Jump to content

List of controversial video games: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
→‎Table of controversial games: rm unreliable sources
Line 24: Line 24:
{{cite journal| last = Kearney| first = Paul| coauthors = Pivec, Maja| title = Sex, lies and video games| journal = British Journal of Educational Technology| volume = 38| issue = 3| pages = 489–501| month = May | year = 2007| url = http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/bjet/2007/00000038/00000003/art00010| doi = 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00712.x| accessdate = 2008-07-23}}</ref>
{{cite journal| last = Kearney| first = Paul| coauthors = Pivec, Maja| title = Sex, lies and video games| journal = British Journal of Educational Technology| volume = 38| issue = 3| pages = 489–501| month = May | year = 2007| url = http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/bjet/2007/00000038/00000003/art00010| doi = 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00712.x| accessdate = 2008-07-23}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[1984 in video gaming|1984]]-[[2009 in video gaming|2009]] || ''[[Punch-Out!! (series)|Punch-Out!!]]'' || [[Arcades]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]], [[Wii]] || [[Nintendo]], [[Next Level Games]] || Numerous instances of racial stereotyping, mainly of the opponent fighters that the players fights against. <ref>http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/02/the_8_most_ethnically_stereotypical_punch-out_char.php</ref><ref>http://sociologyofvideogames.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/racist-games-punch-out/</ref><ref>http://www.1up.com/features/top-5-racist-videogames</ref>
|[[1984 in video gaming|1984]]-[[2009 in video gaming|2009]] || ''[[Punch-Out!! (series)|Punch-Out!!]]'' || [[Arcades]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]], [[Wii]] || [[Nintendo]], [[Next Level Games]] || Numerous instances of racial stereotyping, mainly of the opponent fighters that the players fights against. <ref>http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/02/the_8_most_ethnically_stereotypical_punch-out_char.php</ref><ref>http://sociologyofvideogames.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/racist-games-punch-out/</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/top-5-racist-videogames |title=Top 5 Racist Videogames |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |work=[[1UP.com]] |publisher= |accessdate=January 9, 2014}}</ref>
|-
|-
| [[1986 in video gaming|1986]] || ''177'' || [[NEC PC-8801]] || dB-soft || A [[Bishōjo game|bishoujo game]] revolving around rape, it ignited a public furor that reached the [[Diet of Japan|National Diet of Japan]].<ref>[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier], Hardcore Gaming 101, reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009</ref>
| [[1986 in video gaming|1986]] || ''177'' || [[NEC PC-8801]] || dB-soft || A [[Bishōjo game|bishoujo game]] revolving around rape, it ignited a public furor that reached the [[Diet of Japan|National Diet of Japan]].<ref>[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier], Hardcore Gaming 101, reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009</ref>

Revision as of 06:05, 10 January 2014

This is a list of video games described explicitly as "controversial" in secondary sources. Some of the video games on this list have been banned or censored.

Table of controversial games

Release date Title Platform Developer Reason(s)
1973 Gotcha Arcade Atari It was controversial due to the controls being perceived as pink rubber bulges that were meant to represent breasts and were squeezed in order to control the action.[1]
1976 Death Race Arcade Exidy Violence (running over stickmen "gremlins", who then scream.)[2][3]
1982 Custer's Revenge Atari 2600 Mystique The game depicts a crudely-rendered General Custer dodging arrows to reach a naked, native-American woman tied to a pole. For surviving, he was allowed to have sex with her, and points for doing so. This quickly lead to controversy regarding whether he was raping her, or if she participated willingly.[2][4][5]
1984-2009 Punch-Out!! Arcades, NES, SNES, Wii Nintendo, Next Level Games Numerous instances of racial stereotyping, mainly of the opponent fighters that the players fights against. [6][7][8]
1986 177 NEC PC-8801 dB-soft A bishoujo game revolving around rape, it ignited a public furor that reached the National Diet of Japan.[9]
1989 Super Monaco GP Arcade, Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Gear, Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum Sega Phillip Morris sued Sega (and some other video game companies, including Namco and Atari Games on behalf of their Final Lap game) because the arcade version of the game contains advertisements that resembles those for Marlboro cigarettes.[10][11]
1991 J.B. Harold Murder Club TurboGrafx-16 NEC Sexual themes, including reference to an unsolved rape.[12]
1992 Wolfenstein 3D DOS id Software Violence, gore, Nazi symbolism, and the inclusion of Adolf Hitler as the final boss.[13]
1992–present Mortal Kombat series Arcade Midway (later Warner Bros. Interactive) Blood, violence and gore. First fighter to introduce "Fatalities" to finish off opponents.[2][4][5][14][15][16] When released for home console formats became the first 'big budget' game to raise the issue of violence in the medium. Possible catalyst to the implementation of a rating system.
