Site Claims Mass Effect Has “Explicitly Graphic Sexual Intercourse”
From the "what the hell game were you playing?" file, Cybercast News Service is reporting that Mass Effect has explicit and graphic sex in it. Having played it, I'm not sure what they're smoking. It must be something strong though...
The game is "clearly marketed to minors," Cathy Ruse, a lawyer and senior fellow for legal studies at the Family Research Council, told Cybercast News Service.
Really? Because later in the article...
The game is rated "M" for mature, as are many video games, and was banned in Singapore last year, though the decision was later reversed. Mass Effect has sold over 1.6 million copies since its release in November 2007.
So... an M-Rated game was marketed towards children that would be unable to purchase it? The only commercials I saw for it highlighted the tough choices you'd be making. Everyone knows how much kids love choosing between the lesser of two evils, and making the hard calls. What else have you got?
Bob Waliszewki, media specialist with Focus on the Family, told Cybercast News Service, "We never shy away from sexuality in the media. It's just a question of how is that sexuality portrayed. One can use the media to portray some very healthy forms of sexuality. And when done wisely with taste and age-appropriateness, it can be done well.""Unfortunately," he said, "Mass Effect doesn't do that and even goes so far as to allow homosexuality to be on par with heterosexuality and heterosexuality outside of its proper context of marriage."
We'll tackle the 'with taste' comment in a bit. Let's talk about that last part. "on par with heterosexuality and heterosexuality outside of it's proper context of marriage." Wow. Unless I am mistaken, they are implying that not only are we horrible sinners for being gay, but straight sinners are still better than we are. What a pompous load of Krogen dung. Although, if you want to get technical, there is no actual lesbian sex in this game, as the Asari or hermaphroditic. I'm not sure what that counts as. Obviously it's supposed to be lesbian, but there you have it. I can't help but wonder why there were no male-appearance aliens however.
As for the taste of the scene that caused all this outrage, I didn't find it that bad, really. The worst you see is a little bit of someones rear or chest. The terms 'explicit' and 'graphic' don't really fit there. Most of it is off-screen or in shadow. Seemed tasteful to me. Even then, if this is something parents don't want their children to see, then they need to research the games their children play. The rating system exists for a reason.
Sex in Video Game Makes Waves Through Industry [Cybercast News Service]
[via: Gamepolitics]
If you want to see the scene that sparked all this, check it out after the jump. (may not be slightly unsafe for work)
Sgt. Sausagepants
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 11 January 2008
· Comments (10)
Other stuff like this: Convervatives, Lesbian, Mass Effect, Sex
Name: Dave
Wow. That article is a bunch of homophobic crap. But it was interesting to see the "lesbian" scene, since I totally macked on Kaidan. Hm. Turns out there's actually more nudity with the ladies. How unfair!
Well, this IS Focus on the Family here, who aren't exactly known for their kind views on homosexuality, nor for their grasp of what most of us call "reality".
"why there were no male-appearance aliens however"
Well, to be fair, the way the asari reproduce would make it highly impractical to have bodies that are/appear male. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't played the game yet, since it is an integral part of the storyline, but it is explained.
I actually had more of a gripe with the lack of *female* aliens. The game gave us reasons why we see no Krogan or Salarian females, but what about all the other races?
F*ck Focus On The Family. F*ck "Dr" James Dobson. F*ck all these crazy, nutjob, right-wing conservative "Christian" groups that feel like it's their responsibility to troll the homo world looking for something to whine about.
If they want something to whine about, start crying about how inhumanely we treat prisoners in our "happy terrorist camps" like Guantanamo Bay. I have no respect for Focus On The Family or it's pathetic attempt to be a watchdog group.
Seriously, they just need to drink the f*cking kool-aid already...
Man, I wish there were explicitly graphic sex in the game. You can see more explicit sex on broadcast TV.
As I said on GamePolitics, yeah, thats real explicit *rolls eyes* What a bunch of idiots.
I wanted to see some hardcore buttsecks between Shepard, Garrus, and Kaidan. Considering that, the fundies got off easy with just a little side-boob lesbian sex.
They didnt bitch about interspecies erotica?
@CtH: Nah... that'd be hypocritical, seeing as how most of them are probably at it themselves.
I'd hardly call the sex scene between the player's female Sheperd character and Liara lesbian. While Asari are female in appearence they are actually without gender at all, and don't really need specificly sexual contact in order to reproduce with an alien species. But I guess between the two the Focus on the Family group would have prefered that Liara reproduce with Hitler rather than Mother Teresa.
If anything I'd describe the relationship between a Sheperd character of either gender and Liara as being akin to the relationship between Major Kira and Odo on Star Trek: DS9. Odo was only a "male" because that was the form he was comfortable with and yet his species was genderless. Had the character Odo been played by a woman I'm sure the Focus on the Family people would have screamed about it too. Some people just need something to be outraged about. Remember that these are the people who insisted that the movie "Shark Tale" was a gay metaphor.