What's with the language in some PS3 games?!

[germ79]

I recently purchased a PS3 and own Drakes' Fortune, Motorstorm, and now Assassin's Creed. I've been downloading demos to try games out and I can't believe the language that is used in some of these games. Some of these games use more bad language in the opening sequence than I have heard in a year! Maybe I'm just an old man at 28, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I don't mind an occasional word here and there, but I can't hardly play these games that have it throughout. It's almost like they go out of their way to put them in the game. Anyone else notice this?

I purchased Assassin's Creed, but haven't opened it yet. I noticed last night that it says "Strong Language" on the back. How strong is "strong?" I don't know what to expect and would rather not open it until I know it isn't going to be chocked full of F-this and G-- d-mn that. Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much!
Jeremy

[u_nick]

Yeah, it's an awkward time because people are starting to realize gaming has a very large adult fanbase. SOme people work with it, some dont. Some try to make a nice mix of stuff that can work for both children and adults, and some like to go overboard.

Developers are people just like anyone out there in the public. I imagine some of them are simply fans of certain things, lets say movies like scarface or pulp fiction. If they want to work something they love into their own project, language is going to be one of those things that comes through in their storytelling.

So yeah, a very bizarre time right now. We're going to be seeing a lot of it in places, a little in other places, and none in some places. Its just finding that spot that you are comfortable with.

[khainne]

why not complain about shooting people in the brain with a pistol, or shoving a rusty shank between someone's ribs?

I think it's just par for the course in these teen and mature rated games.

[Count Zero]

Originally Posted by khainne

why not complain about shooting people in the brain with a pistol, or shoving a rusty shank between someone's ribs?

I think it's just par for the course in these teen and mature rated games.

I agree. These games have ratings on them for a reason. If you are playing a game where the goal is to murder people in cold blood, then why is some "bad" language even an issue?

[Guinness7]

It seems like for younger people the more blood and bad language the better the game sells so they are putting more of it into games.

[Rheologuy]

Let's call a spade a spade. It's about money and what sells. And it's about the accelerating downward trend in our culture. To illustrate, how much profanity/obscenity was in Beatles' songs? What sells today?--the opposite: extreme violence, horror, offensive language. The more shock value the better. That's it in a nutshell. There's no creativity or 'artistic vision' in it-- they simply know the more degrading it is, the bigger commercial success it will be, whether movies, music, games or TV.

[silypete]

if the language offends you, read the back of the case before buying. They tell you what it is rated and why, just like movies.

[SavagePotato]

Originally Posted by germ79

I recently purchased a PS3 and own Drakes' Fortune, Motorstorm, and now Assassin's Creed. I've been downloading demos to try games out and I can't believe the language that is used in some of these games. Some of these games use more bad language in the opening sequence than I have heard in a year! Maybe I'm just an old man at 28, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I don't mind an occasional word here and there, but I can't hardly play these games that have it throughout. It's almost like they go out of their way to put them in the game. Anyone else notice this?

I purchased Assassin's Creed, but haven't opened it yet. I noticed last night that it says "Strong Language" on the back. How strong is "strong?" I don't know what to expect and would rather not open it until I know it isn't going to be chocked full of F-this and G-- d-mn that. Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much!
Jeremy

Would you rather have a cutthroat pirate shooting an ak47 at you and yelling "severely wound or harm that mother fudrucker" in uncharted?

If you are going to be brutaly murdering 2 or 300 people with assault weapons I don't thing a swear or two is going to break the camels back.

[Xboxbydegrees]

If you don't want to hear bad language then don't play M rated games.

[germ79]

Originally Posted by khainne

why not complain about shooting people in the brain with a pistol, or shoving a rusty shank between someone's ribs?

I think it's just par for the course in these teen and mature rated games.

I'm not so much complaining about it as I am just shocked. If a game is too violent or vulgar, I don't play it.

It's funny because I grew up on Mortal Kombat and Golden Eye, etc... and that didn't bother me. I'm not sure why the shooting doesn't bother me in these games today (I'M DESENSITIZED!!) but the language just irritates me.

Maybe this is all because I have kids and am just more conscious of these things. Granted, my kids never even SEE these game, let alone hear what they say.

I don't know, I just wondered how everyone else felt about it.

J

[Blu As Hell]

Originally Posted by germ79

I recently purchased a PS3 and own Drakes' Fortune, Motorstorm, and now Assassin's Creed. I've been downloading demos to try games out and I can't believe the language that is used in some of these games. Some of these games use more bad language in the opening sequence than I have heard in a year! Maybe I'm just an old man at 28, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I don't mind an occasional word here and there, but I can't hardly play these games that have it throughout. It's almost like they go out of their way to put them in the game. Anyone else notice this?

I purchased Assassin's Creed, but haven't opened it yet. I noticed last night that it says "Strong Language" on the back. How strong is "strong?" I don't know what to expect and would rather not open it until I know it isn't going to be chocked full of F-this and G-- d-mn that. Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much!
Jeremy

The reason for the increase in "foul" language and violence in video games is that the demographic for videogames is vastly different now than it was 10-15 years ago. At that time console based videogames were still more or less a "kid" market. As we kids who bought those games became older we still bought videogames and the companies realized that most adults don't want to play "kiddie" games for the rest of their lives so that's when they started ramping up the "Teen" and "Mature" rated games. When I was working at Target in the electronics department, I really tried to help parents, who were buying videogames for their children, realize that they were under the impression that videogames were still a "kid" friendly industry. These people were thinking "Oh I played videogames as a kid, and they weren't so bad." and they were buying "Grand Theft Auto" for their eleven year old.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by Rheologuy

Let's call a spade a spade. It's about money and what sells. And it's about the accelerating downward trend in our culture. To illustrate, how much profanity/obscenity was in Beatles' songs? What sells today?--the opposite: extreme violence, horror, offensive language. The more shock value the better. That's it in a nutshell. There's no creativity or 'artistic vision' in it-- they simply know the more degrading it is, the bigger commercial success it will be, whether movies, music, games or TV.