1992 Night Trap Sega CD Digital Pictures Violence, child abuse and sexual themes.[2][4][14]
1993 Doom PC id Software Intense, first-person violence, gore, and satanic themes.[2][5][14][15] Was once blamed for the Columbine High School Massacre.
1996 SimCopter PC Maxis A programmer named Jacques Servin introduced unauthorized "himbo" characters into the game, who would appear on certain dates and kiss.[17]
1996 Duke Nukem 3D PC, Sega Saturn, PS1 3D Realms Violence, sexual themes, nudity.[18][19]
1996 Tomb Raider PC, Sega Saturn, PS1 Eidos An unauthorized software patch nicknamed 'Nude Raider' was created by fans which allowed players to play as a nude version of Lara Croft (complete with graphic nudity).[20]
1997 Carmageddon PC, Mac, N64, PS1 SCi, Interplay Entertainment Violence against pedestrians[21] and animals.
1997 Postal PC Ripcord Games Violence and Anti-law, most of which is committed against civilians and authorities.[14]
1997–present Grand Theft Auto series PC, PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360 Rockstar Games Sexual themes, drug use, racism, nudity, language, drunk driving, violence (against civilians and law enforcement officers; in Grand Theft Auto 3, there is also a cheat called 'Extra Gore Mode' in which, if you shoot at someone you can blow off their limbs), criminal behavior. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally rated "Mature" in the US, but was re-rated "Adults Only" after controversy surrounding a fanmade Hot Coffee mod which unlocked a hidden sex scene (which was in the game's code, but left out of the final version). It was re-rated "Mature" after Rockstar Games removed this scene from the game's code.[22] Grand Theft Auto IV was referred to as a "terrorist simulator" due to the fact that the city was loosely based on New York City.[2][4][14][23]
1998 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, 3DS Nintendo In early versions of the game, the music for the Fire Temple contained chanting from a Muslim prayer found in a library of stock sounds. In version 1.2 and onwards, the chanting was replaced with an entirely unique set, out of fear of offending the Muslim community.[24][25]
1999 Kingpin: Life of Crime PC Interplay Entertainment Violence.[26]
2000 Daikatana PC Ion Storm A highly controversial advertisement regarding John Romero's involvement with the game, which caused a highly publicized outrage.[27]
2001 Conker's Bad Fur Day N64 Rare Controversial for its "over the top" and "lewd" humor.[28]
2002 WTC Survivor PC A black and white abstract art game where death (game over) is inevitable; it was the aim of the developers to place players in the victims' shoes, rather than trivialising the tragedy. However, it was considered tasteless and inappropriate. New York Defender, which plays like Missile Command but with planes attacking the Manhattan skyline, was another game to come under heat for similar reasons.[29][30] In 2008, developed from an Unreal mod, Survivor[31] was considered somewhat tasteless as it puts the player in the scenario of clearing up the mess of the World Trade Center attacks. Replay Studios later cancelled it in 2009.
