gaming Child Death in Videogames

[Jessper 735]

People wanted adoptable kids to go with the new marriage mechanic.

Bethesda was kind of iffy on the idea given the whole killing kids problem, and knowing the modders would make it possible regardless of default settings.

But in the end caved in.

Just imagine if they made it possible to actually MAKE a family rather than adopt...

Maybe Bioware will take that step, they seem to be willing to push the bar up a few notches once in awhile usually. And in good ways, the story options this could open up for future titles that actually tell stories!

Well, Skyrim and it's cousins - it all boils down to the old fact that Bethesda is very awkward when it comes to anything but creating huge, amazing worlds. I mean, look at the marriage, it's there just to make selling your stuff simpler.

 

But this is one of the problems - the bar. It was all the way up already, it's just that today it suddenly dropped to the ground. Everything is hot topic and so controversial today (even tho it really isn't), even tho it was ok 5 or 10 years back. 

[GrimCW 658]

True true.

Though it sadly seems some people have the nintendo mentality when it comes to games, and thats in that they believe they are strictly for kids and kids only.

Despite most gamers are averaged 25 and up.

Tis sad when good, funny games, like Leisure Suit larry are all but ignored simply due to lack of advertising out of fear of backlash from the public :/

[I am Lunar Fire 198]

I think Dante's Inferno had you killing unbaptised babies in the Limbo section of the game, but I wonder if undead baby demons from another realm count as children.

[GrimCW 658]

I think Dante's Inferno had you killing unbaptised babies in the Limbo section of the game, but I wonder if undead baby demons from another realm count as children.

 

I counted them for Doom 3's demon fly/baby things, and Dead Spaces wall crawling spider babies with the tentacles in their backs..

 

technically they are, but it comes down to an issue that was discussed over dead island.

Once a child is mutated/dead is it really a human anymore anyways?

[doublechris 20]

Well, you can kill children in Skyrim, you just have to change one 1 into a 0. Literally.

It's taking all the possible flaming from Bethesda and I'm fine with that - I wonder tho why add kids in the first place, when you'll portray them as a huge annoying targets with a little "Btw, can't hit those." in a corner.

 

Additionally I see no reason why many people should be limited in any way because there are crazies (with no correlation to gaming) who kill people in a country with one of the worst mental healthcare systems in the world. I honestly don't think immortal kids in gaming is such a big deal (even tho I think it's pretty hilarious and sad in a way), but this line of reasoning can be applied to anything and then it becomes a real problem.

 

 

Bottom line: If I want to kill kids in a game or even if I wanted to play a game just to kill kids, I should be able to do it and I cannot see any valid reason or argument why I shouldn't be (apart from a little bit of fascism).

 

You absolutely should be able to, I agree.  If I want to play the epitome of evil in Skyrim, well guess what?  That includes killing children.  Like I said, though, I totally get why they don't let us.

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

I was under the impression showing it was illegal. I think you are allowed to strongly imply it but not show the moment of death or whatever. I also heard Viacom was behind this rule. I could be wrong (this is what I remember my friend telling me.)

[Spartan 433]

I personally consider a 'child death' to be another driving force behind my will to destroy the enemy. Like in Mass Effect 3, the kid that died at the beginning, I didnt really care, but i chose to Destroy the Reapers for that reason and among others..

 

As bad as this is going to sound, i think a shocking death is a good thing in gaming.. it pulls the gamer into the story and makes them think "They did WHAT?! Oh their so freaking dead!" atleast thats my opinion

[doublechris 20]

I was under the impression showing it was illegal. I think you are allowed to strongly imply it but not show the moment of death or whatever. I also heard Viacom was behind this rule. I could be wrong (this is what I remember my friend telling me.)

 

Na, not illegal.  It's been done.  I'm pretty sure it's in the Postal games (along with anything else offensive you could think of), and it's in another more recent game that I can't name for spoilers.

[Mutemutt 772]

I was under the impression showing it was illegal. I think you are allowed to strongly imply it but not show the moment of death or whatever. I also heard Viacom was behind this rule. I could be wrong (this is what I remember my friend telling me.)

 

I'm pretty sure it's fair game. It's just that companies don't want the bad press that comes from that. I remember some article about Bethesda's (at least I think it was them. that was a long time ago) stance and their reason for not having killable children.

