On the Subject of Mature Content

Perla

One subject that keeps popping up amongst the waves of shit that pass for the AoC forums is mature content. AoC was always positioned as the "mature" MMO, featuring "mature" themes, profanity, gratuitous, bloody violence and nudity in keeping with the world described in the original Conan novels. Or at least so I'm told, because I've never read them.
In practice AoC has wimped out and become pretty much a generic fantasy MMO. Yeah, there are one or two "gruesome" fatalities for some classes but that loses it's novelty value pretty quickly. I've encountered a single topless (female) NPC, who has probably already been censored out of the game thanks to an overhaul of the dungeon she inhabited. There are whores, although it's all a bit tame and implied and ends up seeming more childish and immature than if they'd just been up front with it.
The Witcher featured mature content, but managed to appear a great deal more sophisticated than AoC largely by virtue of not trying to hide the fact. It was just there, taken for granted as an integral part of the game world. Whores were whores, you could shag them but you didn't have to. There was lots of swearing that was often so well written that it was actually funny. AoC's awkward, sniggering schoolboy approach pales by comparison. Perhaps it's better off gone altogether, but then without it there wouldn't be much left to the game.

In AoC's case there's an overwhelming suspicion that the taming of the content comes in preparation for the planned XBox release of the game. Because you wouldn't want to offend the poor little chiiiildren. Waaaaah! Who will look out for the poor little chiiiildren?
To hell with the fucking children. It's bad enough that so much mainstream media is already dumbed down so as not to offend all the religious shit-sticks and legions of fucking simpletons who infect society.

Of course it all comes down to money. They musn't offend anyone lest it alienates potential customers and compromises their target demographic. Never mind the fact that compromising the very foundations of the game will similarly offend many players. Ultimately people who find the notion of nudity or violence offensive aren't going to be playing AoC in the first place, so trying to cater to them will end up pleasing no one at all. And that's what is in danger of happening.

What makes me laugh (with contempt) is when the issue of mature content comes up on a computer game forum, with people understandably asking why there isn't more tits and arse, more swearing, more sexual themes, more outrageous blood and guts in games, especially when those games are built on an IP which featured all that and more. It's not the fact that the topic arises, or that people lament the lack of adult games designed for adults that makes me laugh. It's the inevitable rejoinder from some holier-than-though fuckwit chiming in with the token "you should grow up / get a life / get a girlfriend" response. You know what, fuck-face? It's a video game forum. You can't pretend to be some super-cool, aspirational role-model when it comes to "having a life" and frequent a video game forum. The fact that you're trying to appear superior to other peeople in such a context by citing your relationship credentials just comes across as desperate and pathetic.

If there's one thing you learn on the internet, it's that for better or worse, whatever you're into, you're not alone. Frankly if you don't like to look at a nice, plumptious pair of breasts then you must be dead inside. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. So there's no reason why there shouldn't be games made for people who like a bit of old-fashioned nudity. Or why people who appreciate a bit of good, old-fashioned swearing shouldn't be similarly accomodated.