Violence and Sex ≠ Maturity

Before I begin, I must warn you that the argument I present in this article will be a rather one-sided one, as I refuse to play devils advocate for a position that is filled by too many already. With that in mind, try to have an open mind about the subject at hand.

Discussions about violence and sex in games have permeated gaming communities far and wide as of late, and oftentimes phrases such as "moving the industry forward" or "gaming is growing up" get tossed around. Many people, it seems, have become of the mindset that the more violence and sexual content games add in, the more mature they become. To these people I have a message: stop confusing sex, violence, and profanity with maturity. Mature stories are not necessarily always the most "child-inappropriate" ones.

Sure, it's easy to point out that Grand Theft Auto IV, which is rated Mature for "intense violence, blood, strong language, strong sexual content, partial nudity, and use of drugs and alcohol," is indeed a mature story. It has plenty of complex themes that wouldn't be nearly as impactful were it not for the gritty situations that the characters oftentimes find themselves in. Often, though, sex, violence, and language become used in a gratuitous fashion in immature, stupid ways, which tends to undermine how seriously one can take the story in the game. Gratuitousness isn't something a game (or book/movie/etc, for that matter) that wishes to be taken seriously should result to.

Once you cross the line between "oh, it makes sense that this guy curses like a sailor, because he's a rough guy in an unfair situation," to "oh wow, that guy just beat up a hooker with a golf club for no apparent reason," you've crossed a line of no return. No longer are you making a statement by featuring controversial content. It appears as though you're being controversial just for the sake of controversy.

Take the recently released X-Blades, for another example. The game, which is also rated Mature, makes absolutely no attempt at providing its players with complex, adult themes that make those unfortunate enough to have it rape their disk drive with its stench step back and think more deeply. It just says "hello there, person who may or may not be over 17! Here are some BOOBS!"

So we've established that being "mature rated," doesn't necessarily make a game mature at all. However, There is another side to the spectrum. Braid, which is rated Everyone 10+ for "language and mild cartoon violence," features one of the most mature plots in recent memory. It tells a story rich with symbolism and deep, overarching themes that, while coming off as just a tad pretentious, intentionally caters to an older, more adult crowd, despite its "child-friendly rating."

Shadow of the Colossus is a perfect example of a tale that, while not highlighting sex as a theme or even element in the story, still manages to portray a great love between the two human characters. The hero of SotC more than demonstrates how much he cares for the (presumably) dead girl lying in the temple with his heroic actions, alongside other subtle physical cues when he's with her. How inelegant would the story have become if the girl had woken up and there was a sex scene between the two? Would that have made Shadow of the Colossus a more mature game? Of course not. It would have destroyed the persona of the hero, and left a foul mark on the entire experience for many.

Sometimes, "mature-rated content" can turn a mature story into an immature embarrassment.

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