Virgins Whore Off… Controversial Video Games Upset Virgin Media
I Was looking through a few things on the Internet in terms of Games that is and found this very interesting article from Virgin Media. Added them to our blogroll. I found it interesting that each ‘offending game’ in the article was capped with a Click Here To Buy This Game from Virgin. So I suppose Virgin isn’t all that worried after all… I guess the “Virginity” Whore off somewhere’s…
Controversial video games
Ban this filth!
The debate over controversial video games rumbles on, with the continued ban on the release of Manhunt 2 and likely tabloid outrage when Grand Theft Auto IV arrives in shops. Here’s a look back at the games that have upset the moral guardians over the years…
Manhunt (2003) and Manhunt 2 (2007 in US, unreleased in UK)
The plot: In Manhunt, you play a condemned criminal who is signed up by a depraved film-maker to go on a rampage of slaughter, which is to be captured on screen and made into a snuff movie. Manhunt 2 has you taking charge of Danny, whose quest is to escape from a mental institution, leaving a trail of murder in his wake.
The more you prolong a victim’s killing, the more points you score. Baseball bats, meat cleavers and random shards of glass are among the murderous accessories you can grab.
The controversy: Both games involve plenty of graphic and unsettling scenes of killing; this one really lived up to its dark reputation. However, tabloid claims that the game had directly inspired a real-life murderer in the UK turned out to be based on the most dubious of facts.
Is it any good? Surprisingly, yes. Manhunt was a polished game, carefully executed and with plenty of depth. It received very decent reviews, although its sequel was gorier and scored lower ratings from the critics.
Click here to buy
Mercenaries (2005) and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (2008)
The plot: Mercenaries took the free-roaming, pick-your-own-mission setup of Grand Theft Auto and applied it to a futuristic combat scenario, wherein a planned reunification of North and South Korea goes wrong and leads to war. You get a lot of freedom to choose your character and carve your own path through the battle, making use of a wide array of vehicles and weapons.
The controversy: Perhaps inevitably, South Korea took umbrage at the storyline and banned the game outright. Meanwhile, the sequel has upset the country of Venezuela, where it is set, before the game has even got close to its release date. The Venezuelan government reckons the game is a ploy to muster support for the overthrow of its controversial President.
Is it any good? We’ll have to reserve judgement on part two, but the original Mercenaries was a superb blast, which boasted some of the finest battles and biggest explosions the Xbox and PS2 had ever seen.
Canis Canem Edit, aka Bully (2006)
The plot: This is a sandbox-style game set in Bullworth Academy, a New England boarding school where lead character Jimmy has to settle in, make friends and influence people, fall in love and gain power and respect.
All the staple characters, cliques and traumas of school life are there to be experienced…
The controversy: Sure, there’s some fighting, improvised weaponry and sharp grown-up gags, but this is hardly the “bullying simulator” that the tabloids went crazy about. But people who’d never played it - like anti-video game MP Keith Vaz - kicked up a monumental level of controversy. Several big chains in the UK caved in and refused to stock the game, and anti-bullying campaigners called for it to be banned outright.
Is it any good? Most definitely. This witty, addictive game added some originality to a tired genre and many reviewers named it their top title of the year for ‘06.
The Sims 2 (2004)
The plot: You get to control lots of little Sims people, building them houses, feeding them, sending them to work and generally trying to make them happy and productive.
It’s a lot like The Sims, but with much better graphics, more depth and even more add-on packs.
The controversy: Surely, those cute and wholesome Sims characters are the very epitome of family-friendly fun? Not quite. The little folks’ private bits are blurred out when they’re naked, but Florida lawyer Jack Thompson - a long-time critic of risque video games - claimed that mods were available to make the Sims’ genitals appear, and that the game was therefore unsuitable for minors.
Is it any good? Millions of worldwide fans think so. The Sims 2’s broad, gun-free appeal means that gamers of all kinds go crazy for it, and the continual stream of add-on packs means it never gets repetitive.
The Punisher (2004)
The plot: This was the video game tie-in for the rubbish 2004 movie, based on the Marvel comics character. Our hero is Frank Castle, a shady ex-law enforcement vigilante type whose life is devoted to ridding the world of underworld hoods.
When he captures a bad guy there’s an option to “press” them for valuable information or finish them off with a creative means of killing - stuffing them into a woodchipper, for example. Like you do.
The controversy: This one failed to whip up the firestorm that might have been, since the actual depictions of killings themselves were toned down, leaving bloodthirsty gamers frustrated.
Is it any good? It’s no classic but The Punisher offered plenty of solid shoot-em-up action and was by no means boring. It’s a seven-out-of-ten sort of a game.
The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
The plot: You’re a low-level footsoldier on the streets of San Andreas (a thinly-disguised California), where you have to build your status in three cities and sort out your wayward family, whilst tracking down your mother’s killers.
