EA Responds to Fox Nonsense about Mass Effect Options

[Xbox-Scene]

EA Responds to Fox Nonsense about Mass Effect Posted by XanTium | January 23 19:40 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From kotaku.com: [QUOTE] Electronic Arts, likely sick of having their recently-acquired role-playing franchise Mass Effect dragged through the mud on national television, has requested that Fox News Channel correct their error-plagued segment on the game. In the letter, which cites Kotaku, Jeff Brown, EA's vice president of communications, asks Teri VanHorn, producer of the Live Desk with Martha MacCallum, to clarify "serious errors" the channel made in their Mass Effect story. * Your headline above the televised story read: "New videogame shows full digital nudity and sex." * Fact: Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots - a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows. It's also worth noting that the game requires players to develop complex relationships before characters can become intimate and players can chose to avoid the love scenes altogether. * FNC voice-over reporter says: "You'll see full digital nudity and the ability for players to engage in graphic sex." * Fact: Sex scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic. These scenes are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time. * FNC reporter says: "Critics say Mass Effect is being marketed to kids and teenagers." * Fact: That is flat out false. Mass Effect and all related marketing has been reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and rated Mature - appropriate for players 17-years and older. ESRB routinely counsels retailers on requesting proof of age in selling M-rated titles and the system has been lauded by members of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission. In practical terms, the ratings work as well or better than those used for warning viewers about television content. [/QUOTE] Full Story: kotaku.com

[JBmtk]

well what the hell do you expect, its THE MEDIA! Where an orange = potential weapon of mass destruction

[eduardor2k]

seems fair to me.

SUE THEM!!

[SkiFreak]

Wow, just wow. Fox "News" should be shot. Their reporting is absolutely horrendous; they never seem to check facts, they seemingly "make stuff up" when they think it will help increase their ratings, and they are, generally speaking, merely a propaganda pushing machine. I wish the majority of the people that watched it could see through the bullshit.

In any case, if you guys want a chuckle, check out the "report/interview" here:

http://kotaku.com/347350/keighley-sets-mas...ght-or-tries-to

"Who can argue that Luke Skywalker meets Debbie Does Dallas is a good thing?" says the anchor in geeky looking glasses. I for one, say it is.

I really think people (especially parents) need to face the music and realize that parenting their kids is THEIR job and not the government/entertainment industry/anyone else's. Some of the things they say is absolutely moronic, and the idea that a "video game" or even a porn movie/magazine is going to be DAMAGING to kids is flat out ridiculous. The US is especially "square" when it comes to sexuality, and displays of ignorance like this only go on to further prove it.

If you're a parent, you should talk candidly with your kids about sex. You should explain that it's a normal part of human interaction, is the way they came into the world, and get into details about both the positive and negative aspects of it. Ignoring it/hiding it/trying to make your kids think its "bad" or "abnormal" is absolutely stupid and a great way to ensure they live their lives not making good, informed decisions.

It's along the lines of telling a young boy/girl that masturbating will make them go blind. Absolutely moronic, counterproductive, and potentially dangerous.

This post has been edited by SkiFreak: Jan 24 2008, 02:37 AM

[slowass]

So who paid Fox for this? Is it some religious fanatics or is it Sony?

And which side does it favor? Might see a sellout of every single Mass Effect game in the country!

[SueMiBlitch]

if they reported it correctly it wouldn't really be news.... most of todays 'reporters' interpret things like they want and then blow it out of proportion and then break a 'big' story... fox is a joke, they will probably have to start running softcore porn to keep people watching (and by people i mean teenagers)...

[disrockerdude]

well its about damn time. fight back ea.

"game is being marketed to children..." are you serious? its rated M for Mature audiences, not for Masturbating sex crazed 12 year olds. lol

[majik655]

You know I don't know what EA loses in television reporting the way they did..

DON'T GET ME WRONG the national news & TV ARE WRONG however..

What does EA actually lose?

example:

TV reports EA advertising to children..
Who sees these reports? PARENTS (adults) and of course CHILDREN.
So if the parents get mad at what they THINK EA is doing.. what are they going to do? Not buy the game for their CHILDREN?

I mean parents probably shouldn't buy that game for anyone under 17 as stated by rating of Mature!


Like I said I understand what EA is saying and I agree with EA... however are they losing sales over it? and if they are to who? 17 and under right? or is EA banking on parents to purchase the game for their children under 17?

I hope this makes sense I guess I am just thinking out loud.

[g8crapachino]

majik655, where have you been for the last couple years?? If you think about the fiasco that Rockstar games had with their Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt games (which actually had illicit content) you can image what kind of mess misleading news reports can cause for EA. Things like this can in fact mean lost sales and revenue, even lawsuits. EA is doing the smart thing by addressing it before it does become a larger problem.

This post has been edited by g8crapachino: Jan 24 2008, 04:48 AM

[Base8]

Damn, this actually made me kinda pissed, i usually only get annoyed when uninformed wackos knock a game that actually has explicit content. I don't see how these people can be so uninformed in this case though, i thought mass effect was incredibly tame for your average first person shooter. Its not a run and gun shoot first and add question later game, it doesn't have any nudity that they cant show on tv, and the nudity it does have is relevant to what happens and isn't dine in an exploitive theme.
Watching what video games your kids play might not be easy for some people but i think it is easier on any console than making sure they don't watch tv that you don't agree with, and especially easier than monitoring what they do on the internet. On the 360 it is even easier, the parental controls make it so you can set limits for what games they can play and how long.



I just started mass effect recently, it is awesome, the voice acting might be the best that I've ever heard, the dialog system is excellent, and the story so far seems pretty cool.


I hope they give a retraction or at least cover the story again with accurate information. Maybe they can let the person that as actually played the game talk this time. I'd be pissed if i was one of the developers that made mass effect, although as someone said before it will probably boost sales.

[brandogg]

You've got to remember that only morons watch Fox News to begin with, so they're just preaching to the choir with this lame ass "report".

[readmore]

You've got to remember that only morons watch Fox News to begin with, so they're just preaching to the choir with this lame ass "report".

yup

[AddNtoX]

Fox News. All credibility ends with those two words

[pepe2004]

lol, EA doing or saying something right, my god

[majik655]

majik655, where have you been for the last couple years?? If you think about the fiasco that Rockstar games had with their Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt games (which actually had illicit content) you can image what kind of mess misleading news reports can cause for EA. Things like this can in fact mean lost sales and revenue, even lawsuits. EA is doing the smart thing by addressing it before it does become a larger problem.

Lost sales from who?

from people that have younger children (in EA's own words by rating this should not be a sale anyway)

So then it is lost sales from people who would not have purchased the game anyway because if they believed the media then they would also not have purchased the game simply because of the M rating (it would be against their moral values, yes even bad language, guns, sex, crime etc etc)

So where are these lost sales? Is it more that they lose more money fighting frivolous lawsuits.. this I can see however this happens to these large companies all the time and you never hear about them again.

I am not meaning to argue I really do agree with everyone here.. I again am just thinking (probably my downfall )