Brutal Legend: To Listen To Foul Language, Or Not?
Brutal LegendHaving the option to turn off blood and gore in video games is relatively new, but it seems Double Fine wants to appease concerned parents even further.
This is quite interesting: according to Joystiq, Tim Schafer was showing off the opening cinematic for Brutal Legend at this year's PAX event. At one point during the cut-scene, roadie Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black, if you didn't already know) finds an unwanted musician sneaking around his music set and says, "I don't know how many times I've told you not to crawl around up there! I don't know what the f---..." At this point, the game stops and a menu screen pops up asking if you'd like to hear the continuation of that obvious swear word. Clearly, this is a new way to censor the bad stuff in games if the person playing is underage, although we have difficulty believing that any 13-year-old is going to say, "oh, no thank you, I shouldn't be hearing any cuss words at my age." But then again, on that same token, we're willing to bet very few people turn off the blood and gore (another option that will be in Brutal Legend) but...well, it probably makes the anti-game activists happy, or something. Whatever keeps them off our backs, right?
We just hope we don't have to constantly see that selection menu pop up during cut-scenes; we just want to make our choice once and be done with it. We'll assume that this presentation was for the sake of the PAX show and we won't constantly be asked if we want to hear the likes of f*** and sh**.
Related Game(s): Brutal Legend
9/6/2009 10:04:40 PM Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Subscribe to Ben Dutka on Twitter
Comments (Beta)
fluffer nutter
Sunday, September 06, 2009 @ 10:45:32 PM
Reply
4 up, 7 down
TheHighlander
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 1:41:24 AM
4 up, 0 down
bebestorm
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 5:24:59 AM
1 up, 2 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 2:33:20 PM
1 up, 2 down
TheHighlander
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 2:55:54 PM
Once again, what does it matter if it's a one time on/off switch in the audio options?
"It matters to those that don't want an intrusion because they know how to read labels."
Huh? If you want to hear your game characters dropping f-bombs, that is your privilege, however I fail to see how an audio option to filter out f-bombs is an intrusion on your enjoyment.
"Besides, it's just language. No reason for people to get uptight about it. Read the bible. Amen."
I'll assume you're trying to be satirical.
If you're so sensitive that an option to filter language is an issue for you, I suggest putting your therapist on danger money now.
3 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 3:08:19 PM
1 up, 3 down
Zet
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 3:31:23 PM
and as an artist, I'll let you in on a secret, people censor themselves without any big scary company overhead, if a developer does something like this it COULD possibly be their own choice? maybe?
Last edited by Zet on 9/7/2009 3:38:04 PM
3 up, 0 down
MadKatBebop
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 4:27:11 PM
4 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 4:36:29 PM
1 up, 2 down
mastiffchild
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 4:40:00 PM
On the other hand should the certification be high enough and someone uses said foul language for an artitic effect and the writer wants it keeping in then the feature should NEVER be allowed. Censorship NEVER helps art and self censorship is only just about workable too!
I write songs and though they rarely contain much swearing I'd hate it to ne cut out by anyon as I'll have put it there as the ONLY word that works in that position-for that piece. Games can be art and I feel the dame applies to them. Start messing with the feel of a play's script and see just what you can lose, yes? So only if the people creatively reposible want the featyre in-and if they do then it seems to me like the swearing wasn't needed anyway so why put it in?
Anyway, noone's going to get hurt here and, I guess, if TS and JG are content who are we to mind if we can have the proper version-I always like to think I'm as close to what a creator intended as possible.
2 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 10:57:44 PM
1 up, 2 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 @ 11:55:22 PM
1 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Thursday, September 10, 2009 @ 12:16:06 AM
0 up, 1 down
LightShow
Sunday, September 06, 2009 @ 11:05:18 PM
Reply
4 up, 0 down
Jackyl
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 12:30:38 AM
Reply
Still any kid could go and delete the saved game data to get it back up and running.
Better yet there should be a parental control setting in the PS3 firmware itself. Then all compatible games could automatically be censored for younger audiences. It could even be marketed on games with a parental control sticker or something along those lines.
3 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 12:53:44 AM
3 up, 0 down
Jackyl
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 1:24:39 AM
2 up, 0 down
LightShow
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 6:21:24 PM
That parental control option locks the browser and movie discs, with a scale of 1-10 for the movies and pin code verification for access to the browser and movies rated above whats allowed.
1 up, 0 down
mustang750r
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 1:11:15 AM
Reply
i think it's a nice feature and should be added to more games. i for one have no need for it because i believe in playing Dead Space with my cousins and other young people watching as i rip apart a mutilated person, or playing KZ2 with the sound up so everyone can hear Rico say "Fuck you" 20 times. It adds to the experince and it makes for good conversation. lol
4 up, 2 down
___________
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 2:30:24 AM
Reply
kind of funny since hes a massive mortal kombat fan.
even though hes freaking 19.
i feel so sorry for that kid, his parents treat him like a bloody 5 year old.
3 up, 2 down
Jalex
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 2:52:28 AM
Reply
Not only for when I'm playing certain titles around the younger or more sensitive types. But for myself.
It seems that this generation has really seen a dramatic rise of poor dialogue, a lot of it stemming from gratuitous expletives. A lot of developers seem to think 'Hey, we're allowed to say fu** 42 times (or whatever) now, so let's be sure to fill our quota!'
Even two of my most anticipated titles ('Heavy Rain' and 'Mafia II') appear to have caught this bug. Both look stellar, but the amount of utterly useless expletives is really distracting and doesn't help the script at all. It's especially disenchanting when one realizes that 'Indigo Prophecy' and 'The City of Lost Heaven' got by without ever resorting to filler words/lines.
Wow, I'm really veering off topic. My apologies.
Anyway, I'm in support of this feature (provided it's not some kind of gag) and hope to see it implemented (in some form) in many more titles.
4 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 3:03:23 AM
Reply
4 up, 0 down
Imagi
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 8:28:31 AM
Reply
Just have to walk down any street to hear foul language nowadays.
2 up, 0 down
jigookunohoono
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 11:07:21 AM
Reply
when i bought Afro Samurai i was 17 but the guy at EB didnt belive me so i had to go with a friend and he said that i cant even hold the game in the store so we had to go in the hall of the mall and before i could hold something i payed almost 80 bucks in advance for
also unless your parrents cant read there is no way a 13 year old can get these games and if they do mommy or daddy will here it say f*ck and take it back to the store or just break it so putting all this censor stuff in it is rediculous
my parrents let me play GTA when i was 12 and i got to 100% but i never tried to kill anyone in real life and i have 2 swords and a bunch of huge knifes i could use to do it
seeing cartoon blood and violence dosent make you kill
Last edited by jigookunohoono on 9/7/2009 11:10:40 AM
2 up, 4 down
fluffer nutter
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 2:34:50 PM
1 up, 3 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, September 07, 2009 @ 1:10:48 PM
Reply
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 9/7/2009 1:10:53 PM
1 up, 5 down
TheHighlander
Reply
Sunday, September 06, 2009 @ 10:40:53 PM
It'd be great if this became a normal feature in games. However like you say Ben, let's not have a menu option pop up every time a character swears. A one time option on the audio settings would work nicely.