It didn’t take the mass media long to jump on BioShock with poorly spun facts and dramatic speech taking yet another cheap shot at the video game industry. Jim Sterling of Destructoid reported on the debacle earlier:
Yes, it seems that the scavengers of the mainstream media have finally smelled fresh meat and galloped over to stick their snouts in. In a move that can only be described as pitifully predictable, the first of the Little Sister exploitation pieces has emerged, claiming that BioShock “tests the limits of the ultraviolent gaming genre” by “enabling” players to kill enemies resembling little girls.
I have to completely agree with Jim on this one. The media is simply out of control with their absurd attacks on the gaming industry. BioShock is a great and dark story at the same time. Of course it’s going to explore some abnormal topics. Are people simply stupid or do they just not know how to enjoy a bit of fiction? That’s a question I do not expect an answer for. Check out the article over at D’toid if you want to look into the matter further. Personally, I don’t want to spend too much time ranting about how moronic our mass media has become these days. Just so you know, so far I have chosen to spare the lives of the little girls each time. If you choose to kill them, that does not bother me in the least bit. It’s a STORY. Games are becoming more and more like Choose Your Own Adventure novels, and we need to embrace that instead of griping about the moral dilemmas it puts the user in.
Via Destructoid
8 Comments to Mass Media Targeting BioShock
by: Richard Phillips
On August 25, 2007 at 3:28 am
This is typical of the molly-cuddling liberal left, the self-righteous religious right and the interfering “champions of anything” that seem to pervade society these days.
It seems that simply because many of the age-old heroic passtimes have gone, certain individuals feel it necessary to look for causes. This game being a prime example. So what is it okay to shoot in a video game? If the professional whingers have their way, computer games wont be allowed to feature human beings at all.
Words to the mise Mr Media: keep your damn nose out and find a new hobby!
by: Heru-Ur
On August 25, 2007 at 5:19 am
Quote from Above: “This is typical of the molly-cuddling liberal left, the self-righteous religious right and the interfering “champions of anything” that seem to pervade society these days.”
——–
I could not have put it better myself. Amen brother!
by: Daniel
On August 25, 2007 at 7:02 am
If the people in the media actually played the game instead of looking over the shoulder of someone who is playing it, then they’d actually learn there is a reason behind the decision you need to make with the little sisters. The game itself even warns you that the decision isn’t an easy one, but rather than reveal the reason why the game says it’s “OK” since I don’t want to ruin the game for anyone, I’ll just say that I have no problem with my harvesting decision.
by: William
On August 25, 2007 at 7:34 am
good point daniel.. the bozo who wrote the initial article bashing the Little Sister situation probably never even played the game. It’s even possible they never saw anyone playing. It’s kind of like whenever Roger Ebert runs his mouth about art and video games…2 subjects he has no experience with.
by: Karsten
On August 26, 2007 at 5:35 am
The thing is this: You don’t have the kill the ‘little sisters’, you can choose
to kill them, for instant gratication. If you don’t kill them, but do something else, well, maybe the reward is greater later on? This is moral dilemma, Ken Levine etc. has given the players of Bioshock. And we each take part in such moral dilemmas each day.
On a more general note, if people would be more concerned with REAL violence in the world than violence in a VIRTUAL game, then maybe, just maybe, the world would be a much better place…
by: Norbit
On August 26, 2007 at 9:03 am
I haven’t played this so could someone tell me if they are children or just ‘monsters’ that look like children?
If they are ‘monsters’ then I cant see the problem but if they are children it’s going a bit far imo.
I have no qualms at all about most violence in games. I love loading up GTA and going on random killing sprees but I wouldn’t be doing so if there were kids dotted around in the game.
by: Phil Migrowen
On August 26, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Having characters in your game with names like “Big Daddy” and “Little Sister” makes it sound like some sort of pedophile’s fantasy. It’s no wonder the mainstream media is going ape on it.
by: JSL
On August 26, 2007 at 9:01 pm
The Little Sisters are real human little girls modified to hunt out corpses and process them and drain them of Adam. When you harvest them, you steal their “adam organ”, which looks like a slug. You’re encouraged to save the little girls by killing the slug and letting them live by an NPC, but can choose to harvest them instead for greater profits. It’s hardly a gory “violently murdering a little girl” thing. You pick them up, put your hand on their head, a bright flash, and you’re holding a slug. That’s it. You cannot shoot the girls or hurt them in any way, they are invincible, and cannot be dealt with one way or the other while a Big Daddy is nearby.