2002 Ethnic Cleansing PC Resistance Records Racially-motivated violence, white supremacist themes.[32]
2002 Kaboom! Browser fabolous999 Players control a suicide bomber, the aim of the game being to kill as many men, women and children as possible.[33]
2002 State of Emergency PC, PS2, Xbox Rockstar Games Contains Columbine-style violence, including political assassinations and coup d'états. Additionally, the game caused controversy in Washington due to the game's similarities to the World Trade Organization riots in Seattle.[34]
2003 Postal II PC Running with Scissors Violence against civilians (including police officers), sexual themes, drug use, racism, language, animal abuse, and references to past and current events of terrorist attacks. Banned in New Zealand, Sweden and Australia.[35]
2003, 2007 Manhunt and Manhunt 2 PS2, Wii, PC Rockstar Games Violence and gore. Manhunt gained significant controversy after it was alleged that the game inspired a teenager to commit a murder. Banned in Australia.

Manhunt 2 has been labeled as possibly the most violent video game ever made and is infamous for being one of only two video games to receive an "Adults-Only rating" due to violence, the other being The Punisher. Further controversy surrounds the Wii version due to the fact that it actually simulates the violence through motion control, dubbing it the name "murder simulator".[4][14][36]

2003 Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball Xbox Tecmo Sexual themes and objectification of women. The game has been criticized as "eye candy", having been created for no other purpose than to display women's breasts and bodies.
2004 The Sims 2 PC EA Games A player-made mod allowed for the blur effect that appears when a character is nude to be removed. However, the nude Sims are featureless.[37]
2004 JFK: Reloaded PC Traffic Software Puts the player in the role of Lee Harvey Oswald as he assassinates U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Criticized for its controversial content matter in recreating the assassination and was condemned by a spokesman for Senator Ted Kennedy as "despicable". [38]
2005 Super Columbine Massacre RPG! PC Danny Ledonne The game simulates the events of the Columbine High School massacre, having the player take on the roles of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and acting out the massacre.[39][40][41][42]
2005 Gun PC, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, Xbox 360 Activision Offensive depictions of American Indians. Main article, Gun (video game)
2005 The Punisher PC, PS2, Xbox Volition Inc. Interrogation, torture, intense gun fights, drugs, and killing with no mercy. Originally merited an "Adults-Only" rating before being edited on appeal.[43][44][45][46]
2006 Bully Xbox 360, PS2, Wii Rockstar Games Violence, bullying and sex (notably bisexual themes) in a school setting.
2006 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Xbox 360, PC, PS3 Bethesda Softworks Re-rated by the ESRB after a third-party mod revealed a nude topless graphic hidden in the game's data files. While the graphic did not warrant a re-rating of the game in and of itself, upon review, the ESRB noted that the game contained much more explicit violence than had been submitted to them in the original rating submission.[47]
2006 Hitman: Blood Money PC, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3 IO Interactive Violence and assassinations; magazine ads for the game featured pictures depicting murder victims.[48]
2006 Mind Quiz Nintendo DS, PSP Ubisoft Recalled in the United Kingdom due to use of the word "spastic", which is considered highly offensive in the UK.[49]
2006 Left Behind: Eternal Forces PC Left Behind Games Accusations that the game promoted religious "convert or kill" violence, sexism and racism.[50][51][52] Some reviewers[53][54][55] denied that the game contained any truly controversial gameplay.
