morbid”, and it was rated #1 on many “Most Controversial Games” lists.
One game alone, however, was not enough to merit a ratings system for games. It wasn’t
until 1993, when Midway’s bloody arcade game Mortal Kombat and Sega’s lesser known
survival horror game Night Trap caught the attention of gamers and game critics, that the fight
against virtual violence became a large-scale battle. The U. S. government joined the fray when,
in a Senate hearing led by Senator Joe Lieberman, federal video game regulations were proposed.
In response to the proposal, toy stores pulled Night Trap from their shelves in an effort to prevent
such regulations from being enforced. The stir caused by these games was the same spark that
fueled the founding of the ESRB in 1984, which has tracked sexual and violent content in games
ever since, helping gamers to make better decisions about which games will be more likely to
entertain and less likely to contain offensive content.
In a more recent case, the U. S. Supreme Court became involved in the video game
industry for the first time: on April 26, 2010, the Court announced that it would rule on the
constitutionality of a California law passed in 2005, whose goal was to ban the sale of violent
video games to minors – a law that had been ignored in lower courts. However, a ruling by the
Court in 2011 (Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association/Entertainment Software
Association) found that video games are a constitutionally-protected form of expression, and that
laws that restrict the sale or rental of a game based on its content are unconstitutional. For this
reason, the ESRB has allowed retailers to follow their own specific policies in regards to the sale
or rental of computer and video games rated M or AO to customers under the age of 17 or 18
years (in the United States and Canada, respectively). Through the efforts of the ESRB Retail
Council (ERC) to educate major video game retailers about these games, as well as the strong
commitment on the part of the retailers, retail stores have greatly improved their adherence to
their store policies – an estimated 80% of retailers voluntarily refuse to sell M-rated and AOrated games to minors, and require identification from customers before selling them.
Despite the efforts made by many to keep the spread of adult content through the game
industry contained, a short observation of the evolution of video games in the past 20 years
(including the most popular games played today) provides clear examples of failure in the war
waged against virtual violence and sexual content, even by legislators. Games as early as those
made for the Atari 2600 depicted blood and gore, strong sexual content, and even rape. The
release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo’s first console to include ESRB
ratings for its games, brought about only 4 that were rated M (including sequels to Mortal
Kombat). However, when this console’s successor, the Nintendo 64, was released, 28 of its
games were rated M. When the next system in the line, the Nintendo Gamecube, was introduced,
the number swelled to 46. The games created for Sega’s consoles follow a similar pattern, with
3 M-rated games for the Sega Genesis, 18 for the Sega Saturn, and 35 for the Sega Dreamcast. A
direct correlation between the advancement of technology and the amount of adult content
present in new games can be inferred from these examples.
This relationship is not surprising – the availability of better technology has given game
developers everywhere the opportunity to bring the graphics, physics, sounds, and many other
factors of their games to amazing new levels. Examples of this can be found in many of the most
popular games and consoles: the Playstation Vita and Nintendo DS and DSi feature threedimensional graphics on handheld consoles, as well as many new forms of interactivity
(including microphones, cameras, and touch screens), the music for many newly-released games
has been recorded by a complete orchestra, and the graphics and animation for the Xbox 360’s
games have become stunningly realistic (to say nothing of its controller-free controls). These
new tools have been used for many new purposes, some enjoyable, others objectionable. Like
every game-maker, the makers of M-rated games are undoubtedly drawn to the latest innovations
they can get their hands on, and will use it to improve as much of their games’ content as they
possibly can – even when this includes adult content. As one can observe simply by walking
into a game retail store, M-rated games have now been improved to the point that their quality is
judged before their content, resulting in an enormous gain of popularity and advertisement.