[ToridAkbolto 170]

Alduin's attacking. Who do we send? The Graybeards, masters of the Voice? Our armies of nords? The Dragonborn? Why not send one of those invincible juggernauts we have called children? 

 

I mean really, in an open world like Skyrim, being unable to kill children is just plain ridiculous. I installed the child death mod as soon as possible, if only to make it seem more realistic.

 

I actually am a fan of the first Fallout game and a huge fan of the second one. I have earned the Child Killer title myself several times on bad karma characters. I personally don't see anything wrong with it. Sure I kill children in video games. Does this mean I go around killing children in real life? Sure I kill adults in video games too. Does this mean I go around killing adults in real life? Seriously, if a virtual simulation is all you need to drive you over the edge to kill children, I don't think video games are the problem here. 

[GrimCW 658]

I was under the impression showing it was illegal. I think you are allowed to strongly imply it but not show the moment of death or whatever. I also heard Viacom was behind this rule. I could be wrong (this is what I remember my friend telling me.)

 

Viacom.. wow thats an old name..

Can't say i've ever heard this supposed rule before, tbh i figured it was always just the mentality after 'Nam and the whole fiasco of soldiers being "baby killers"

Wasn't even in that one and i've been called that... some people eh?

anywho

 

Most just have the "think of the children" and "children represent innocence" thought process, making it more of a moral sin than any actual problem.

[Evilshy 5,089]

I was under the impression showing it was illegal. I think you are allowed to strongly imply it but not show the moment of death or whatever. I also heard Viacom was behind this rule. I could be wrong (this is what I remember my friend telling me.)

Not in the US, but in other countries, and most of Europe.

If you're unfortunate enough to have an EU copy of Fallout 2, you'll notice that there aren't any kids, because it would be illegal to be able to kill them, and Black Isle said they didn't want the game to have anyone you couldn't kill.

Also, back to the first post: Child Killer isn't a perk, it's an acquired trait. It doesn't have any benefits, only drawbacks. Small detail, I know, but it was bugging me

Edited February 24, 2013 by Evilshy

[~Rogue~ 193]

In skyrim there was a child you could kill. Its in a town full of werewolves.he turns into one and he's like oh hell no and you kill him.

[Dr. Nefarious 195]

The only game I know where a child dies is in Heavy Rain.. And actually 2 kids might die if you fuck everything up. But that stupid kid Jason just had to wander off and get hit by a car right at the beginning of the game.

[doublechris 20]

The only game I know where a child dies is in Heavy Rain.. And actually 2 kids might die if you fuck everything up. But that stupid kid Jason just had to wander off and get hit by a car right at the beginning of the game.

 

I know the game isn't new or anything, but for a game that's as story driven as Heavy Rain, I'd suggest you spoiler that statement.

[The Milkman 186]

(Sorry if there is already a thread for this. I looked up the same words as the title and nothing.)

This is probably one of the most controversial and heavily debated topics in videogames history(the again, there was Nintendo's super-child friendly craze. And heavy amounts of sexual content in games. But those are for another time.)

I believe that this is separate from death in video games period

On one hoof, it adds realism and doesn't sugar-coat it. On the other, some already mentally unstable person could try and do the same.

So where do you stand in this debate?

 

 

 

Also, consider that perk in one of the Original Fallouts, Child Killer. It's a wonder it wasn't murdered by FOX News. And here is the unused image for it.

image.jpg

 

I really have nothing against death of children in games, as long as i don't participate in them.

Resident Evil 2 is an exception, because the only way Sherry would get killed was by getting ate by cockroaches and it wasn't even that explicit.

I don't remember if she could get ate by a zombie, but if she was it wasn't even displayed.

[Dr. Nefarious 195]

 

I know the game isn't new or anything, but for a game that's as story driven as Heavy Rain, I'd suggest you spoiler that statement.

It's barely a spoiler. It happens like 10 minutes or less into the game. I doubt anyone will get mad over me spoiling something that happens literally right at the beginning.

[doublechris 20]

It's barely a spoiler. It happens like 10 minutes or less into the game. I doubt anyone will get mad over me spoiling something that happens literally right at the beginning.

