Comments on: Nudity can't make a bad game good

Don Reisinger recently played a game on the PS3 containing nudity. It didn't do much for him.

[llricll]

More naked women? Wow! Sounds awful! Where do I buy this game at? HeHe! I like it keep up the good work EA! I have like 20 EA games may have to add this one! My son has 5 EA games but won't have this one until he can buy it on his own! This is America though...right...land of the free...except video games...wow they are expensive! hahaha

[Spanwite]

Americans,
Showing some ****, just ****, wow big deal.
Blowing some heads off, no one care very much!

People like Eliot Spitzer better known as Client?9, did go to church to pray for Family and whats wrong whats right, until that Day!
People like him, screaming loudest, have some big secrets behind the facade.

[CoverUpper]

It's just a boob. I agree it doesn't make it a good game, but it wouldn't make it a bad game either. It just makes it a game with a boob in it. That simple. Why do Americans make a big deal of it? Looking at a boob will not shatter marriages or corrupt children. Thinking that it's forbidden to look at one or show one makes people end up writing reviews like this.

I have to agree on one thing. It's a terrible game.

[bhartman33]

I agree that a boob in a game isn't really that big a deal. I don't think Don thinks it's a big deal, either. What <i>is</i> a big deal is the ambiguity of the ratings system, which I think Don was actually trying to get across. It's not a big deal if a game has gratuitous sex, but it's a very big deal if it's not appropriately rated to let parents know that.

The actual problem, I think, is that the ratings systm uses arbitrary language. Does GF II have "prolonged" nudity? Who's the judge as to what "prolonged" means? It certainly has sexual content, so the M rating is a slam dunk, but the AO rating has enough wiggle room in it to let a game slide by.

It also doesn't surprise me that the GF II game is awful. I played the first one (for the PC) and enjoyed it, but there were a lot of problems with the controls and with the AI, in particular. I give the game franchise a pass for not following the movies that closely, since a game which followed the movies scene-by-scene probably wouldn't be that enjoyable in tems of the gaming experience. But I also think that the further you move away from the original movies in a game franchise, the more careful you have to be about making a really good game, because if you fail in that, it looks like you're just exploiting the movie, rather than using it as the springboard for an interesting game.

It's a shame to see that EA didn't fix the game controls, though. I was looking forward to buying it of the issues were fixed.

[ark_v2]

Topless...yeah...so...what's the big deal?

[bawkbawkboo1]

Well, yeah, but it can't make a good game bad either.

[mjkittredge]

What a sucky article. How does this guy have a job while other people are being laid off?

"Nudity, blah blah blah, mature rating, blah blah blah, game sucks, blah blah blah."

See? I accomplished in one sentence what he did in about a hundred. So much for efficiency in the workplace.

[HarrisMV]

Does the writer of this article actually *play* video games on a regular basis? Expecting a video game based on a movie to play exactly like the movie and follow the same parameters is absurd. Without a marketing campaign based upon the nudity in this game how is EA using nudity to *SELL* copies? Without taking the time to glance at the Mature rating on the box you don't have the slightest clue there's even nudity in the game. And correct me if I'm wrong but last time I checked Mature games aren't supposed to be sold to "teenagers". The stores I shop at still card me when I buy Mature games and I'm well over 17. It's laughable that a seeing a pair of breasts in a video game spooked you enough to write an entire article about it.

[Inconnux]

EA is well known for its sub par game play. Figures they would add nudity to make up for the crappy game play. Quite honestly nudity in games doesn't either excite or bother me...

[ramstheman]

I honestly stoppedreading this review after the 6th time you said "nudity". Worst review for a game ever.

[thelemurking]

I remember back when I played Counter-Strike a lot, the first thing we would do as terrorists were to kill the hostages to keep the counter-terrorist team from sneaking off with the prize. We had no problem killing a bunch of scientists in lab coats, but when we changed the models on the server to naked girls, suddenly we stopped killing them... it was very interesting how it turned more into defend the naked girls instead of going out on a death match.

Of course one of the best CS tricks was to tag/spray naked girls on the wall and wait for someone to run by and stop and stare, making them easy targets.

Of course there were a bunch of prudes who would get mad and upset. It's very interesting how killing people in a game is perfectly acceptable, but the moment you see some boob or vagoo, people have a conniption fit. So death and violence is less offensive than sex? What's wrong with this nation?

[bcmaximus]

Actually there is male nudity of the full frontal variety in the recent GTA IV expansion "The Lost and the Damned".

[Batotahell]

I guess if you follow the line of reasoning in this article then most museums would also be rated "AO" for the depictions of topless women in classic paintings. America is SO screwed up by it's puritanical roots it is ridiculous. They are breasts, men have them also, it is simply a part of the human body. Get over your "Beavis and Butthead" mentality and GROW UP!

