Video Game Ads Cross the Line.

[MegaManFan]

At least two of the seven words you couldn't say on television even 10-15 years ago are used regularly on all of the major networks now, let alone cable and satellite television where you can hear just about anything. Does it mean that society is becoming more vulgar? You could argue that, but I think what it really means is that we've been exposed to such high levels of entertainment media that it takes more and more shocking things to capture our attention. Maybe that ad is in poor taste, maybe not. I immediately got the joke though, and in the context I didn't think of real people giving each other real bullets - which I think is the real issue that's upsetting people. Instead, I saw those real bullets and in my own mind I pictured a fictional computer game character like Duke Nukem, Serious Sam, or Max Payne "giving" those bullets to somebody who was trying to "give" them to him.

[Starscream]

Yea, I too think that the context of the ad was meant in a more lighthearted manor. Personally, I have a kid and I judge what he should watch and play and I am responsible enough to teach him what is correct and incorrect. But as an adult, I don't want my whole entire life - be it music, games, movies, etc - to be based around what is ok for kids. Pokemon, Mario, and Cartoon Network just don't do it for me. I think all of us on this forum are beyond the " OOHHH, did you see that?!" " I can't believe they showed that!" part of our lives and really shouldn't worry too much about is this ok for so and so. If you have kids, be responsible, if you don't have kids, have a blast doing whatever. Do YOUR part to do the right thing and everything else will fall into place.

[MegaManFan]

Yea, I too think that the context of the ad was meant in a more lighthearted manor. Personally, I have a kid and I judge what he should watch and play and I am responsible enough to teach him what is correct and incorrect. But as an adult, I don't want my whole entire life - be it music, games, movies, etc - to be based around what is ok for kids. Pokemon, Mario, and Cartoon Network just don't do it for me. I think all of us on this forum are beyond the " OOHHH, did you see that?!" " I can't believe they showed that!" part of our lives and really shouldn't worry too much about is this ok for so and so. If you have kids, be responsible, if you don't have kids, have a blast doing whatever. Do YOUR part to do the right thing and everything else will fall into place.

 

Agreed. Just because I wouldn't let my nephews watch the South Park Movie doesn't mean I shouldn't appreciate their baudy humor myself. Even the TV show carries a TV-MA rating, so if children are getting the wrong ideas from watching it then perhaps their parents aren't doing their job by setting the V-chip first. Of course, don't get me started on how bad I think +THAT+ idea was.

[StanJr]

I agree, but on the other side of things, we are able to look at the ad and see the misplaced humor of killing people, there are plenty of people who will not. And it is very niave to think that EVERY parents reads EVERY comic book with their teenager. If the proper parenting is there, then inappropriate ads like this are not a problem, its the significant amount of LACK of parenting that makes this ad a problem.

 

I'm NOT saying the next kid who shoots up his school did so because of this ad, I'm just saying this ad sends a message that such behavior is acceptable and some people are going to respond to that.

 

If it were a video game character like Duke Nukem holding the bullets then there is less of a problem. If the caption had not read as it did, this would not be as much of a problem. But the way the ad is now, its a problem.

[MegaManFan]

If it were a video game character like Duke Nukem holding the bullets then there is less of a problem.  If the caption had not read as it did, this would not be as much of a problem.  But the way the ad is now, its a problem.

 

The problem with that theory though is that the realism of 3-D characters in simulated environments is getting more and more realistic. What's the difference between an actor who looks like Max Payne holding the bullets or the video game Max Payne holding them? 1% or less, and that margin is constantly shrinking due to increases in memory, processing power, and polygonal drawing algorithms. When FF7 came out I naively thought, "This is the cutting edge; this is as good as it will get." Everything since, even on the SAME platform, has just blown it out of the water by a wide margin.

 

Something we haven't factored in at all is that age != maturity. There are some young adults (maybe not a huge %, but a decent amount) who can handle the content of violent games and movies because they can accurately seperate that from reality. There are some adults (maybe not a huge %, but a decent amount) who can NOT handle violent movies and games, because for whatever reason they lack the capacity to understand that when football players lay down on the freeway in a movie that they shouldn't imitate it themselves. I was reading a spoof website yesterday called, "a stupid person's guide to life" and one of the rules on there struck me as particularly funny AND apt: "That warning - Do Not Try This At Home - really means - Do Not Try This AT ALL." Still, there wouldn't be Darwin Awards if there weren't people out there who JUST DIDN"T GET IT.

 

Ultimately, you really can't control a person's exposure to sex and violence, especially in this country, although there are certainly those moral extremists who would LIKE to curtail the freedom to read "Catcher in the Rye" or watch "Halloween" or subscribe to Playboy. Thank God for the most part they fail to succeed. More than that, thank God for the fact most sensible people realize that movies, games and aadvertisements don't cause violence - poor upbringing, lack of morality, and mental instability DO. My two cents, again. *plink plink*

[kisrael]

Speaking of ads...

there's this one for Bawals in the latest EGM (w/ a portraint from the new GTA on the cover) with a really fat naked lady sleeping. The joke being this isn't who the stuff is for, since it's so loaded with caffeine that it's "not for people who need their beauty sleep". A stupid ad for a stupid product, in my opinion.