The controversy: The violence, criminal anti-hero and bad language weren’t the problem. What really got the anti-games lobby in a spin was a mod called Hot Coffee; installing this softward patch unlocked hidden sex scenes in the game. Since these hadn’t been viewed by the censors when the game got its certificate, all kinds of anger ensued.
Is it any good? Although many GTA fans preferred its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, there was no doubting that San Andreas was another masterpiece and a worthy addition to the series.
Stand by for fresh outrage when the red-tops find out about Grand Theft Auto IV’s drunk-driving feature…
Leisure Suit Larry series (1987-2005)
The plot: Larry Laffer is a geeky would-be lothario whose quest in life is to bed as many ladies as he possibly can. You have to guide him through a succession of seedy bars, hotels and, in the most recent game, a college campus, as he attempts to get some lovin’.
The controversy: Outrage at Larry has only ever been low-level, but his adult antics did cause the odd stir during the 80s and 90s. Still, it’s smut rather than soft porn; actual rude scenes are very thin on the ground.
Is it any good? There have been about a dozen Leisure Suit Larry titles, some of them more fun than others. The gags are of a high quality though, so game fans with a dirty sense of humour should enjoy them. A new addition to the series, subtitled Box Office Bust, is on its way soon.
Soldier of Fortune (2000), Soldier of Fortune II (2002), Soldier of Fortune: Payback (2007)
The plot: Professional merceneray John Mullins trots around international conflict zones (Iraq, Columbia) to defeat local warlords and battle terrorists. The late Saddam Hussein even pops up at one point.
The controversy: These first-person-shooters are probably the most violent examples of the genre ever; a special game engine allows you to shoot or hack off bits of enemies’ bodies, and direct hits result in rivers of spewing blood.
Censors in Germany and Canada decided the first game was just not nice, and took measures to restrict the game’s availability. Part three, meanwhile, was vetoed in Australia and had to have its violence toned down.
Is it any good? The first two games were hugely entertaining and well put-together, but the third outing felt dull and outdated in the wake of the latest batch of FPS big guns like Crysis. Soldier of Fortune was great fun while it lasted.
Dead Rising (2006)
The plot: Photo-journalist Frank West is dropped by helicopter into a suburban shopping mall to try and snap some odd goings-on. When he gets there he finds thousands of zombified shoppers wreaking havoc. Using an impressive array of improvised weapons (golf club, lawnmower, pot plant, etc) he sets out to find survivors, figure out what has happened, and kill off thousands and thousands of the undead bargain-hunters.
The controversy: Quite simply, Dead Rising is phenomenally violent and fairly bloody. Germany’s game censors refused to give it a certificate, effectively banning it from sale.
Things got worse for Dead Rising in 2008 when the film-makers behind the movie Dawn of the Dead - also featuring zombies in a shopping mall - decided to sue the game’s producers for copying their handiwork.
Is it any good? Dead Rising is a technical marvel and often loads of fun -and if you like slaying zombies, it’s the game you’ve always wanted. But gameplay niggles like a poor saving setup can make it annoying.
Postal (1997) and Postal 2 (2003)
The plot: Players take on the role of “Postal Dude”, who is basically in a bad mood and decides to shoot lots of innocent passers-by. The more victims you blow away, the higher your score. Much blood is shed and many a wisecrack is unleashed.
The controversy: This one upset absolutely everyone - and is it really a surprise? Many countries banned Postal outright, and its makers even got sued by the US Postal Service who claimed that the game had darkened their good name.
Is it any good? Not hugely. Apart from the novelty value of its controversy, there wasn’t much here to keep gamers entertained. Maybe the upcoming Postal III (above) - set for release soon on next-gen consoles - will be an improvement.
The Dead Or Alive series (1996 - 2008)
The plot: With its origins in the arcades, the Dead Or Alive series is made up mostly of conventional fighting games, with the twist that many key characters are females, who aren’t wearing much and tend to er…”jiggle” quite a bit during combat. Spin-off games included 2007’s preposterous Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2, which saw those same lithe ladies in bikinis indulging in beach sports like volleyball and jetskiing.
The controversy: Many critics have commented that the game’s shameless use of female bodies is often ridiculous at best, and some have found it downright offensive. Teenage boys across the globe thought it was absolutely brilliant.
Is it any good? Beat-’em-up fans have given a resounding thumbs-up to many of the fighting games in the DOA series, including the recent Dead Or Alive 4. But the aforementioned Xtreme 2 spin-off was pretty diabolical.
Carmageddon (1997), Carmageddon II (1998)
The plot: This is a racing game with a difference: as well as beating other drivers, it’s in your interests to gain extra time by mowing down innocent pedestrians.
The controversy: Many complaints were raised, and the game made it past censors in some countries only after changing the pedestrians to robots or zombies. Its sequel, a year later, had to swap victims’ blood for green slime to make it less realistic, although the freely-flowing red stuff was reinstated in later versions.
Is it any good? No. Even the most ardent of fans would have to call it diverting rather than particularly good fun.