[ddhboy]

So? GTA IV: Lost and Damned had full frontal male nudity and that didn't score an AO rating. Honestly I don't see the big deal. Should an M rated game be banned from showing the female form? Hardly. While yes, there is a lot of sophistication lost in video games, we have to remember that an M rating is the equivalent to an R rated movie. You can curse and show as much top nudity as you like in these films and the double standard that we get for video games is appalling. Don't like nudity, fine whatever, avert our eyes then, but this is an M rated game, not a T rated one and I don't see why members of the media keep limiting developers in what they can and cannot do in their games.

[roachbrain]

Wow a game that has nudity and based on a movie but doesn't follow the formula of said movie? I never heard of such a thing. Must be a slow day for Don, but then I?m surprised he didn?t blame Sony for the game.

This is old news and has been done on many games before it. Games like GTA4, tell me would it kill the experience of the game if the hooker option wasn't there or in god of war was the mini game of banging the two chicks to make a vase drop necessary? No, of Corse not but it was added for the same reason Mortal combat was so bloody and violent when it first came out. Kids love to get there hands on things they shouldn't or can't.

Do I as an adult care if boobs show up in a game? Hell no, if I wanted to see boobs I?ll just go to the pc or call the old GF but kids eat this kind of stuff up. If you?re going to attack this game for what it does then attack them all or give up.

[Sarkasmi]

CrimsonCantab;

Wow, I can't even spin my head around the thought of a (male) gamer who dislikes boobs.

But anyway, when I saw the nudity on Godfather 2, my reaction was the basic lighthearted "Heheh, boobs"
and continued playing totally normally. I for one like the Godfather 2 game.. I mean, it's OK. And no, the boobs are not the reason. It really doesn't make a difference to my gaming experience.
I AM happy that there IS topless nudity in the game, though. Because I really do think there's nothing wrong about it. Nudity is natural - Women are BEAUTIFUL - breasts are nothing to be ashamed of AND it helps the game depict reality way better: Go to a stripclub -> See what you see in a stripclub.

The only annoying thing about it is the fact that games are viewed as even MORE EVILLLLLL thing to the world. Which is downright unbelievably ridiculous.

But just like the guy who wrote the article; I hope they won't start selling games with sex. Coz if that's the case, the games will be crappy and they try to sell em with nudity.

BUT to incorporate nudity to professional made games if it's a part of the story.
If it's a sandbox game revolving around a guys life - I'd like sex to be a possibility, just like every other thing you could do in real life.

In other words; I'd like the games to be allowed to include all elements of our life, for the sake of realism.

And I personally don't understand why people complain about Mature action in a rated M game.

Oh wait, I kinda do: Some people just have to ***** about everything. Every month, every week, every day, for the rest of their lives.

And they're the person who don't like **** or violence or whatnot and THEY'RE being so damn negative.
Hahah.

[Szule]

I would have to agree, topless girls and brothels sort of go together. Not that I'm saying that it's in line with source specifically and I agree that it's a sad way to sell off a bad game. I haven't played this one. This doesn't seem like it should require an AO rating though based off that. That rating makes me think more of the "Swedish Erotica" then something you could simply find in an R rated movie. Now if those favors were graphicly depicted in the game I would disagree but just a topless girl making an offer? It's also getting to the point that some of the M rated games really don't seem like they have any reason to be rated M.

As far as using the "F-word" I would assume you meant it was used in nearly every sentance if it was that bad. I mean if it was just that it was more common then the film I would at least consider that a game gives you more time around characters then films do. Though that can depend on the films and games in question I guess.

I do agree though, stuff based on a movie going beyond the movie to sell a poor licensed game? That is sad. Never ceases to amaze me how there are some great games out there, but put a license into the pot and suddenly a games chances for greatness seem to plumit. Of course licensed games are guaranteed a certain level of attention, even if it is just for us to say how bad it is. Which even then sometimes seems more memorable then a bad unlicensed title.

[spearsy22]

Really your just beating a dead horse here. First as I am quite certain that EA did NOT rate their own game you can't possibly be contacting them demanding an answer as to why it didn't recieve an AO rating to begin with. Contact ESRB if your so concerned. EA simply made the game; if the game gets rated M with whats present then you cannot hardly blame them. What exactly, other than the nudity do you find wrong with this game? You go on and on about how the nudity is bad, and how it's some sort of gimmick to attract players and yet you don't even think as much as to actually mention why it is not a good game. Support your story if you are going to make such claims. I myself rather enjoy it quite enjoyable game altogether. It's innovated mob war sims-style system keeps the player thinking all the time. Building and commanding your family is even more fun as each player can perform different specialties that bring something new to the table. Even the animations, with the exception of the voice acting at times, were stunning. You could have a car bomb planted in the background and then spark up a conversation with a person nearby and the darn thing would still go off; and did I mention look good in the process. I think you are really just personally offended that you saw some boobies in a video game and are taking things to far. It may not be the best game out there, but calling it "pathetic on a number of levels" isn't even justified.