Obviously, adult content itself came about long before the invention of video games,
which leads to an important question: what differences does an M-rated game have from an Rrated movie or a show with a “TV-MA” rating? At first glance, their content appears to be very
similar, but a few significant distinctions can be made between them, especially when
considering how an audience will experience them. The first is the addition of interactivity to
video games, which may intensify (and in many cases worsen) the unpleasant experiences
brought on by adult material. For example, in a movie based around World War II containing a
violent battle scene, the audience is simply required to watch the bloodshed that takes place; if
this same scene is part of a video game, on the other hand, the audience (composed of one or
more players), would be required to “join” the battle, dealing mortal damage to others in the
game by whatever means possible, in addition to viewing the results of these actions. In some
cases, they may be forced to perform an action that they would strongly oppose in a real-life
situation before they can progress through the game’s plot.
This leads to a second difference: in some games certain parts, such as a level, a task, or a
cutscene, must be repeated multiple times in order to proceed. For example, a disturbing
cutscene (such as a brutal murder committed by an enemy) may be shown at the beginning of a
boss battle – if this boss will be encountered and defeated multiple times in the game, then the
cutscene must be viewed every one of these times, unless it can be skipped. On top of this, if the
boss takes multiple attempts (or lives) to successfully defeat, the scene may be repeated then as
well. This sort of repetition can not only wear out a player’s commitment and patience – it can
also make certain parts of the game harder for a player to forget, even after the game is has been
played. This can be especially discomforting if they disgust or frighten the player.
The third difference is the fact that, in most games, the majority of the game’s segments
cannot be skipped, and must be played through (or waited through) in order to reach the end (or
an end) of the game. Unlike a movie, a game generally cannot be fast-forwarded through,
forcing players to endure unpleasant content (including adult content) for long periods before
being able to move on in the game. In some cases, the only options a player has is to either find
some way to “filter out” this content (such as by muting the game’s sound or looking away from
the screen) or simply stop playing the game entirely. A good example of this is the game
Shadow the Hedgehog, which will provide entertainment for fans of Sonic the Hedgehog games,
but will also offend gamers who don’t approve of language. These unique qualities of video
games can either bring on more exciting experiences or more unfortunate experiences than other
forms of entertainment, depending on what content has been included or excluded.
Aside from being a pestilence to many gamers, adult content has introduced a number of
societal problems for both gamers and non-gamers. As stated before, there are three specific
problems that represent the impact of M-rated games on those who play them: violence,
profanity, and addiction. While the correlation between levels of violence in video games and
the aggressiveness of players is still debated, evidence for it has been found in many different
cases. In a study at the University of Missouri, a sample of gamers was split into two groups;
one group played a game considered to be violent (such as “Call of Duty”), while the other
played a non-violent game. Afterward, each gamer was shown a serious of violent images, such
as someone receiving a hard blow to the face, and their reactions upon seeing them were
recorded. The group who played the violent game was less responsive overall, and those who
had already been exposed to violent games were also less responsive, even if they’d played the
non-violent one. These results suggested that their brains had become less responsive to
violence after playing these games.
The inclusion of profanity in video games has had a less dangerous impact on gamers in
general, but has nonetheless subtracted from the appeal and entertainment value of many
otherwise enjoyable games. An example is the first game to use a guitar-shaped controller:
Guitar Hero. From its beginning, this game has experienced a rapid growth in popularity and
reinvention; it now can be played on many different consoles, includes many styles of guitar
music, and has been followed by many sequels, including DJ Hero, which uses a DJ-style
turntable device as input instead of a guitar. Unfortunately, due to the inclusion of language and
suggestive themes in the game’s playable songs, every game in the Guitar Hero series has been
given a rating of T for Teen. Because of this, a potential audience – those who discriminate
against this sort of music – has been lost for this game, and those who play it must go through
the lyrics of each song every time they play them. However, the popularity and creativity of
these games will become attractive factors for many gamers, presenting them with the
challenging decision to either buy and play the games and accept the bad with the good, or
sacrificing playing them in order to avoid exposing themselves to indecent content.
