To 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
topgear
Not this again. The answer is simple, ONLY over 17’s are allowed to play the game, It’s the gross negligence of the parents and they should be arrested as it is actually illegal for under 17’s to play it!
tonycawley
its not illegal for under 17s to play it, just recommended that they don’t.
Grey_Ghost13
But isn’t an offence to sell the game to minors? The retailers can get fined can’t they? I can never remember the laws surrounding it from both countries (UK & US), which is probably part of the problem and why, eventually the games will end up in kids hands – I blame the parents!
RedStarGlow
My kids would never be drawn to a game with a M rating! (ha ha) Give me a break! If you make the game, kids will play it despite the efforts of even the most diligent parent. I am not saying it is not the parents responsibility. This game won’t be marketed to children? Ok so I should not see an promotion or ADs in any mainstream stores, websites, or magazines. Joe Camel was not meant to market smoking to kids either, right?
seedaripper1973
Absolutely bang on my friend…i was watching video nasties at the age of 8 (Night of the demon – i’ll never forget the cock ripping off scene) and now i work in a creative industry. Fucking knee jerking is seriously beginning to get on my tits. /rant
amiga_dude
If there was ever a good reasion why News Internation should not own Sky (aka Sky News) then just watch Fox News on Sky on channel 509.
Enough said really
Grey_Ghost13
Great response from EA and it’s nice to see gamers sticking up for themselves, the majority of negatve news article I’ve read online have scores of comments in support of games and blasting the sensational reporting.
aphex187
Fox on their moral high horse yet they can discuss having some one assassinated in cold blood on night time TV??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36xEvVnF2I
double-o-dave
Thumbs up to EA’s response. Straight to the point basically… need we say more? The answer to that question Mr Fox is no, no we don’t. Now go pick on someone else for something stupid like Mr Prittstick for turning some has been glue sniffing 14yr old orphan into Columbia’s biggest drug baron murdering innocent kids & badgers.
KetchupBBQ
I gotta say I found the article more hilarious and bewildering than infuriating.
Every now and then the media latch on to something scream THINK OF THE CHILDREN at to avoid having to blame their own scaremongering and lax parenting. Kinda sad that this is normal now and not even surprising really.
Plus I kinda wanna buy the game now.