2006 Resistance: Fall of Man PS3 Insomniac Games The Church of England objected to the game's use of Manchester Cathedral's interior as a backdrop during a gun battle, and called for the game to be withdrawn or for the cathedral to be removed from the game.[56]
2006 RapeLay PC Illusion Soft Rape is a core part of the gameplay, as the player takes on the role of a chikan who stalks, and subsequently rapes a mother and her two daughters, at least one of whom is underage. Three years after its initial release, significant controversy was raised in the UK Parliament and elsewhere, and Equality Now eventually pressured its distributor to withdraw distribution of it in Japan.[57]
2006 Rule of Rose PS2 Punchline The mayor of Rome called for the game to be banned from Italy, saying children "have the right to be shielded from violence".[58] The then European Union justice and security commissioner wrote an open letter condemning the game for "obscene cruelty and brutality". An Italian magazine, Panorama, claimed that in order to win the game players must bury a girl alive, which the game's European publisher disputed.[59] On the UK release day, the publisher announced that Rule of Rose would not be published in the UK, despite the game being approved for release by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) and Video Standards Council regulatory bodies.[60]
2007 BioShock Xbox 360, PC , PS3 2K Games An article in The Patriot Ledger, the local paper of developer Irrational Games,[61] argued that the game is "testing the limits of the ultraviolent gaming genre with a strategy that enables players to kill characters resembling young girls."[62] The game presents an ethical choice to players, whether to kill 'Little Sisters' for extra abilities or save them and receive less. President of 2K Boston Ken Levine defended the game as a piece of art, stating "we want to deal with challenging moral issues and if you want to do that, you have to go to some dark places".[63] Jack Thompson took issue with advertisements for the game appearing during WWE SmackDown's airtime, writing to the Federal Trade Commission and stating that M-rated games should not be advertised when large numbers of under-17s are watching.[64]
2007 Mass Effect PS3, Xbox 360, PC BioWare Falsely accused by evangelical blogger Kevin McCullough of containing "rape and sodomy", which later led to the removal of McCullough's blog entry on Townhall.com. The game was featured on the Fox News Channel following the controversy,[65] with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, which included the headline "full graphic sex".[66] In actuality, the game's most explicit content is an indirect "sideboob" shot of a humanoid alien breast.[67]
2007 Mario Party 8 Wii Nintendo Use of the phrase "Turn the train spastic! Make this ticket tragic!" by the character Kamek caused controversy in the United Kingdom, where the word spastic is considered offensive. This led to a recall of the game; it was later re-released with the word changed to erratic.[68]
2008 Silent Hill: Homecoming PS3, PC, Xbox 360 Double Helix Games Was banned and refused to get a rating in Australia and Germany for extreme violence and disturbing images which included copious blood spray in the game, decapitations, partially dismembered corpses, and numerous scenes of attacks, fights, torture, and death."[69]
2008 Muslim Massacre: The Game of Modern Religious Genocide PC Eric 'Sigvatr' Vaughn The game's contents and subject have been the subject of strong negative response; a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said "The makers of this 'game' and the ISPs [Internet service providers] who are hosting it should be quite ashamed of themselves. Anti-Muslim prejudice is already on the increase and needs to be challenged and not reinforced through tasteless and offensive stunts like this."[70]
2008 LittleBigPlanet PS3 Media Molecule Lyrics from a licensed song, "Tapha Niang", were removed due to fears that Muslims would be offended as it allegedly contained words from the Quran. This led to controversy about the removal itself.[71]
2009 MadWorld Wii Platinum Games The game's extreme, over-the-top violence has led to much criticism, and has been described by the Daily Mail as the "most violent video game ever". Also, the Nintendo Wii has been long-perceived as little more than a "family-friendly" console, and as a result, many parental organizations have condemned the game's release exclusively on the Wii.[72]
2009 Resident Evil 5 PS3, Xbox 360, PC Capcom For a pre-release trailer that contains scenes of racism,[73] according to Newsweek journalist N'Gai Croal in an April 2008 interview. He also stated that organizations and retailers would object to the game and that it would cause controversy on release.[73]
2009 Saw PS3, Xbox 360, PC Konami Several news publishings stated that the game's only purpose was to torture and kill people in violent ways with no sense of restraint or morality. Some editorials called it "depraved and inhumane" and stated that "Konami should be ashamed".[74] It was also listed in the "Top ten most controversial games of 2009".[75]
2009 Left 4 Dead 2 Xbox 360, PC (Steam) Valve Corporation The cover art in the UK had to be altered due to a potentially offensive hand gesture being depicted.[76] The game was banned in Australia for its excessive violence and gore.[77] The game's New Orleans setting so soon after Hurricane Katrina was considered "a bad call".[78]
2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Infinity Ward A optional level in the game entitled "No Russian" has the player assume control of a deep cover Central Intelligence Agency agent, joining a group of Russian nationalist terrorists in enacting an airport massacre. The player is given the option to skip the level at any point.[79][80] The game was discussed briefly in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom after the issue was brought to the attention of MP Keith Vaz, a longtime opponent of violence in video games, with fellow Labour Party politician Tom Watson arguing that the level was "no worse than scenes in many films and books" and criticising Vaz for "collaborating with the Daily Mail to create moral panic over the use of video games".[81] The mission was made optional before release[82] and removed from the game entirely.[83]

