MATURE GAMES TO
WATCH OUT FOR
Take2 Interactive: Guilty of Mocking ESRB Ratings?
Just when you thought the controversy surrounding Take2 Interactive's Grand
Theft Auto: San Andreas was fading away, a new development has brought the game
back to the forefront of news media--and likely cash registers.
According to the
Boston Globe (one of hundreds of media outlets covering the story), a Dutch
gamer by the name of Patrick Wildenborg, has modified (or more popularly
referred to as "modded") the game by making a tiny change to a computer bit that
prevented access to sexually explicit content included on the game disc.
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GALLUP POLL:
More Than 70 Percent of Teenage Boys have Played "Grand Theft Auto"
Video Games
What type of content do your kids' games contain?
Look Up the Rating for a Particular Game at ESRB.org
If you have a question about a certain game, you can
email us OR call
the ESRB's Ratings Hotline at 1-800-771-ESRB (3772)
Do
you know if your child owns this game?
Games Kids Shouldn't Play
If someone told you the most popular video game in the country
involved a child pretending to be a gangster who kills cops and
solicits prostitutes, then beats the prostitutes to get his money
back, you'd be appalled. But that is exactly the role children take on
when they play the Grand Theft Auto series.
"When kids play video games, they
assume the identity of the characters in the game, and some of these
characters are murderers, thieves, rapists, drug addicts and
prostitutes… Do you really want your kids assuming the role of a mass
murderer or a car-jacker while you are away at work?"
- Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.)
M Rated Games to Watch out for:
NOTE: Not all mature games are listed here, just the more popular ones that your children may ask for
God of War (Playstation 2) - Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity,
Strong Language, Sexual Themes. Parents should be aware that this game is not for children under any
circumstances. The violence is extremely brutal and graphic, featuring many
different kinds of fatalities and explicit slaughter. There are also several
instances of topless or nearly topless women, although the sexual situations
listed on the box's ESRB warning only occurred one time, (and were very low key,
without anything graphic). I did not notice any strong language during the game
itself, but in the commentaries given by the developers afterwards there were a
few expletives used. This game is obviously aimed at an older audience, so do
not make the mistake of getting it for younger children or those who might be
sensitive to such content.
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Read the Full Review at Gamecritics.com
Conker: Live and
Reloaded (Xbox) - Release Date June 2005 Blood and Gore, Mature Humor,
Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Devil May Cry 3:
Dante's Awakening (PS2) - Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Metal Gear Series (PS2,
Xbox, Gamecube, PC) Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual
Themes
Nocturne (PS2, PC) -
Blood,Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes
Outlaw Golf (PS2, PC)
-
Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
Rumble Roses (PS2) -
Sexual Themes, Violence
Halo 2 (Xbox) -
Blood and Gore,
Violence, Language
Half-life 2 (PC) Blood and Gore, Violence
KillZone (PS2) - Blood, Strong Language, Violence
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Sony PS2, PC)For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs.
Mortal Kombat: Deception Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Doom 3 Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
PSI OPS: The Mindgate Conspiracy Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Playboy: The Mansion (PC, PS2, Xbox) - Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol
The Guy Game (PS2, Xbox) - Crude Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol
Singles: Flirt up your Life (PC) - Partial Nudity, Strong Sexual Content
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna cum Laude (PC, PS2, Xbox)- Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content,
Use of Alcohol
BloodRayne 2 (PC, PS2, Xbox)- Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Fight Club (PC, PS2, Xbox)- Blood, Intense Violence, Language
Fable (Xbox) -
Blood, Strong Language, Violence
Def Jam Series (Nintendo
Gamecube, PS2, Xbox)
- Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language,
Violence
Drive3r -
A run-of-the-mill storyline with far more
violence than heart, buggy coding and abysmal gameplay make this game a poor
choice for kids in almost every respect.
Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) -
For Blood and Gore, Violence
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death (Nintendo
Gamecube, PC, PS2, Xbox) - For
Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Resident Evil Series - For Blood and
Gore, Intense Violence
Manhunt (Sony PS2) - For Blood and
Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language. Quote from
http://ps2.gamezone.com/
"As a quick note to
parents who are reading this, I know that sometimes the overall
thought can be "well, I know it has an M rating but it's just a game".
Trust me on this one … kids under 17 should not be allowed to be
anywhere around this game, and it contains scenes of some of the most
disgusting killings that I have seen either in movies or in a game,
not to mention being filled with more four letter words than you'd
care to shake a stick at. If you've got kids, this is one of those
titles that they should never know that you own."
New
Zealand bans blood and guts game
A gory computer game has
become the first video game banned in New Zealand. "Manhunt," a
computer game that encourages players to kill all in sight in a
variety of wicked ways, was classified by New Zealand's Office of Film
and Literature Classification on Friday as depicting horror, cruelty,
crime and violence such that its availability would hurt the public
good. Chief censor Bill Hastings said that although many computer
games have become edgier, "Manhunt" goes further than any he's seen
before. "Manhunt's" developer, Edinburgh, Scotland-based Rockstar
North, is a division of the producers of Grand Theft Auto, Take-Two
Interactive Software in New York. Take-Two is amidst a $246 million
lawsuit filed in the United States by the families of two people shot
by teenagers allegedly fueled by the game's message.
True Crime (Xbox, Sony PS2, Gameboy Advance)
- For
Blood and Gore, Mature Sexual Themes, Partial
Nudity, Strong Language, Violence.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (PC
CD-ROM, Sony PS2, Xbox)
- For Blood, Intense Violence, Mature Sexual
Themes, Strong Language.
Road Kill (Xbox, Sony PS2,
Nintendo Gamecube) -
for Intense Violence,
Mature Sexual Themes, Strong Language.
Outlaw Volleyball (Xbox) - For
Mature Humor, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes.
Postal 2 ( PC )
Rated M for Blood/Gore, Violence.
This game
is so
violent, so racist and homophobic, that four countries are already
considering banning it because players can gruesomely kill
African-Americans, Priests and gays. You can also slaughter animals
and cops. The first Postal has been banned by at least seven
countries.
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (Xbox) -
For Nudity, Voyeurism, and Gambling.
►
Read Review
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ( Sony PS2, PC)
Grand Theft Auto 3 ( Sony PS2, PC)
Soldier of Fortune 2 ( PC, Xbox) Rated M for Blood and Gore, Violence.
BMX XXX (Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox, Sony PS2, Nintendo Gameboy) -
This may look like an ordinary
biking game but it is the first sports game to carry an M rating and
feature strippers, public urination, and yes... dog humping. The
producers of the game brag that it is chock full of violence,
nudity, and swearing.
Dead to Rights (Nintendo Gamecube, Sony PS2, XBox)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Gamecube, PC CD-ROM, Sony PS2 ,Xbox) -
For Blood, Strong Sexual Content, Violence
The Getaway (Sony PS2) - For Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence.
What type of content do your kids' games contain?
Look Up the
Rating for a Particular Game at ESRB.org
If you have a question about a certain game, you can
email us OR call
the ESRB's Ratings Hotline at 1-800-771-ESRB (3772)
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