Censored Video Game Content Stifles Artistry 289
AnInkle writes "The question of whether modern video games represent art and the persistent attempts to censor controversial content in games have been discussed here at length. Now, a blogger at The Tech Report makes the case that censorship of violent and sexual images and themes in video games is precisely what inhibits video games from maturing artistically beyond a nascent form. He cites a historical comparison between video game and film production, as well as geo-cultural comparisons of film production in the US vs. Europe and of video game development in the US vs. Japan. Are these comparisons apt and the assertions valid, or might the embrace of video games as a legitimate art form be limited for entirely different reasons?"
Re:I think the real problem is... (Score:2, Informative)
Agreed. The sad thing is that censorship of the things you list aren't even just the old examples, but people continue to try today - possession of sexual imagery in comics risks you being convicted for child porn, if a character merely appears under 18, in the US [mtv.com], and Australia [slashdot.org], and soon in the UK [independent.co.uk] (even though the age of consent is 16 here, the law will cover depictions of 17 year olds). We in the UK now have the BBFC which can censor material even for adults (set up in 1984, before it was just guidelines). Not to mention that some kinds of adult porn [wikipedia.org] are now illegal to simply possess in the UK, and the police have decided to try again at prosecuting someone for writing a fictional story [theregister.co.uk] (the trial is due to start 29 June).
It's a paradox: I'd like to think that public attitudes on media are becoming more liberal, but it seems the laws being passed are becoming stricter.