EA Respond To Fox News On Bulletstorm ‘Rape’ Claim
A game made by adults, for adults.
Published: 20:43, 09/02/2011 by Tuffcub.
16To recap: Fox News produced a feature on upcoming shooter Bulletstorm, the article quoting psychologist and author Carol Lieberman who made the claim that ‘the increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games.’
This was followed by Dr Jerry Weichman, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, who added ‘If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm’s explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant.’
EA’s vice president of public relations, Tammy Schachter, has now responded;
As you know, Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction that takes place in the 26th century on the abandoned fictitious paradise planet Stygia, where our heroes fight mutants, monsters, flesh-eating plants and gigantic dinosaurs.
Epic, People Can Fly and EA are avid supporters of the ESA and believe in the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system. We believe in and abide by the policies put in place by the ESRB. Bulletstorm is rated M for Mature for blood and gore, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language and use of alcohol. The game and its marketing adhere to all guidelines set forth by the ESRB; both are designed for people 17+. Never is the game marketed to children.
Epic, People Can Fly and EA support the right of artists to create works of entertainment fiction for consumers of all ages, including adults who enjoy action adventures like Bulletstorm.
Much like Tarantino’s Kill Bill or Rodriguez’s Sin City, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults.
Well said EA, well said.
To read the Fox News feature on Bulletstorm click here – I advise removing anything breakable from the vicinity before you do, it’s infuriating. Also worth a read is this article on Rock Paper Shotgun which details how Fox have selected only the inflammatory sound bites from interviews to enforce the tone of the article and not the full quote which gives a more balanced view of gaming.
Hopefully this kind of trashy journalism is on the way out. Earlier in the week The Daily Mail reported the story of Dawn Mathews who gave her son her credit cards details and then tried to blame Microsoft for the £1000 bill he racked up on XBox Live.
The Daily Mail were probably expecting its readers to side with Dawn but out of 187 comments on their website only five blame Microsoft. The comments in the Fox news item are also mostly supportive of gaming.
Times, they are a changin’.
Source: GameInformer
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09/02/2011 at 20:50
Member since: Feb 2009
Well said by EA, and good to hear people are starting to look at gaming in a different way.
09/02/2011 at 20:51
Member since: Oct 2008
With how much sex is in games now and how pervy the Japanese are, I’m expecting a Move controlled bukkake game soon. Great comment by EA though.
09/02/2011 at 21:27
Member since: Forever
Christ. That would be amazing.
09/02/2011 at 21:57
Member since: Oct 2008
The online co-op would be disturbing though!
09/02/2011 at 23:47
Member since: Jul 2009
Don’t cross the streams!
10/02/2011 at 02:49
Member since: Jan 2010
And with Kinect you wouldn’t even need the controller.
Perhaps THAT is what the rubber raft accessory was for after all.
10/02/2011 at 07:14
Member since: Nov 2009
LMAO @ “Don’t cross the streams!”
10/02/2011 at 18:07
Member since: Feb 2009
i have just one thing to say to this.
eeeeewwww
09/02/2011 at 20:57
Member since: Jan 2011
Games, films, comics or media that are controversial or push the boundaries of conceived levels of acceptability normally sell well. GTA games and Modern Warfare 2 are testament to that
09/02/2011 at 21:27
Member since: Apr 2010
This comment is hidden.
09/02/2011 at 21:30
Member since: Jul 2010
I just chundered.
09/02/2011 at 21:57
Member since: Apr 2010
FOX News is the most trashy organization on the planet.
09/02/2011 at 21:58
Member since: Jul 2009
So wait, they’re comparing us to rapists now?
09/02/2011 at 22:21
Member since: Dec 2009
Yep, sounds like Fox News alright.
09/02/2011 at 22:38
Member since: May 2010
This comment is hidden.
09/02/2011 at 22:40
Member since: Apr 2009
that news artical is utterly awful. 9 year olds will be playing this game? i think not. unless they have incredible good fake IDs or very unobservant parents it isn’t going to happen