Yeah, they're definitely not aiming to be graphic. But the problem with lowest common denominators is that they appeal to everyone, and if you're not careful they'll end up taking over anyway.

I've never yet met a story that couldn't be told in a T-rated game, unless it's 50 Shades of Gray. Which kind of makes my point. :)

I'm still interested in the game, so I'll see what it gets rated later.

What about killing children in self-defense?

I don't usually intentionally kill children (or civilists) in games either but collateral damage can't be helped sometimes. Like why would should I avoid throwing grenade in the middle of enemy pack only because there is civilian standing among them? Right? It's for greater good. And to save ammo and health. :-) Yeah, I played Jagged Alliance 2 today. :-p

O_o

Sorry if anyone finds this scene offensive, but it's from the movie based on the Postal video game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sq0G9DPatWw#t=46s

I don't mean to demean you but that's a pretty dumb opinion to have.

Dumb games that get an E rating like Bratz games are probably worse for you or your kids than an M-Rated game. It just depends on the game.

I mean games like Metal Gear Solid have an M rating, and rightfully so. But there's no reason not to play it because you believe M rated games are filth for heretics that shouldn't be touched.

The age cutoff on M rated games yeah that's always going to be debatable, and things like violence or sex in games desensitizing teenagers can be debated too. Debating whether M rated games should be played at all though because of moral reasons is just not a great idea. That's just asking for censorship and to have things sugarcoated. Reality is even far worse than an M rated game.

What's M about Metal Gear?

The media (film, tv, internet, magazines) has already desensitised people with violence and sex.

I agree that the real world is far more corrupt/dangerous than any game. Games have to abide by at least some regulations. There are people in the world that do all sorts of awful things.

The current discussion highlights a big reason why I like the Kickstarter model. It helps get away from institutional censorship from publishers.

Snake's disturbingly snug catsuit?

I was thinking of that babe "Eva" from MGS 3 :)

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080620070233/metalgear/images/e/ed/Mgs4-eva.jpg

Is she still hot to you know?

I can sympathise - I prefer games that are rated E and T, because they tend to avoid exploitative content like gratuitous sex and violence. The real distinction between a T-rating and an M-rating, however, is "adult themes and emotions" - that's why The Longest Journey has an M-rating, and to be frank, I was at times disturbed by it. That's the point, M-ratings are there to tell you that something may be disturbing (and potentially scarring to children). If general news had a content sticker, it would be M-rated.

thelovebat swordsaged me about that reality point, but his post is quite condescending. There are many great stories which fall into the E and T ratings, and fantasy as a whole wouldn't make an M-rating if it didn't feature gratuitous sex and violence, because fantasy is inherently childlike; and, to be honest, I wish it wouldn't feature such content. It's unnecessary.

(To clarify my comments about fantasy, dark fantasy is excellent. Fantasy that is trying to be "dark and edgy", however, is not mature, it is pointlessly juvenile.)

She's doing alright for her age, lol.
I couldn't resist: http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/Root_folder/et.jpg

Its not condescending. Its not being judgmental of a game because of its rating.

Remember what I said in that post, "It just depends on the game". A lot of my favorite RTS games are E or T rated. Games don't need to have an M rating to tell a great story, at the same time an M rating shouldn't scare you away from playing it just based off the rating.

A game like The Guy Game, yeah I wouldn't ever play that and its M rated. Pokemon even though its marketed towards the pre-teen demographic is still quite enjoyable for people like me and young adults that grew up with it.

"It just depends on the game"

I strongly disagree with the assertion that the M rating is never necessary. If nothing else, games like Amnesia would be completely crippled by being restricted to "teen" level content. And based on personal experience, PG-13 horror movies just flat-out don't work as well as R-rated horror. And it's not just horror; one moments in Dragon Age asks you to make a decision: whether or not to murder a child whose body is being used by a demon, or kill his innocent mother (at her own request); you couldn't do that in a teen game, but it was a worthwhile and powerful moment--for all that "fantasy is inherently childlike." Likewise, any depiction of war that doesn't net an M rating is not a good depiction. Some things shouldn't be sanitized.

Actually, you do mean to demean me. And you tried, but sorry, I really don't care what you think! :D

You're not reacting to what I've written. I've never suggested censorship is a good idea, I never suggested that the rating was the only way to judge a game, and really did you read anything I wrote other than " I don't play M-rated games for moral reasons"?

Please try again when you can react to what someone actually says.
Morrowind had an Assassin's guild quest line where you murdered people for money. Planescape: Torment plumbed incredible depths about life, death and a person's soul. That quest? You could totally do that quest in a T game. What you couldn't do is show the PC actually killing the kid, there couldn't be lots of gore and a finishing move or lots of bloodspatter, and there would be limits on just how demon-y the demon could act on screen.

Games don't have to be M-rated to be serious, thought-provoking and feature adult ideas.