I think people's craving for what's taboo (violence, blood, horror, sex, offensive language) has AWAYS sold. What's changed is our appetite for it, which begets greater availability and exploitation of our basest desires.

I have 3 kids and we specifically live in a small town and keep a careful eye on their friends, entertainment and life choices just so, perhaps hoping against hope, m wife and I will be able to turn them into fine citizens before the world grabs ahold of their attention for good.

All that aside, check the ratings on the box. I don't let my kids play any games rated T or higher. But that's just my $0.02.

[Branden]

i gotta agree with you germ79. the amount of violence, language, and sexual content in some games goes overboard; it bugs me too. peoples' standards have been lessened. it used to take storylines and character development and strategy to make a game good, now all it takes (for a lot of people) is a button-masher with shock value; developers are just doing what they have to to appeal to these mouth-breathers.

[Moefiz]

First off games aren't what they used to be when you grew up on DK and Mario Bros.
I am in the middle of Ressistance right now and it does have foul language but you are also shooting aliens in the head at close range and blood is everywhere.I also have 2 six year old boys and I don't play it in front of them because of the language and the violence.

Its simple games are made for a wide range of people adult and kids it up to you to decide what to buy and play.
I have downloaded Rachet and Clank and they can play that 1 level better than me.
I understand where you are coming from when you have kids around and they just come in at the wrong time.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Let's not "kid" ourselves. Younger kids play these games as well and most of them hear this stuff a lot more often than you think. If they are good kids it doesn't corrupt them. You have to have a little faith in the kids themselves.

Also, to those who think everything is getting so shocking these days ....

Well let's see, the Greeks & Romans a couple thousand years ago used to gourge themselves sick and purge themselves in a little place called the vomitorium, then they'd repeat the process. Then after that the guys would use all that energy in massive orgies where they'd bang each other and underage boys for hours. They'd go home and have their slaves massage them to sleep.

Yeah 2008 is so shocking. Things go in cycles. Get over it.

[Moefiz]

Blu-Ray buckeye.....you just made my day with that post....

[germ79]

I appreciate all of your comments.

I think it really does come down to the fact that I am more sensitive to it because of my kids. A agree with you guys that said you don't let your kids watch you play. I have 2 two-year olds and they NEVER see me play any games with shooting or gore or bad language. They have seen Ratchet and Clank but that is about it! Granted, I have only played PS3 games for about a total of 2 hours because of those two-year olds!

So, the language warning... Drake's Fortune says "Language" and is not too bad. Assassin's Creed says, "Strong Language." What does that mean? How do I find out what they will let fly in a game rated as "Strong Language?" Is there a chart somewhere or something?

Thanks again!

J

[adonischarming]

Originally Posted by germ79

I recently purchased a PS3 and own Drakes' Fortune, Motorstorm, and now Assassin's Creed. I've been downloading demos to try games out and I can't believe the language that is used in some of these games. Some of these games use more bad language in the opening sequence than I have heard in a year! Maybe I'm just an old man at 28, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I don't mind an occasional word here and there, but I can't hardly play these games that have it throughout. It's almost like they go out of their way to put them in the game. Anyone else notice this?

I purchased Assassin's Creed, but haven't opened it yet. I noticed last night that it says "Strong Language" on the back. How strong is "strong?" I don't know what to expect and would rather not open it until I know it isn't going to be chocked full of F-this and G-- d-mn that. Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much!
Jeremy

I just cant wait for some T&A in my games.

[adonischarming]

Originally Posted by germ79

I recently purchased a PS3 and own Drakes' Fortune, Motorstorm, and now Assassin's Creed. I've been downloading demos to try games out and I can't believe the language that is used in some of these games. Some of these games use more bad language in the opening sequence than I have heard in a year! Maybe I'm just an old man at 28, but I think it sounds ridiculous. I don't mind an occasional word here and there, but I can't hardly play these games that have it throughout. It's almost like they go out of their way to put them in the game. Anyone else notice this?

I purchased Assassin's Creed, but haven't opened it yet. I noticed last night that it says "Strong Language" on the back. How strong is "strong?" I don't know what to expect and would rather not open it until I know it isn't going to be chocked full of F-this and G-- d-mn that. Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks so much!
Jeremy

Assassins has no other words but Damn, and light words, because you are in the Holyland in ancient times ofcoarse. Play it up

[Verbal]

Originally Posted by Branden

i gotta agree with you germ79. the amount of violence, language, and sexual content in some games goes overboard; it bugs me too. peoples' standards have been lessened. it used to take storylines and character development and strategy to make a game good, now all it takes (for a lot of people) is a button-masher with shock value; developers are just doing what they have to to appeal to these mouth-breathers.

Yeah..because if there's one complaint I keep hearing about both Assassin's Creed and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune it's that they're thin on strategy, story and character development.

I mean, that's what made Bubble Bobble such a huge hit in the 80s: the thrilling, twisting plot and fully-formed characters.