An overexposure to either of these two problems can lead to what is perhaps one of the
worst problems caused by M-rated games: addiction. For most game developers, the aim of their
products is not to create any harmful sort of addiction, but a gamer can easily develop one or
many addictions nonetheless. For example, many different kinds of games include some form of
simulated gambling, in which virtual money (coins, rupees, etc.) can be spent in an attempt to
win more, which does not always occur. While this poses no risk of losing money, gamers who
have developed an addiction to gambling may need to take precautions in case they run into a
game that involves simulated gambling, even if it doesn’t initially seem like this sort of game
(such as the game New Super Mario Bros.). Games that involve actual gambling (using real
money) provide an even worse danger for this sort of gamer, but games of this sort are luckily
very rare – most can only be found on websites, such as Slotland.com.
In the case of M-rated games, addictions of an even more dangerous nature can be
formed: addictions to violence, alcohol, drugs, and/or sexual content. With the release of games
that include this sort of content, it can become further ingrained in a player’s mind and
personality as he or she repeatedly plays through one of these games, or through the parts of the
game that push this content to the highest level of intensity. Even worse are games that mix
these elements together, which may perpetuate multiple addictions at once, and possibly even
form new ones. Not only can this result in an unhealthy amount of time spent playing a game; it
can sometimes skew a player’s view of reality in dangerous ways.
Taking these facts about M-rated games into consideration, how ethically sound is it to
legally purchase, play, or make a game with this rating? The purchase of an M-rated game is not
unethical and is generally a harmless decision, but if you own one or know someone who does,
should you play it? Given the unhealthy effects of overindulging in adult content, it makes the
most sense to treat the game like an alcoholic beverage – play it in moderation (setting a time
limit on how long you play it), and keep a close watch on how it affects your mood. This
strategy, in fact, would be beneficial for a game with any rating, but ignoring either your game
time or your mood could have much more serious consequences in the case of an M-rated game.
A careful weighing of the benefits and risks of playing it would also be helpful in deciding how
long to expose yourself to the content that contributes to the game’s rating.
On the other hand, creating, or assisting in the creation of, a game that includes adult
content is in an entirely separate situation. Considering the negative mental or emotional effects
that the finished game may have on its players, it stands to reason that the release of this game
into the public market is immoral and inconsiderate. Even if a single factor is what earns the
game an “M” rating, the product has been changed from a fun, entertaining experience to a
controversial item whose entertainment has been masked by adult content, which will attract a
smaller audience than it otherwise could have. This could also be seen as an abuse of talent and
education on the part of the writers, artists, and programmers who contributed to the separate
elements of the game – their skills could have been used in a much more resourceful way.
An argument that has been made for adult content is that it’s sometimes necessary to
convey the storyline of a game. While there are cases where it must be included in order to add
certain details to a story or to make it more realistic, it’s rarely ever worth the risks that are
associated with fitting it into the details of a video game. For example, the description of a
violent encounter, as in a book, is generally much easier to stomach than an animated cutscene or
an interactive battle. In cases like this, it may be more sensible to tell the storyline using words
and/or voices rather than pictures or animated characters, so that a larger number of gamers will
be able to enjoy it. If this isn’t possible, chances are that the story (and the game’s storyline)
wouldn’t have been worth telling in the first place.
In conclusion, the adage “you reap what you sow” fits the world of video games very
well – if you sow a creative game, you’ll reap excitement from customers who are eager to
experiment with the different possibilities you’ve provided for them; if you sow a destructive
game, you’ll reap anger and violence between players as they seek out and destroy one another.
If you sow a game with a poignant and meaningful storyline, you’ll reap many customers who
appreciate and relate to it. If you sow a game with more action and vulgarity than plot, you’ll
reap a small sector of gamers that enjoy it and a large number of offended customers. In short, if
your goal is to succeed in overall popularity (or even the byproduct of wealth), your best bet is to
create the sort of game that you would enjoy playing, and that you can imagine gamers enjoying
as well. Perhaps the one advantage of M-rated games is that they serve as a test of maturity; the
“mature” gamers are the ones who stay away from them.
Works Cited
www.esrb.org
www.gamefaqs.com
www.mobygames.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Race_(video_game)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atari_2600_games
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1985999,00.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525151059.htm