Activision later removed the Favela multiplayer map from Modern Warfare 2 following complaints from Muslim gamers, which shows picture frames on the second floor bathroom of one building within Favela. When viewed through a scoped weapon, the frames contain a quote from the Prophet Muhammad that translates to "Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty", according to Islam Today. One of the paintings is located directly above a toilet.[84]

2010 Medal of Honor PS3, Xbox 360, PC Danger Close Games, EA Digital Illusions CE The multiplayer mode created controversy when it was revealed that players could play as the Taliban.[85] The developers responded by stating the reality of the game necessitated it, but due to pressure from various military officials and veterans organizations, the word Taliban was removed from the multiplayer part of the game in which players would directly play as the Taliban, instead replaced with the term "Opposing Force." However, even in light of this change, the game is still not to be sold on military bases. The AAFES Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella said, "Out of respect to those touched by the ongoing, real-life events presented as a game, Exchanges will not be carrying this product." He continued, "I expect the military families who are authorized to shop the Exchange are aware, and understanding, of the decision not to carry this particular offering."[86][87]
2010 Six Days in Fallujah PS3, Xbox 360, PC Atomic Games The game was opposed by both the public and critics alike for "glamorizing" and "glossing over" the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah. This caused the former publisher, Konami, to oppose the game and stop publishing it.[88]
2011 Bulletstorm PS3, Xbox 360, PC Electronic Arts Fox News Channel called out the title as the "Worst Video Game in the World" due to the extreme amount of violence; claims made in the original article were dispelled by video game journalists including Rock Paper Shotgun, but Fox News continues to assert the game as too violent.[89]
2011 Portal 2 PS3, Xbox 360, PC Valve CBS News has deemed the game offensive to adopted children because Wheatley insults the protagonist by saying "Fatty fatty no parents". The daughter of the parents who reported this is in fact, adopted.[90]
2011 Call of Juarez: The Cartel PS3, Xbox 360, PC Ubisoft Residents of Ciudad Juárez and Mexico protested the announcement of the game, believing it to highlight the Juárez Cartel, who are believed responsible for over 3000 homicides in the city in 2010.[91]
2011 Dead Island PS3, Xbox 360, PC Deep Silver After a development build of the game was released on Steam by mistake, it was revealed that the skill 'Gender Wars' (which the character Purna uses) was called 'FeministWhorePurna' within the game's code. Developer Deep Silver apologised and released a patch for the game to replace the offensive name.[92]
2012 Medal of Honor: Warfighter PS3, Xbox 360, PC Danger Close Games Seven members of Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) who worked as consultants for the game were disciplined for releasing classified information to the game's creators.[93][94]
2012 Street Fighter X Tekken PS3, Xbox 360, PC, iOS, PlayStation Vita Capcom, Dimps It was revealed that the game's downloadable characters were already on the disc in a ready-to-unlock form, leading to heavy criticism.[95][96]
2013 Tomb Raider PS3, Xbox 360, PC Crystal Dynamics During an interview with Kotaku, executive producer Ron Rosenberg stated that one scene in the game depicts Lara Croft about to be sexually assaulted by a scavenger. She is forced to fight back and kill him in return. Prior to the game's release, this quickly led to controversy concerning the possible 'attempted rape' sequence. Studio manager Darrell Gallagher later denied this, stating that one of "the character defining moments for Lara in the game, which has incorrectly been referred to as an 'attempted rape' scene is the content we showed" where "Lara is forced to kill another human for the first time. In this particular selection, while there is a threatening undertone in the sequence and surrounding drama, it never goes any further than the scenes that we have already shown publicly. Sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme that we cover in this game."[97][98]
2013 Saints Row IV Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Volition Inc. Despite changes in the Australian Classification Board to adopt rules to classify mature video games in January 2013, Saints Row IV was the first video game under these new rules to be denied classification, due to the presence of drug use and a in-game alien anal probe weapon.[99] Volition eliminated these elements from the game to obtain a MA15+ rating by removing the mission these elements were used in,[100] rendering the game's co-operative mode incompatible with versions from other countries.[101]
2013 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number PC Dennaton Games The sequel, like the first Hotline Miami, incorporates a large amount of violence as the player sets to kill off agents of the local mafia, but a preview build for the sequel includes a scene that is set up where the player's character then appears to rape a female antagonist, though this is later presented in the context of being part of a staged movie scene. Journalists felt that even though the game made it clear of the scene's setup, the inclusion of this scene went too far in taste levels.[102]
2013 The Stanley Parable PC Galactic Cafe An in-game instructional video called "Choice" contained an image of a white man lighting a black child on fire.[103]

References

  1. ^ Gotcha at the Killer List of Videogames
  2. ^ a b c d e f David Craddock, "The Rogues Gallery: Controversial Video Games," Shacknews (Sep 29, 2005).
