Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
PlayStation (Games) Graphics Sony Entertainment Games

Sony Cracks Down On Sexually Explicit Content In Games (engadget.com) 299

Slashdot reader xavdeman writes: Hot on the heels of its announcement of the specifications of the next PlayStation, Sony has revealed a new crackdown on explicit content. Citing "the rise of the #MeToo movement" and a concern of "legal and social action" in the USA, Sony has said it wants to address concerns about the depiction of women in video games playable on its platform as well as protect children's "sound growth and development." The new rules were reportedly already responsible for puritan cutscene alterations in the Western PS4 release of the multi-platform title Devil May Cry 5, where lens flares were used to cover up partial nudity.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Sony Cracks Down On Sexually Explicit Content In Games

Comments Filter:
  • Seriously. If we become a sexless society we will have less and less children. Add that with more pent up assholes like religious figures we'll see even more pedophilia. Blocking sexuality is actually hurting children because they will simply just not be born. Any ones that are born have future endless humanity self loathing/personality neutralizing laws to look forward to. Like giving up eating steak so you can live 5 years longer on a 70 year boring life. Thanks poundmetoo
  • by Gravis Zero ( 934156 ) on Wednesday April 17, 2019 @04:49PM (#58451220)

    This completely dismisses the parental responsibility to use ESRB ratings. Kids with shitty parents who ignore the ratings aren't going to be saved because Sony said "no boobs" to developers.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • This completely dismisses the parental responsibility to use ESRB ratings.

      Not quite as badly as you missed the point. This has nothing to do about game ratings.

  • WTF is wrong with people? Why do they insist on foisting their own insecurities on everyone else?

  • You stinking piece of shit. ... well, until United Socialist States of Europe decide this HAS to be the case and the playing field is equally shit for all.

  • Let's see:

    https://store.playstation.com/... [playstation.com]

    Looks like they are. Seems like they're actually just doing the Steam two-step, where they stand there bobbing their head along to the money, until something starts making noise about being restricted in some market. At which point, they shuffle things around, until that noise stops, then resume doing as little as they can.

    Which is fine as far as I'm concerned - but don't count on them for whatever standards you might hold for quality content - as long as it does

  • by Sumus Semper Una ( 4203225 ) on Wednesday April 17, 2019 @05:00PM (#58451260)

    Always amusing to see a company both figuratively and literally covering their asses at the same time.

  • #MeToo (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Wasn't the #MeToo movement about sexual abuse and harassment?

    I don't know of anyone, man or woman, who with a straight face and a sane mind can walk up to the podium in front of the cameras and say "I was sexually abused by my Playstation." Please join me in the fight against it!

  • by Ashthon ( 5513156 ) on Wednesday April 17, 2019 @05:03PM (#58451276)

    Here's an example of the vile and shocking "sexually explicit content" that Sony had to censor:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nupFJPaAn9s [youtube.com]

    Most of the other examples of Sony's PS4 censorship are equally absurd. It should be noted that Sony moved their headquarters to California, which is why we're getting these utterly deranged decisions.

    Of course, there's a simple solution - don't buy anything from Sony.

    • Of course, there's a simple solution - don't buy anything from Sony.

      Sony have always had a callous disregard for their customers up to and including rootkitting and breaking their computers but it was *this* that finally pushed you over the edge? I've not bought anything from Sony since 2005.

  • by tdailey ( 728882 ) on Wednesday April 17, 2019 @05:20PM (#58451358)

    >>> Citing "the rise of the #MeToo movement" and a concern of "legal and social action" in the USA ...

    Because no woman, anywhere in the USA, also enjoys nudity and sex. /s

    • for the avalanche of dick pics?

    • by Shane_Optima ( 4414539 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @03:56AM (#58453022) Journal
      I think that our culture has finally reached the point, at least on a corporate and governmental and celebrity level (though not on an average family unit level), where the left is much more concerned with and vocal about slut shaming and other assorted neopuritan bullshit.

      The fact that they do it under the guise is protecting women just makes it all the more reprehensible. I listen to self-identifying progress/"liberal" women make public statements about how much they regret doing nude scenes (Yeardley Smith,voice of Lisa Simpson) or participating in wet T-Shirt contest (Kristen Schaal) earlier in their lives because years later they realized that it degrades and objectifies women and I'm like... who is more going to listen to a statement like that and feel more ashamed? The millions of men who see such things and smiled? Or the millions of women who have participated in such things and smiled?

      It's straight up slut shaming and they try to disguise it by pretending that really they're slut shaming men, but really women are far more likely to feel bad about this criticism they're hearing.