 

It's very early in the game, but it's also a big catalyst for the story, and for people like me who can get emotionally involved in games, it's a very important part of the story.  I know I would have been upset if it had been spoiled for me.

[Gone Airbourne 21,971]

The title in general is very unsettling. I mean child death in video games? Re-read that again and yeah that is just awful. I'll be honest even games like grand theft auto to me are a bit disturbing but that is just me/my preferences. I love shooting games etc. don't get me wrong but what are you going to get by killing children on a game?? That is just sick to me... 

[Gigachip 148]

When it comes down to killing children in video games I see nothing wrong with it. It adds to the "realism" in some games. Like skyrim, where there is a "living" wildlife. Along with being able to do practically anything you want. For the PC I went and modded in the ability to kill children. Granted, after I modded all I did was run around and just clear towns. Fun factor ran out after a few. Still have the mod installed and just as I said, adds "realism" to the game.

In short I wish more games did allow it to be in. But I don't want children in games where they make no sense (Halo or CoD for example)
In RPGs I'm all for it, look at Dragon Age Origins, you got to have a choice of either saving or killing that child.

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

I guess it just depends on what the audience wants...  I am a "light gamer" (don't play much) but I am hugely into the gaming sphere on the technical/sociological side (how it's shaping our world/culture and how it's raising the bar for technology). 

 

If the audience wants realism, game makers will make it as real as possible in order to get money and appease the targeted audience or else their product won't sell.  If gamers want realism (such as COD), developers will do what they can (COD is very realistic), but there are some things that the audience do not show an interest in (or at least express it) such as child killing, racist attacking, or other heavily moral based scenarios and thus they are not included.  However the audience may want something that can be morally subjective at its core such as explicit sex (look at the Hot Coffee scenario and the responses to that).  Though realism in war (COD) can be subjective, too many people want it to say no (the same thing with sexual games coming from Japan).  At the end of the day, it comes down to culture and what people want and what they don't want.  Sooner or later sexual games will really take root in the US because the culture is just adapting to such a thing to where even children's cartoons have sexual themes.  It's becoming more acceptable, and thus the gaming industry will be okay making it.  Child killing is just not there in acceptability in a majority of the public and gamer eyes as of right now, but since death in general is becoming very acceptable in our culture, we will be seeing more and more of it in the future to add to the realism of games (and movies, cartoons, etc.). 

 

I am sorry for jabbering, I hope this makes sense somehow...

[Radiance64 7,052]

There are tons upon tons of games where you play as a child and can die, so I never really thought it was a big deal. The idea of physically killing children as an adult in a game, however, is certainly a rather unsettling idea, but then again it's just a game in the end so it's not really too big of an issue to me.

[DerpyPie 36]

The child death that comes to me is Claus from Mother 3. And the worst part is..HES THE FINAL BOSS. One of your main characters Lucas doesn't know but he is fighting his brainwashed (Little I think) Brother. Sad right?  He eventually dies, Claus was messed up beyond repair and sacrificed himself to save his brother.

 

 Poor Claus was kidnapped one night  and he was Brainwashed by Porky (ANOTHER Final Boss and Mortal Enemy/Bully in the Game). and made the Commander of the Pig Army (Porky's Military). This game is both very funny and EXTREMLY SAD!!!!

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I actually don't care so much about child deaths in games. Its a game, yes it can make it beyond sad but its just a game!!

Edited March 2, 2013 by DerpyPie

[mane6 27]

Well i play skyrim and you can kill some characters but the others just follow you and attack you and all you wanna do is rip their f****kin heads off.

Its possible to actually kill childern in skyrim i think but they have quite a bit of health 100 characters oh no! iofhoghoeb

[Bunni 1,075]

If somebody is already mentally unstable, and they hurt a child in a video game and then in real life, they were probably planning to hurt someone before they even played the video game, it's an invalid point.

 

I have a mod for Skyrim that allows you to kill children, and I've never hurt a child, and never plan to. It's up to the consumer to choose what they view.

Agreeing with this.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of kids, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd harm one irl tho. I'd just not care that much about them.

Also I don't see the issue with killing kids in games. To me it's the same as killing an adult.

 

But that's just my 2 cents.