What is offensive to people? And would you download a game that would offend oth

[blueskirt]

Only 2 games offended me and both had the author forcefully shoving down my throat his/her opinions. It's one thing do it subtly, over the course of the game, it's another to just interrupt the story with a completly unrelated 5 minutes long cutscene just to be trolled by the author.

I don't think the fear of offending someone should stop anyone from making a game. There will always be people who'll like your game and people who won't, with or without offending content, so you may as well put whatever you want in your game, just make sure that, like hofmeier suggested, your game's implementation is as flawless as possible.

[Stupot]

I'm not easily offended by games/TV/film etc... I'm all for a bit off bad taste.  I'm more easily offended by personal things such as if someone says (or even implies that they think) I'm a liar. 

[Igor Hardy]

I'm more easily offended by personal things such as if someone says (or even implies that they think) I'm a liar.  

Really? In your place, I'd only get worried that I was figured out.

[Ali]

I'm not easily offended by games/TV/film etc... I'm all for a bit off bad taste.  I'm more easily offended by personal things such as if someone says (or even implies that they think) I'm a liar. 

Yeah right... like we're gonna believe that.

[Snake]

No one should ever trust a cigarette smoking Santa at the end of March.

[ShadeJackrabbit]

I think the biggest thing that "offends" me is sexism towards anyone, regardless of sex, gender, orientation, or whatever. And by "offends" I mean makes me want to backhand the offender. In terms of revulsion, I'd say extreme gore. And by "revulsion" I mean makes me feel sick.

[Stupot]

Only girls get offended by sexism.   

[Dataflashsabot]

I think the biggest thing that "offends" me is sexism towards anyone, regardless of sex, gender, orientation, or whatever. And by "offends" I mean makes me want to backhand the offender. In terms of revulsion, I'd say extreme gore. And by "revulsion" I mean makes me feel sick.

By 'sexism' I'm assuming you mean 'discrimination'?

[ShadeJackrabbit]

Basically. Sexism is the one that majorly boils me, though. Like, I really hate racism or any other sort of discrimination, but sexism bothers me the most.

If I were to say what I hate about people's treatment of others, I would say that I hate those (more specifically, I hate their actions) who judge without knowing, and refuse to learn. I hate pretty much everything that people employ in this article. Ageism, sexism, caste systems, homophobia, racism, etc... they all get under my skin.

Out of the ones which have been most affecting to me and therefor set me off the most, I'll say sexism. I'm personally offended by sexism. I am not personally offended by racism or the like, though I still hate it and combat it when I can.

Should've been clearer about that, I must say. *shrug*

tl;dr version: personally offended by sexism, hate all discrimination.

[auriond]

Only girls get offended by sexism.   

Quite right, you male chauvanist pig!!!111   

On a more serious note, and answering part of the original post, no, I wouldn't download a game that offends others. But then that depends on how seriously it was MEANT to offend. I think offense depends a lot on intent. If the maker of the game MEANT to stir up controversy for no particular reason other than maybe publicity, then I would boycott that game. It means the developer was just being an asshole for the sake of it, and I don't really like assholes. But if the developer was honestly unaware that, say, calling something gay may be offensive (and this is a really common thing nowadays - "that movie's really gay" meaning the movie sucks) - then I might just put it down to ignorance and give it a chance.

[Calin Leafshade]

Remember though that this is *fiction!*

Fictional characters can say some pretty offensive things (Huck Finn, Buddy, Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction) but that doesn't mean the author intended to offend. Rather, it can be an opportunity to explore certain facets of life untouched by more mainstream media.

Fiction and art *should* contain materials which can be considered to be offensive.

Also we should remember that there is a difference between offensive material and material that a viewer simply does not like because it is critical of them or their world view.

If a character were to say something is "gay" its just a reflection of that character and the viewer is free to decide whether or not they like that character but it has no bearing on the opinions or conduct of the author.

In fact sometimes arguments and ideas explored in fiction can be the *opposite* of the authors own beliefs (Dostoevsky I'm looking at you.)

[ShadeJackrabbit]

That's a good point Calin. And sometimes there can be a lot of worth in feeling offended about something, such as there can be in anger and sadness. Any emotion, when used in the right context, can merely help and make an experience more fulfilling.

Oh, so in response to the second question (which I forgot to answer): Maybe, I might download a game that would be offensive, if it seems like it would offer something interesting to the table.

[auriond]

True. The "gay" example was just something off the top of my head. But used in such a situation, then the author's intention was not to deliberately provoke the audience, for example if it's said by a character who's supposed to be assholish.

