The title is a joke, referencing todays Penny Arcade concerning the subject I am about to discuss.

Gears of War 2 will, supposidly, contain a content filter that will feature an alternate script with no profanity and replaces all the blood with sparks. Since this will be seen as a negative thing by the gaming community at large I wonder, what is wrong with PG/T level violence?

I grew up watching plenty of "family friendly" action movies like the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones films and I still don't mind it when games do not have blood/realistic damage contained in them. So why is gore so necessary? Why can't some games (I'm looking at you Halo -.-) content themselves with green alien blood or sparks?

People like violence? Honestly, if something like Gears of War was toned down a good amount, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.

It is the violence that attracts most people, as Mjhhiv said, if you toned down the violence in Gears it is not the same, it is like the Eragon movie where it was just thrown on its head and left to die in the bright world we live in.

Because if there is crazy blood and gore and vulgarities, it is way more awesome.

Yeah...

What's the point of having an option to tone down the violence if it still get's an eighteen rating (in the UK, I mean)?

I'm just wondering why it's so necessary?

I HATE it when things remove Danger, Peril, references to death etc. But I'm also very split on exploitative violence. A good example is Halo, why is it M rated? You're shooting aliens with blue/green blood! That's PG territory there, did they add something to make it M?

Most likely because Cortana could be classified as nude. I think that is it.

rather pointless still going to have the same rating plus kids could still change it back unless there is a pasword function

Reasonable Doubt:
Most likely because Cortana could be classified as nude. I think that is it.

I see *sigh* I hate puritans.

Maybe it will end up being so toned down it's funny? Maybe they are doing it as a joke, a spoof on family friendly games?

Spartan Bannana:
Maybe it will end up being so toned down it's funny? Maybe they are doing it as a joke, a spoof on family friendly games?

I dunno, I think sparks are a good compromise between Blood and Nothing at all.

Spartan Bannana:
Maybe it will end up being so toned down it's funny? Maybe they are doing it as a joke, a spoof on family friendly games?

Come to think of it, they should do something drastic, like Serious Sam's content filter. The blood was flowers (even the smears on the ground) and the chunks of people were hamburgers and hot dogs. Goofy as heck.

Spartan Bannana:
Maybe it will end up being so toned down it's funny? Maybe they are doing it as a joke, a spoof on family friendly games?

Nope. It is probably for the German release - they don't allow games to show violence towards another human being (or so I am told). I've seen a Youtube video where someone in TF2 gets gibbed - but there are cogs, instead of arms/legs. Things like that, where the enemies have to be turned into robots/alien/zombies are quite common (or so I'm told).

Johnn Johnston:

Spartan Bannana:
Maybe it will end up being so toned down it's funny? Maybe they are doing it as a joke, a spoof on family friendly games?

Nope. It is probably for the German release - they don't allow games to show violence towards another human being (or so I am told). I've seen a Youtube video where someone in TF2 gets gibbed - but there are cogs, instead of arms/legs. Things like that, where the enemies have to be turned into robots/alien/zombies are quite common (or so I'm told).

Yep, and games cannot show blood in Germany, thus the sparks. I imagine if you're gonna make it one way for a country, you'd jsut go ahead and make it a toggle for all?

I think I misexplained what I was attempting to discuss...

Why is every game gory these days? Why are all Game Designers focusing on Violence and damaging the chance to have maturely plotted games (My preferred use for the M-Rating) purely to have gore in their games? What is wrong with PG level violence?

PedroSteckecilo:
I think I misexplained what I was attempting to discuss...

Why is every game gory these days? Why are all Game Designers focusing on Violence and damaging the chance to have maturely plotted games (My preferred use for the M-Rating) purely to have gore in their games? What is wrong with PG level violence?

Most shooters are M-Rated. Most shooters involve murdering tons of dudes. Q.E.D., it would be difficult to have a PG-Rated shooter. I don't think that having a lot of violence stops games from having maturely plotted games. Case in point: Silent Hill 2. Violence level - Head-Chopping. Story level - repeatedly voted among the top 10 game stories ever.

Because it's a lie. When you shoot someone in the head with a sniper, most of their head comes off and there is a lot of gore. There isn't a dust puff and the soldier falls comically to the floor. It takes you out of the game.

Not that a bit of comedy, ungory violence is always amiss! Just that both have their place, and realism is the 'in' thing now. Also, gore and controversy sell.

to me, its not just the violence, but the high tension that you get, like the heart beat you got from playing resident evil the first time.

