Recently, a piece aired on Fox News regarding sex in video games. The game in particular is Mass Effect. Fox News brought in a psychology expert and discussed how the game is geared towards adolescents and demeaning women.

EA's have since sent out a response to this controversy. In the report, EA, who now owns BioWare and the Mass Effect franchise, effectively calls out Fox News for knowing very little of the game they were talking about. In addition, they ask that Fox News do research on their topics before discussing them on TV.

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"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."

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However, what may be the proverbial kick to the groin is the following quote.

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"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?"

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It's very known that Fox News is highly conservative and is hypocritical of their slogan, "fair and balanced." but attacking something without even knowing what their attacking is shoddy journalism.

Tags : BioWare : Controversy : Cooper Lawrence : EA : electronic arts : Fox News : George Keighley : Mass Effect : Mass Effect sex scene : microsoft : Spike TV : Xbox 360

Comments

By: Dragonfly

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On: 11:07 Jan 23rd, 2008
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The ignorance of the Fox News story was one of the most laughable pieces of television trash I have seen in a while. There is so much misinformation and bullshit in that article, it's not even funny.

Lets take a look at Mass Effect's approach to it's sex scene, taking into account the fact that they actually showed the wrong clip in the news story. *laughs*

I want to look specifically at the drivel spouted by "psychology specialist" Cooper Lawrence.

Cooper Lawrence

It might be for adults, but if you look at the statistics, who is playing video games? Adolescent males not their dads!

...actually, statistics indicate that the average age of a gamer is 30, base on studies by the Entertainment Software Association, whose very job is to track this kind of information.

Cooper Lawrence

Men are seeing these woman as these objects of desire, these hot bodies. They don't show these women as being valued for anything else other than their sexuality.

Clearly, the good lady never played the game.

First of all, she ignored the fact that you can play as a woman, and can get a love scene with one of the male cast.

Secondly, there women in Mass Effect are a bit more than "objects of desire." The strongest all out attack character in the game is female; a very abrasive and frank woman who isn't all that interested in emotional attachment. The other woman is an extremely reserved and awkward, but incredibly intelligent person, dedicated to her passion for science.

The female characters in this are far more than just "hot totty". Ignorant fool.

More on that below, as I tackle my next point.

Cooper Lawrence

It's a man in this game deciding how many women he wants to be with

No, it's not. As I pointed out above, the fact that you can play as a woman and get into bed with a man is completely ignored.

More importantly, you can't decide "how many women you want to be with". Getting with either of them requires you to intentionally seek out an emotional attachment with them, and treating them with respect.

Nor can you get with both of them. Attempting to do so will cause the obvious repercussions; bitterness, resentment and jealously, and can actually lead to you getting with neither of them.

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The funniest part is where Mrs. Lawrence actually admits to never played the game. How the hell can she makes a substantiated opinion on this then?! Jesus.

I'm not a big fan of Spike TV, but kudos to Geoff Keighley for getting up there and telling it how it really is. We need more voices like that.

Of course, the killer in this argument is... ITS RATED FOR ADULTS!

That woman's ignorance was depressing, to say the least.

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On the issue of Electronic Art's response, this has earned me a lot of respect for them. Over the last year or two the computer have moving away from the corporate suits attitude a lot more, and this has done nothing but good things for the company and it's game.

And Electronic Art's honesty in this is a great thing to see. Could you have imagined them responding to this so frankly two or three years ago? I couldn't have.

Kudos to Electronic Arts for tackling propaganda, and kudos to BioWare for creating a game that shows sex in a mature and responsible light.

By: SwitchxA

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On: 02:19 Jan 24th, 2008
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lol, I was just about to add this to the thread I started about this very video.:lol: The thread is http://forums.videogamechat.net/showthread.php?t=4584"]here[/URL].

By: Evren

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On: 09:02 Jan 24th, 2008
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Cooper Lawrence writes freaking self help books about feminising women and making them stronger. Need I say any more?

Im happy that EA is standing up for itself and I hope to GOD they get an apology, because they damn well deserve one.

By: boa

On: 09:20 Jan 24th, 2008
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Oh come on....... How long are us gamers goin to have to deal with this BS? Seriously, that woman need to read a Laurell K. Hamilton, or even an Ann Rice. now THEY are graphic, and no age restriction there...

I love the sweet, sweet revenge played upon her on Amazon though :P