      It is a normal, typical aspect of female sexuality to enjoy showing off. It's not a male conspiracy; it's a perfectly natural inclination (that is frequently encouraged by men, yes.) And if you tell them they're making objects out of themselves when they do that, you're a slut shaming neo-puritan asshole.

      This needs to be pointed out more frequently.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      Where religious prudes failed, "progressive" prudes succeeded.

      What Jack Thompson did wrong wasn't what he tried to do. It was his gender.

    • Because no woman, anywhere in the USA, also enjoys nudity and sex. /s

      Unless you're attempt at sarcasm is pandering to the lesbian crowd I fully agree with you. No women don't generally enjoy having female tits and arses paraded around in front of them.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    So I can still pull my enemies spine out though their neck? :D
    Will I still be able to spend a ton of money on "loot boxes" after having paid for the game?
    I am guessing we are still cool with violence and gambling, just not a bit of tits and asses on display.

  • Sony was behind Betamax, the VCR format that wouldn't allow porn. Totally in character for them.

    • And also totally in character to repeat past mistakes.

      Sony is a company that somehow enjoys reaching for hot stoves and burning hands repeatedly.

  • Who knew it would be the leftists that would turn into a bunch of Puritans and try to impose their worldview on the rest of us.

  • Cut out the creepy Japanese underage sexualising stuff, leave the rest.
    Seriously, cut that stuff out.

  • The #MeToo movement is about real girls so it doesn't really apply as much to video game characters. I mean it would apply to female players. But the treatment of female characters is a different topic all together, but it does need to be address so... good on Sony for trying something?
    • In before /. shoots out bricks to complain about leftist/sjws/feminist and combinations of all those with nazis even though actual nazis are the polar opposite.
  • PC gameing for ever!

  • App store lock in needs to be banned just think if games like

    Leisure Suit Larry / Softporn Adventure (back in the day)

    Custer's Revenge

    Chiller

    Night Trap

    Mortal Kombat

    Doom (Violence back in the day)

    Duke Nukem 3D

    Carmageddon

    Postal

    Grand Theft Auto

  • Sony = hypocrites (Score:5, Insightful)

    by nehumanuscrede ( 624750 ) on Wednesday April 17, 2019 @08:58PM (#58452118)

    To protect children's "sound growth and development" Sony is going to censor content deemed to be too sexy on their Playstation platform.

    While, at the same time, titles with a violence level right off the charts like:

    Hitman
    Grand Theft Auto
    Mortal Kombat
    Manhunt

    seem to be just fine for the same audience ?

    ( Good thing Timmy can't see any video game skin, imagine the mental trauma it would cause. Now go eviscerate that Dark Elf ! They deserve it ! :| )

    Both Violence / Gore and Sexual Themes are designed for the Mature Audiences ( hence the M rating ).

    If you really want to protect children's "sound growth and development", be a fucking parent.
    Understand what the M rating is and make the decision to let your kids play it or not.

    If you're too lazy to actually be a parent, perhaps you shouldn't engage in activities that create the conditions where you become one in the first place.

    • > If you're too lazy to actually be a parent, perhaps you shouldn't engage in activities that create the conditions where you become one in the first place.

      Well, here your argument came full circle: Sony is playing the long game, not protecting the currently young, but rather the yet to be conceived ones. Research shows that less nudity in computer games lowers the reproduction rate. This in turn leads to fewer children seeing nudity as well.

      Obligatory: /s

    • They're not doing it because they want to do ban stuff, they're doing it to appeal to the interest groups ... and in 2019, the strongest group of twats that go around telling people what they can do, say or create is the SJWs and the mutated monstrosity of Feminism that we have today. Things start noble, then they distort and starts being used as a reason to oppress ideas and creations of people they don't like. So, boobs in the game ? No way. #MeToo movement.

      Violence ? Sure, why not .. there's nobody wi
  • Citing "the rise of the #MeToo movement" [...] concerns about the depiction of women in video games playable on its platform as well as protect children's "sound growth and development."

    See, I am completely on board with women speaking up against the "minor" sexual harassments and assaults that millions have been shrugging off because they don't want to cause a fuss.

    But no, that's not good enough. It has to be leveraged into some goddamn neopuritan horseshit. What the hell is wrong with the left? It's sort of like how the Occupy Wallstreet movement lost sight of its laudable goal (that actually would've had a lot of bipartisan support, at least among the populace) almost immediately in

  • ... someone enjoys looking at scantily clad women fighting demons in videogames? Especially if it's their only chance to get close to such an experience with women?

  • Leisure Suit Larry is now an XBox exclusive!

This place just isn't big enough for all of us. We've got to find a way off this planet.

Working...