In other words, if the offending character truly serves a purpose in the story and isn't just there for giggles, then sure.

[RickJ]

If a character were to say something is "gay" its just a reflection of that character and the viewer is free to decide whether or not they like that character but it has no bearing on the opinions or conduct of the author.

Hmmm, I don't see why it would be considered asswholish ...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gay

gay  /geɪ/ Show Spelled [gey] Show IPA adjective,-er, -est, noun, adverb
â€"adjective
1. having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music.
2. bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments.
3. given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: a gay social season.
4. licentious; dissipated; wanton: The baron is a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.

The content of an adventure game is initially hidden and gradually revealed to players as they advance through the game.  The real issue is that you may surprise players with something they personally find distasteful and would have never chosen for themselves or their friends and family. 

Consider, for example, an adventure game having a "Goldie Locks and Three Bears" theme.   It is dressed in bright and lively cartoonish style and advertises itself as the classic tale we all know.  You say hey this would make a great gift for my little nieces and nephews, so you download  it and burn  a bunch of CDs.  While you're at it you burn a cd for your bosses children as well.   A month or so later you learn from your sister/boss that when the kids get to the part where the bears come home and find Goldielocks sleeping in their bed that instead of chasing her away the fore her to perform oral sex on Papa and Mama Bear while Baby bear is boinking her in the bum.   

Excuse me, but I think I would be -- well offended is too mild of a word.   

Case in point is the initial post in this thread -- no clue as to what the author is actually concerned about and he feels that he must keep the topic concealed lest he spoil his game.   I think this is wrong headed thinking and that it's necessary to be upfront an honest about the content of your work.   In the above example the description.abstract ought to contain something like this:

We've all heard the story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears when we were kids but is that all there is to it?   Now that we are grown up we find that life is more complicated than we thought and when we screw things up .... well ... were screwed!   WARNING: Contains adult themes, rough language, bestiality, and other sexual acts.

If your game can't survive a brief and accurate description it's not worth playing.  Just my 2 cents.

[auriond]

But he is saying his game might offend others. That's a warning, isn't it?

Well I have a few odd characters to converse with throughout the game, and they're fairly integral to the initial plot (not the main plot)
Pedofiles, toddler drug dealers, transexual prison inmates, which you have to help/get to help you in some way.

Let's say that this means the game starts off in a prison, and you have to escape the prison with the help of its inmates. (I have no idea if this is the case.) But it's not the main plot. How would you give warning in a short summary of the game?

"Petty thief Robin Hood escapes prison with the help of some possibly and probably really likely to be offensive characters - and becomes witness to the killing of a police officer. He becomes the principle suspect... WARNING: Pedophiles, toddler drug dealers, transsexual prison inmates in initial part of game, the rest is fine."

[RickJ]

But he is saying his game might offend others. That's a warning, isn't it?

As pointed out earlier in the thread, the same could be said of any/every game.  Without some specifics such a warning is meaningless.

Let's say that this means the game starts off in a prison,  ... offensive characters ...

I think the word "offensive characters" in this context is less accurate than "really bad characters".   There is nothing controversial or surprising about the fact that really bad people are in prison, every school kid knows that.  It's one thing to say "Oh he's a lifer in for murder and the other guy is doin 10-20 for pedophilia..."  and quite another to disclose all the gory details of their crimes.   IMHO, the former doesn't require prior warning and the latter does.  Such a warning could simply contain the following: 

" ..., violence, pedophilia,  prison,  ..."

[Snarky]

If a character were to say something is "gay" its just a reflection of that character and the viewer is free to decide whether or not they like that character but it has no bearing on the opinions or conduct of the author.

Hmmm, I don't see why it would be considered asswholish ...

Using "gay" as a general term of abuse is widely seen as offensive to gay people. Being insensitive to this offensiveness arguably makes a person an asshole. Having a character use it in a work of fiction is obviously defensible (as a reflection of reality, not necessarily the author's personal opinion), though some people will certainly be upset regardless.

[Questionable]

I'm kind of offended that gay people have commandeered a word and that anytime I use it to mean anything OTHER "homosexual(s)," they get offended...   

[Snarky]

Pretty much all the negative uses of "gay" are homophobic in origin, so unless you really want to use as a synonym of "cheerful, merry" (which wouldn't be offensive anyway), it's not gays who are to blame that it's offensive.

[Danman]

Questionable and Snarky those are such gay comments. (Cheerful and happy)


I think anyone who gets offended in a game is just not realistic.. In real life it exists. so it can in a game too.