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Disclaimer: First and foremost, let me state that the nature of this editorial may be uncomfortable to some readers, as they may turn out to be insufferable ninnies. Also, some of subject matter discussed might be of a sensitive nature, but I shall try to avoid being too graphic. With that out of the way, let's continue.
The subject of maturity in video games can be a touchy one in this day and age of Jack Thompson, Hillary Clinton, and state after American state coming up with legislation designed to "protect the children" from graphic content or adult subject matter in the games they play. Groups call for boycotts, lawsuits are filed almost daily, and Mr. Thompson in particular has even advocated that police officers walk into stores and seize games by force and without justification, or even so much as a warrant. It appears that the latest and greatest scapegoat of this generation has been called to task, just as music, films, and questionable substances like narcotics and alcohol have before them.
And so I ask now defiantly, in the face of all this: where is all of this so-called "graphic content" in our roleplaying games today? Anyone can point a finger at a Grand Theft Auto and its dozens of clones as bastions of impropriety, but what about RPGs? Whether it comes in the form of violence, sex, or any other vice you'd care to choose, almost every genre has its share of more-questionable members. These games that are held up as an "anti-Holy Grail" of sorts to the crusaders who decry the games we play today. And yet, when it comes to RPGs, I've found the numbers to be lacking by comparison.
I'm not sure why this is, to be perfectly honest. The Entertainment Software Association states that a combined 62% of gamers are over the age of 18, and almost 40% are above the age of 35 (you can find that data here). This isn't an industry that just entertains kids after school anymore; those days are long gone. The majority of gamers are either adults, or considered to be adults according to the laws of every country in existence, so why aren't we getting more RPGs oriented towards them?
True, there are some games that fit the bill. A game like Fable not only puts a gamer up close and personal to sword-swinging, flesh-singing combat, but it offers a chance to woo your beloved, ultimately ending with marriage and, ahem, "consummation." What's more, you even have the option to attain multiple brides (or grooms...) in many locations, which only muddies up the waters even more. The Shin Megami Tensei series contains demonic elements and subject matter, and some sprites that, I've been told, are best left unseen by some sensitive eyes. Some computer games like the Fallout franchise also contain plenty of mature content. There are sure to be more, or so I hope, but it seems simultaneously disappointing and quite telling that I can't come up with other titles off the top of my head.
RPGs exist to tell a story. In fact, the story they tell usually ends up as the largest part of their existence. Without a gripping narrative to hold onto the audience, gamers can only survive on innovative gameplay mechanics or character dynamics so long before they lose interest and move on. With that being said, many of these stories still stick to the tried and true themes that have kept gamers coming back for more than two decades now. These stories might have different characters or new locations, but much of what remains has stayed unchanged. The hero fights for the affection of a love interest, but that love can seem flat when the only things to back it up are empty declarations. Destroying an evil nemesis is only so gratifying when you watch a number of hit points or a health bar disappear, and watch them slump to the ground like an automaton whose battery just ran out.
By comparison, novels and films (and even some video games) might offer the audience more mature subject matter, which can deepen the experience for some. Violence isn't just shown in words or numbers, and the jarring reality of bloodshed can hit home when the viewer can see just how much it can hurt. Likewise, when affection or love goes from words to real, physical actions, it can make some uncomfortable, but they still see the natural progression from words and promises to something deeper.
Still, not every game that earns a Mature rating necessarily deserves to be considered. What makes a game truly "mature"? Is it the amount of violence it contains, with fountains of blood and gore that never stop? Is it sexuality, set to such a high degree that I can't even describe it here? Or is it something else, something that only the viewer can decide for themselves?
Some of our RPGs have plenty of elements that could be considered questionable. What about the innumerable human (and humanoid) characters that your party cuts to ribbons as you progress through each game? By the time you save the world, rescue the damsel, confront the villain, or any such combination, you've waged your own version of genocide that killed hundreds or even thousands of people, not to mention the countless animals you've slaughtered. How about all of those treasure chests you've been selfishly looting all of this time – don't you think that the original owner of that Ultra-Hyper-Super Swordgun of Total Destruction is going to be upset when he finds out you just took it without asking? Even something as seemingly innocent as sleeping overnight in a country Inn could be twisted and taken out of context, if someone really wanted to make the effort.
In the end, it's all up to each gamer to decide what they do and don't consider as "adult," or "mature." Whether that's with violence, sensuality, crime, or any other matter should be up to them, just as each of us decides what games we do buy, and the ones we don't. I do believe that there is a willing and waiting audience for more mature roleplaying games that include all of these things, and game developers should be unashamed for including them. The stories our games could tell would only be the better for it, by finally growing up and taking a new step towards true maturity.
Don't misunderstand my intentions, nor think of me as jaded or callous. The stories we follow in our RPGs, and the characters we meet along the way can seem as real and genuine as anyone we meet in the physical world, and those stories can grip us and shake us right to the core, if told by a master storyteller. Those stories make us care for people that can never exist, save in our own imaginations. But, wouldn't it be even more interesting if more of the developers who make the games we care about would be willing to take a risk, and tell a new story in a way that's never been told before?
Isn't that the "mature" thing to do?
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