PAX 2008: Sex and Violence in Videogames Panel
The last panel at PAX 2008 was the highly anticipated discussion on Sex and Violence in Videogames between former Nintendo executive Perrin Kaplin, Grand Theft Childhood co-author Dr. Cheryl K. Olson and What They Like Inc., president John Davison. Moderated by Newsweek tech writer N'Gai Croal, the trio attempted to dissect the mainstream media misnomer that "videogames are toys" with both informative and hilarious results.
Beginning the process with a firm kick in the butt, Croal asked the panelists to introduce themselves and answer whether or not they felt it was perception or reality that videogames cannot deal with violence and sex in a meaningful and artistic way. "They can portray violence great," Davison said. "I don't think they've dealt with sex at all, well." While unintentionally hilarious Davison's point was that videogames are still viewed as toys by the mainstream public and "no one wants sex in their toys."
Always a hot button issue when discussing sex and violence in gaming, Grand Theft Auto IV was used as the primary example of a recent release that delved into both pools at full force, but in surveying parents regarding the content WhatTheyPlay.com was surprised at the title's reactions. "Overwhelmingly a lot of people were like, 'Really? That's it?' ... In their head they had this view of terrible, interactive pornography," Davison revealed.
While discussing the influence of legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto, Croal raised an interesting question to the panelists. "For a young medium, what does it say that the person that's responsible for inspiring so much and, you know, sort of the 'leading genius' is basically saying, 'This entire range of subject matter is off limits to me,' does that set the tone for what a lot of other people will do in the field?" Kaplin quickly pointed out that, while Miyamoto is extremely respected, every artist in the field has a different kind of art which may include darker subjects.
The filled crowd exploded into cheers when Kaplin restated her opinion that parents who use videogames as a babysitter should not be allowed to have sex to begin with. In the end the panel agreed that the videogame industry, while booming, is still culturally under the radar and because it is mainstream media still portrays the hobby as a childish form of entertainment.
For more on the Sex and Violence discussion check out the BigCast PAX Special Episode featuring WhatTheyPlay.com's president, John Davison.