  3. ^ DeMaria, Rusel (2003). High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 27, 28. ISBN 0-07-223172-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e ; Fecal Jesus, "The Seven Most Controversial Games and why most of them are complete crap," GamerHelp (02/14/08).
  5. ^ a b c Kearney, Paul (2007). "Sex, lies and video games". British Journal of Educational Technology. 38 (3): 489–501. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00712.x. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/02/the_8_most_ethnically_stereotypical_punch-out_char.php
  7. ^ http://sociologyofvideogames.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/racist-games-punch-out/
  8. ^ "Top 5 Racist Videogames". 1UP.com. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  9. ^ Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier, Hardcore Gaming 101, reprinted from Retro Gamer, Issue 67, 2009
  10. ^ "Chronology of Action". Tobaccodocuments.org. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
  11. ^ http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu:8080/q/l/f/qlf46e00/Sqlf46e00.pdf
  12. ^ Video Games and Computer Entertainment. July 1991. Pg. 44
  13. ^ Wolfenstein 3D Just Got Modernized With the Release of Wolfram, Indiegamemag, June 12, 2012
  14. ^ a b c d e f Silverman, Ben (2007-09-17). "Controversial Games: Some games push all the wrong buttons". Yahoo! Games. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  15. ^ a b Oxoby, Marc (2003). The 1990s. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 84. ISBN 0-313-31615-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Williams, D. (2003). "The Video Game Lightning Rod". Information, Communication and Society. 6 (4): 541. doi:10.1080/1369118032000163240. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  17. ^ "The First Hot Coffee". PC Gamer. Future Publishing. March 2007. p. 62. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ Tim Soete (1 May 1996). "Duke Nukem 3D Review for PC". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  19. ^ "Duke Nukem 3D review for the PC". Game Revolution. 5 June 1996. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  20. ^ Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo?, Helen W. Kennedy, Game Studies, Vol. 2, Issue 2, December 2002.
  21. ^ "The Making Of... Carmageddon". Edge Online. 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  22. ^ Androvich, Mark (2007-11-08). "Take-Two settles "Hot Coffee" lawsuits". Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ Wilkinson, Cassandra (2007). Don't Panic!: Nearly Everything is Better Than You Think. Pluto Press Australia. pp. 144–147. ISBN 0-9802924-4-1.
  24. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U34MFcJdGCo
  25. ^ http://zeldaspeedruns.com/oot/generalknowledge/version-differences
  26. ^ Video Game Maker Drawing Fire for Violent Ads. Los Angeles Times. June 29, 1999
  27. ^ 10 Years Later, Romero Apologizes for Daikatana Tom's Hardware, May 18, 2010 (Article by Kevin Parrish)
  28. ^ Matt Casamassina (2001-03-02). "Conker's Bad Fur Day review". IGN. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  29. ^ "Staten Island 9/11 survivor disgusted by 'tasteless' Internet video game". SILive.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  30. ^ "Museum Backs 9/11 Game Exhibit | Features". Edge Online. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  31. ^ "9-11 Survivor (2003)". Serious Game Classification. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  32. ^ Julia Scheeres (2002-02-20). "Games Elevate Hate to Next Level". Wired. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  33. ^ Moore, Matthew (November 6, 2008). "Suicide bomber video game condemned by terror victims". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  34. ^ "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly". Game Informer. 11 (100): 17. 2001. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  35. ^ "Interview with Ryan Gordon: Postal2, Unreal & Mac Gaming - Macologist". Web.archive.org. 2005-03-09. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  36. ^ Schiesel, Seth (2007-10-29). "Under Glare of Scrutiny, a Game Is Toned Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  37. ^ "'Sims' content criticized". CNNMoney.com. 2005-07-28. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
  38. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/jfk-reloaded-picks-up-press-none-pretty/1100-6113828/
  39. ^ Holmes, T.J.; Betty Nguyen (November 7, 2007). "Transcripts - CNN Sunday Morning". CNN. Retrieved December 10, 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Hung, Yee (June 12, 2007). "Exploiting grief; bad taste, it appears, makes money". The Straits Times. p. 1.