Because Blood and gore are one of the games strong points.

Sparks? Great, now we're fighting the power rangers. Pack it in Marcus, they have a zorg, we're fucked.

the monopoly guy:
Sparks? Great, now we're fighting the power rangers. Pack it in Marcus, they have a zorg, we're fucked.

That, or you're fighting Pikachu.

Either way, that's pure unadulterated grity realism, right there.

OurGloriousLeader:
Because it's a lie. When you shoot someone in the head with a sniper, most of their head comes off and there is a lot of gore.

I hope you're being sarcastic.

the monopoly guy:
Sparks? Great, now we're fighting the power rangers. Pack it in Marcus, they have a zorg, we're fucked.

I lol'd fucking hard.

Cerebrium:

the monopoly guy:
Sparks? Great, now we're fighting the power rangers. Pack it in Marcus, they have a zorg, we're fucked.

I lol'd fucking hard.

Thank you, not that I base my self worth on that sort of thing (indeed, I base my self worth on my STEAM rating)

Seriously though, this is a cheap cop out

I think the idea is more meant for parents who buy the game for themselves, or buying it for an older kid in household with younger kids. Ideally the younger kids account will have the parental controls set to allow the kid to play it but toned down, while still having the uncensored version for the adults and older kids in the family.

In the end its still kinda silly as violence is violence, but its probably the best compromise for parents that want to buy it for themselves and not have to deal with locking the game away like it was some kind of porn

Squarewave:
I think the idea is more meant for parents who buy the game for themselves, or buying it for an older kid in household with younger kids. Ideally the younger kids account will have the parental controls set to allow the kid to play it but toned down, while still having the uncensored version for the adults and older kids in the family.

In the end its still kinda silly as violence is violence, but its probably the best compromise for parents that want to buy it for themselves and not have to deal with locking the game away like it was some kind of porn

But your still running around tearning peoples limbs off and cutting people open with chainasws...sparks or blood.

It'll be great if the content filter changes the dialogue like in a edited-for-TV-movie.

"Get the flump outta here, muddyfunster!"

Jamash:
It'll be great if the content filter changes the dialogue like in a edited-for-TV-movie.

"Get the flump outta here, muddyfunster!"

Speaking of which, Mousehunt is rated PG while the on-TV one is rated G because of similar things.

ANYWAY. I don't think it's that much of a problem. You either use the blood or not. I don't why you'd get angry... unless you're not supposed to be playing rated M games anyways and now your parents are going to prevent you from seeing tons of blood.

Seriously, it's not a big deal otherwise; just don't turn on the censor.

I think this is a fucking terrible idea. Think about it for a second, parent's would toggle off the blood and gore, because they don't think their child can handle it. THINK ABOUT THIS SHIT FOR A SECOND. Would you rather have your child know that if you cut someone open, it will be a spectacular gory bloody mess, or that it will be a happy fun filled spark ride.

This is DESIGNED to turn children into mass murderers. They said I was crazy, THEY SAID I WAS CRAZY!

I loved it when a Berserker would charge through you and there would be nothing but a bloody stump of a boot left. Should be interesting to see how that one would be filtered through.

Aries_Split:
I think this is a fucking terrible idea. Think about it for a second, parent's would toggle off the blood and gore, because they don't think their child can handle it. THINK ABOUT THIS SHIT FOR A SECOND. Would you rather have your child know that if you cut someone open, it will be a spectacular gory bloody mess, or that it will be a happy fun filled spark ride.

This is DESIGNED to turn children into mass murderers. They said I was crazy, THEY SAID I WAS CRAZY!

Pfft. If a parent is going to let their kid (I'm assuming we're speaking internationally here, so we mean under 15, right? Don't forget the Australian rating system...) even PLAY Gears of War, they're slacking off on their parenting.

Well, at least it's a game and you can turn the filter off. This is why I hate PG-13 action movies. Showing a bunch of guys get shot with no blood just looks silly and unrealistic. It's not that I enjoy blood and gore, far from it I am quite sqeamish. But it breaks the suspension of disbelief, constantly reminding you that you are watching a movie.

as i recall, the original GoW had a filter for the gore and i didnt hear anyone complain

mydogisblue:
as i recall, the original GoW had a filter for the gore and i didnt hear anyone complain

Not to mention that it is more common than people think. Neverwinter Nights also had one. I think the problem is that all the frat boys are getting upset for some odd reason cause now "I eat lions" will be "I respectfully end the lives of lions and cook their meat for a nutritious stew".

*shrug*