Son_of_Thunder
Explorer
Warning Labels
Do role-playing games need warning labels?
Other industries have warning labels. Movies have a rating system; music and computer games have labels, so why not role-playing games?
I am thinking of starting a parents group. The purpose of this group will be to lobby to have warning labels put on role-playing games. The role-playing gaming industry has far too long cried “we are grown ups, we can have what we want in our games”. True, but these things can and are harmful to others. Does the role-playing community really believe that ‘The Book of Erotic Fantasy’ will not have a harmful effect on someone, somewhere?
Of course adult material has been in role-playing games since the beginning. The succubus, virgins and other impure practices have been implied throughout the game history (note: I said implied). However, this type of material is not right and should not be produced.
Where does the line be drawn? At what point do you say enough is enough? When the publishers of the most popular role-playing game in history put out morally deficit material such as ‘Book of Vile Darkness’ and that disappointment called Dragon Magazine 300 I say enough is enough (To be fair it was Paizo, but the same). People have asked me why I’m so vehement against these things; the reason is I hold gaming companies to a higher standard (but other forms of entertainment have been corrupted by individuals such as television, movies and the internet, why not gaming?). I felt happy with my hobby in the so-called sterile ‘90’s of the games saga. Now I am filled with just so much disappointment.
With the firing of all the old timers at Wizards all that’s left is the young designers (who may be talented) who grew up in an age where they are desensitized to sex, violence and other repugnancies of society. It’s true that the majority of gamers are older and feel this type of stuff needs published, I guess. I’m older and have been involved with the game for over 15 years but I won’t carry these types of books in my gaming collection.
Does some kind of a grading system seem warranted? I think so.
Son of Thunder
P.S. If there’s one good thing about stuff like this, it’s that I know whose work to avoid in the future no matter how good people say it is. There are game designers to this day that I won’t purchase their product because their name has been associated with a mature product.
P.S.S. A good man once said, “What’s too mature for children is too mature for adults.”
Do role-playing games need warning labels?
Other industries have warning labels. Movies have a rating system; music and computer games have labels, so why not role-playing games?
I am thinking of starting a parents group. The purpose of this group will be to lobby to have warning labels put on role-playing games. The role-playing gaming industry has far too long cried “we are grown ups, we can have what we want in our games”. True, but these things can and are harmful to others. Does the role-playing community really believe that ‘The Book of Erotic Fantasy’ will not have a harmful effect on someone, somewhere?
Of course adult material has been in role-playing games since the beginning. The succubus, virgins and other impure practices have been implied throughout the game history (note: I said implied). However, this type of material is not right and should not be produced.
Where does the line be drawn? At what point do you say enough is enough? When the publishers of the most popular role-playing game in history put out morally deficit material such as ‘Book of Vile Darkness’ and that disappointment called Dragon Magazine 300 I say enough is enough (To be fair it was Paizo, but the same). People have asked me why I’m so vehement against these things; the reason is I hold gaming companies to a higher standard (but other forms of entertainment have been corrupted by individuals such as television, movies and the internet, why not gaming?). I felt happy with my hobby in the so-called sterile ‘90’s of the games saga. Now I am filled with just so much disappointment.
With the firing of all the old timers at Wizards all that’s left is the young designers (who may be talented) who grew up in an age where they are desensitized to sex, violence and other repugnancies of society. It’s true that the majority of gamers are older and feel this type of stuff needs published, I guess. I’m older and have been involved with the game for over 15 years but I won’t carry these types of books in my gaming collection.
Does some kind of a grading system seem warranted? I think so.
Son of Thunder
P.S. If there’s one good thing about stuff like this, it’s that I know whose work to avoid in the future no matter how good people say it is. There are game designers to this day that I won’t purchase their product because their name has been associated with a mature product.
P.S.S. A good man once said, “What’s too mature for children is too mature for adults.”
