(Image source: Kotaku)
BY LINDSEY WOLF
You're watching multisource world entertainment video news analysis from Newsy
Hide your kids! Hide your wife! Because according to Fox News, a new video game will lead to rape. Bulletstorm is a new game where players are encouraged to kill their enemies, and it has quite a few sexual innuendos. A Fox News technology editor explains.
“Basically you kill people in these extremely violent ways – in the head, you shoot them in the buttocks, you use chainsaws to dismember them - and each of those skill shots is associated with a sexual act, so they have these terms that are just wildly inappropriate ... Arguably, this is one of the worst games ever created”
The violent acts in the game are renamed to sound more sexual. For example, “topless” means cutting a player in half and a “gang bang” is killing multiple enemies.
Continuing in an article on its website, Fox News interviewed psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, who said…
“The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games.”
But a contributor for Huliq thinks Fox News completely made up the game’s link to rape.
“I have never seen a study that suggests this, and the quote is given without any supporting evidence. In other words, Fox wishes to paint a game as controversial by using a number of very controversial statements of its own.”
A blogger from TFTS reminds us this isn’t the first time Fox News has been controversial in regard to video games. Back in 2007 when Mass Effect 1 was released, a Fox News pundit who said there were “graphic” sex scenes was not truthful.
“It was later revealed that the pundit who called Mass Effect a ‘sex simulator’ had not even played the game or seen video of it. I suspect something similar is happening with Bulletstorm and Dr. Lieberman.”
The Vice President of Public Relations for EA Games told Game Informer the accusations are ridiculous because the game is purely fantasy.
“Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction that takes place in the 26th century … where our heroes fight mutants, monsters, flesh-eating plants and gigantic dinosaurs. … Much like Tarantino's Kill Bill or Rodriguez's Sin City, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults.”
But that doesn’t mean violence and video games are unrelated. Slate Magazine explains that several studies have proven a link between violent video games and real-world aggression.
"Kids who are more immersed in violent video games may be more likely to get into physical fights, argue with teachers, or display anger and hostility."
Bulletstorm hits stores February 22 for XBox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.
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Transcript by Newsy.
