Sex and Violence

New videogames push the limit on acceptable content as politicians fight for stronger restrictions.

By michael guerry <reporter>

Violence in video games has always been a controversy worth vigorous debates.  Many argue that this explicit content affects children who play them, while others argue that it’s just entertainment.  But violence is beginning to share the spotlight with a new common aspect in video games, sex.

It’s obvious that sex sells.  Hollywood uses sex to market its movies, young pop stars use their scantily clad bodies to market their new albums and video games are no exception.  From performing BMX bicycle stunts as a topless stripper in BMX XXX, to picking up a prostitute to gain health points in Grand Theft Auto III, strong doses of sex are boldly being thrown into the mix of violence and mature content, and it’s drawing heavy fire.

Earlier this year, Congressman Joe Baca of California proposed a bill, titled H.R. 4645, to ban the sale of mature-rated video games to people under the age of 17.  The bill would punish retailers severely for not obeying the bill, ranging from a $1,000-$5,000 fine, and possibly jail time for repeated offenses.

“We’re not proposing the government should regulate content in the entertainment media,” said Oscar Ramirez, legislative assistant to Sen. Baca. “The goal of this bill is to make the parents responsible for what their children play.”

Although the powerful processors of the Playstation 2 and Xbox can create the most realistic graphics ever, and in this case, the most realistic women ever, sexually explicit video games have been around since the dawn of video games itself.  Custer’s Revenge, a game developed on the Atari 2600, involve General Custer rising from the dead to pursue and eventually have sex with an Indian woman bound to a cactus.  While no game has reached a mainstream audience with such as explicit content as Custer’s Revenge in almost 20 years, developers are boldly taking new risks to gain sales.

Acclaim Entertainment recently released BMX XXX, a BMX bicycle game with a twist, professional bike riders like Dave Mierra are replaced with strippers wearing little to almost no clothing.  Performing outrageous stunts will unlock videos of real-life strippers.  The game has gained a large amount of popularity for its unprecedented content, but finding a copy is another story.  Major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Toys R’ Us have refused to sell copies of BMX XXX.

“It’s games like this (BMX XXX) that corroborated the bill,” said Ramirez, “It’s just too much for children, especially if their parents don’t know they’re playing it.”

BMX XXX isn’t the only game taking heat.  Dead or Alive: Xtreme Volleyball features the women of the hit fighting-game series competing in a game of beach volleyball.  While this may sound like nothing to stir controversy about, the game lets you customize the girls’ bikinis, rub suntan lotion on them, and even compete in wet T-shirt contests, not to mention the game’s cover boasts “authentic breast physics.”  But the question must be asked, where should the line be drawn?

“Games like these are a lot of fun,” said junior Chris Birdsong.  “But I don’t think parents should let their kids be playing these kind of games till they are older.”