I don't mind sequels, continuing with a character or storyline that you are already vested in can be really engaging. I HATE sequels that are little more than reskins or minor tweaks of their predecessors. If they bring something new to the table great, if it's just another iteration of the same old then it deserves to be ignored.
The contrast between the two images in the article is an exclamation point on the ridiculous conclusion in the closing sentence. Looks like GAMESPOT HAS THE SAME "HYPOCRITICAL DOUBLE STANDARD". They can't actually show the sex-in-games screens that are "pushing it". lulz.
I get it that there is a market for M games. I'm part of that market. More because there are a lot of bigger and more intense M games than because I wants me some boobies. I'm just saying there is a big DIFFERENCE between sex and violence and the impact they have, and trying to pretend they are the same thing, or one justifies the other, just because they both have a history of censorship, is just dumb. They are completely separate issues, related media generates completely different responses, and different degrees of their use in games or any other media makes sense to the point of it being a "duh" thing. Not saying any adult shouldn't be able to buy what they want, just saying there's a difference, not a "double standard". Sex being okay in movies, not in games - that's a double standard. Sex and violence is apples and oranges.
@Bob194 Sure, Christianity has had an undeniable impact on American culture, but with religion as a non-issue, as a parent I can say I don't lose any sleep worrying about whether my kids are going to turn into violent miscreants...I do worry that all types of media might teach them that being a loose little ***** is normal and cool and I'll wind up with a diseased or pregnant teen on my hands. They get it that ripping spines out is not okay. Engaged parents tend to win out over media influence in the whole "no, you shouldn't shoot everything that moves" arena. Their perception of sex as easy and cool is a more challenging battle, as Eminem would say, "I didn't have to graduate Lincoln High School to know that". Like you said, it mostly comes down to parenting, but from a parenting perspective, sex in media is a much bigger problem than violence in media. I'd rather they play Mortal Kombat then sing along with Lady GaGa. Time for all the tween boys to give me a thumbs down for teaching my girls where to kick them. +1 for violence, -1 for sex.
There's an important difference between sex and violence. Sex has an appropriate time and place in real life. It's becoming less and less respected, but it is a part of living. It's (usually) an intimate act between two people. Violence, in general, does not have an appropriate time and place. It happens in real life, but you get my point. It's not an intimate interaction, or when it is it is the most depraved kind, and not the kind portrayed in video games. Viewing sex is very likely to arouse you (males at least) to want to...get further stimulation. Viewing violence is much much less likely to make you want to go out and actually really engage in it. People who are already depraved and violent might have a different reaction - but the entertained masses don't get aroused to violent acts by entertainment. Desensitized, maybe, motivated to action, no. You can draw this argument out to wherever you want to, but the actual impact of the entertainment is very different based on the way each relates to our reality. I agree that graphic sex does not belong in video games that are not marketed as porn. Violence on the other hand, has a different place. Equating sex and violence in is like trying to equate food and feces - the commonality does not make equivalence. Get real.
"Modern Warfare 2 had one of the best trailers of all time"... Whatever dude, guess you didn't watch the Rockin' Dead trailer, did you? Rockin' Dead = BEST. TRAILER. EVER. I wonder if West&Zamp collaborated on it?
Even at $60, the great games are a fantastic value offering anywhere from 20 to 50+ hours of entertainment. Anyway, for me there are really two points to be made: 1) To support budgets for more really great games, the great games have to make money - if you want to support the people who make great games, buy it new. 2) Devs who peddle the same crap to us year after year, deserve what they get - that is, if it doesn't have the longevity to keep (i.e. 6 hour shooter campaigns), it winds up on the second hand shelf a lot faster, hurting new sales - which is as it should be.
People complain that the campaign wasn't as good as Crysis 1's - whether that is true or not this was one of the best single player campaigns in a long long time. How can you play all of the FPS crap that gets produced every year and not think Crysis 2 was great? The multiplayer maybe was lacking a bit, but who cares? Its not like that crowd is going play something new anyway, they just want to get their tenth prestige in COD. COD single player is just an action movie with a trigger...boring.
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