Is it illegal...

[Mad Ogre]

Is it illegal to allow the player to harm child characters in games? For example, if GTA were to put children in the street that could be beaten up and set on fire, would this be illegal? Or would it simply just be banned?

[Ashi, K?]

Illegal where? Banned by who?

[Anonymous]

No, it's not illegal. In Deus Ex, there's children walking around that you can do anything to that you can do to a normal NPC, such as repeatedly hitting it with a crowbar and throwing the body into a lake, or setting it alight with a flamethrower. Not that I ever did such horrid things, of course.

[xNTP]

Illegal to hurt someone that doesn't exist? Hmmm...

[Gish]

It's not illegal as far as I know, just frowned upon.

[Turboflame]

Nope, just a lot of controversy among soccer moms

For example, in Bioshock you can kill the little girls (by harvesting a slug from them) to become more powerful, it doesn't show you killing them (the screen goes green/black) or anything, I hardly found it violent.

I remember reading some article / blog about someone calling it a child murder simulator. right.

[Petroleum Prole]

http://www.thegamehomepage.com/play/punch-the-babies/

[digesthisickness]

yes, actually, it is illegal. there are sensors inside each game that alert the authorities through satellite when it's done along with the serial number and coordinates of the game. in order to ensure prosecution, they find the buyer via cameras hidden in every store which capture your identification through face and eye recognition.

if you don't believe me, i encourage you to test this information. in fact, i dare you.

[Turboflame]

yes, actually, it is illegal. there are sensors inside each game that alert the authorities through satellite when it's done along with the serial number and coordinates of the game. in order to ensure prosecution, they find the buyer via cameras hidden in every store which capture your identification through face and eye recognition.

if you don't believe me, i encourage you to test this information. in fact, i dare you.

Your warning came too late :stupid:


http://www.thegamehomepage.com/play/punch-the-babies/

*turns out lights, puts on tinfoil hat*

[Butlerk]

Perhaps it could cause your computer to cause an illegal instruction.

[Karl]

No, it's not illegal, it's just mean. You bastard.

In Deus Ex I always kill the rats and things. It makes me feel bad, but I do it anyway. I killed a cat the other day.

Reminds me of the time a few years back of when I let my younger cousin play Wolfenstein 3D. She was shooting people right and left, I'm not gonna say she was good but she wasn't bad, and then attack dogs come up and she won't shoot them for like 20 seconds until she realizes she's about to die, and she obviously feels bad about it anyway.

[Oso Mocoso]

There's clearly a moral line between behavior in a game and behavior in real life. If I wanted to hang out all day in Second Life shooting up virtual heroin, it's hardly the same thing as doing it in real life. Similarly, shooting gang members in GTA.

You should see some of the things programmed into Japanese and Korean video games. Check out Something Awful some time.

--Oso

[Karl]

Heheh, I recently read about a Chinese game where you have to kill corrupt Chinese Officials. Of course you're a magical ninja assassin, in addition to being an honest and well intentioned public official. Edit: Apparently it's pretty popular, and the gameplay and graphics aren't as amazing as its popularity entails.

[Mad Ogre]

Illegal to hurt someone that doesn't exist? Hmmm...

I didn't say that you idiot. Just asking if its illegal to put these things into games. I was discussing it with a friend who claimed it was, and I wasn't sure so I asked on here.

[Hermione]

Heheh, I recently read about a Chinese game where you have to kill corrupt Chinese Officials. Of course you're a magical ninja assassin, in addition to being an honest and well intentioned public official. Edit: Apparently it's pretty popular, and the gameplay and graphics aren't as amazing as its popularity entails.

I want to be a majical ninja assassin.

[LastRailway]

I want to be a majical ninja assassin.

You need years of practice...

[dubbeltop]

Is it illegal to allow the player to harm child characters in games? For example, if GTA were to put children in the street that could be beaten up and set on fire, would this be illegal? Or would it simply just be banned?

NO it is not :P

[silverdoe]

http://www.thegamehomepage.com/play/punch-the-babies/

Thanks, that was fun! I like the sounds the babies make as they get hit.
:theclap:

[fripping]

it's not illegal but it almost never happens in officially published games, just follow the money and you'll know why.

[socrateez]

You know, there was a similar issue raised some time ago regarding pornographic images of computer generated children. Are they illegal if they are not real? Where is the victim if the said imagery is not representative of actual children?
Clearly, there is a ethical argument to be had. When is said imagery too realistic?

[Roger Mexico]

I thought it was illegal in some EU countries. In Fallout 2 there's an Easter egg where you run across a kid who says something like "see, you're not playing the European version...". European and American versions of games often have differing content, (in the German version of the SWAT games, for example, you can't shoot people while they're handcuffed, unlike the American version.) I assume in order to comply with relevant local laws.

[Nocapszy]

yes, actually, it is illegal. there are sensors inside each game that alert the authorities through satellite when it's done along with the serial number and coordinates of the game. in order to ensure prosecution, they find the buyer via cameras hidden in every store which capture your identification through face and eye recognition.

if you don't believe me, i encourage you to test this information. in fact, i dare you.

Actually, I think what you're suggesting 'they' do is illegal.

Really though, I think it depends on what kind of child. Like white kids it's probably illegal. Or like, if they're panda children, they might not like that either. Also, it's probably more illegal to have them working in the game.

Though, since it is a video game, I think you could make the argument that it's not actually a child, and that's just the artist's rendition of a tortoise or some kind of thing. Doesn't really matter.

I wonder if displaying people trying auto-erotic asphyxia is illegal in games.

Actually, that game would probably sell pretty well. In fact you could make an entire game based on that. Like trying to do accomplish it without killing yourself. It would probably be best on Nintendo Wii.

[Nocapszy]

Consider the following:

http://www.skytopia.com/games/arcade/big/paperboy.png

It's not illegal to get hurt as a child in a video game, so presumably, it's not illegal to hurt another child.