  41. ^ Thompson, Clive (July 23, 2006). "Saving The World, One Video Game At a Time". The New York Times. p. 1.
  42. ^ Townsend, Emru (October 23, 2006). "The 10 Worst Games of All Time". PC World. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  43. ^ "The Punisher for PlayStation 2 (2005) MobyRank". MobyGames. 2005-01-18. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  44. ^ "Case Study: The Punisher". Sbbfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  45. ^ "Games Censorship: A to Z". Refused-Classification.com. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  46. ^ "The Punisher for PlayStation 2 (2005)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  47. ^ Zenke, Michael (2007-06-19). ""Boobies Did Not Break the Game": The ESRB Clears the Air On Oblivion". The Escapist. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  48. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2009-01-13. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2011-10-21. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  49. ^ Hayward, Andrew (2007-06-29). "Mind Quiz Yanked in UK for Offensive Term". 1up.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  50. ^ Musgrove, Mike (2006-08-17). "Fire and Brimstone, Guns and Ammo". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  51. ^ Greene, Richard (2006-12-14). "Christian video game draws anger". BBC. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  52. ^ Tapper, Jake; Miller, Avery (2006-12-04). "Faith-Based Killing? Critics Rip Christian Video Game". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  53. ^ Steve Butts. "IGN: Left Behind: Eternal Forces review". Pc.ign.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  54. ^ Kuchera, Ben (2006-12-13). "Left Behind: Eternal Forces review". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  55. ^ "GameSpy: Left Behind: Eternal Forces review". Pc.gamespy.com. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  56. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2007-06-11). "Church of England attacks use of cathedral in PS3's Resistance". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  57. ^ UK Politician Claims Games Feature Virtual Rape, Wired; see also RapeLay#Controversy
  58. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2006-11-15). "Rome mayor wants game banned". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  59. ^ Gibson, Ellie (2006-11-17). "505 Games responds to Rule of Rose controversy". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  60. ^ Martin, Matt (2006-11-24). "505 Games cans Rule of Rose". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  61. ^ "BioShock draws attention for 'killing' little girls". Gamepro. 2007-08-24. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  62. ^ Orland, Kyle (2007-08-23). "BioShock's Little Sister killing gets mainstream GFDDSFDFattention". Joystiq. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  63. ^ Fahey, Mike (2007-08-25). "Killing Little Girls". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  64. ^ "Jack Thompson Shocked by Bioshock TV Ads". GamePolitics.com. 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  65. ^ "Blog Archive » Conservative Blogger Claims ''Mass Effect'' Offers "Customizable Sodomy"". GamePolitics.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  66. ^ Schiesel, Seth (2008-01-26). "Author Faults a Game, and Gamers Flame Back". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
  67. ^ "Mass Effect Hits PC On May 6. Alien Sideboob Ahoy!". 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  68. ^ "'Spastic' video game is recalled". Metro.co.uk.
  69. ^ "Silent Hill Aussie Ban Update". IGN. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  70. ^ "'Muslim Massacre' computer game blasted in Britain". ABC News. 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  71. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (2008-10-20). "Sony recalls LittleBigPlanet over Quran quote in music". Machinist: Salon.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  72. ^ "Parents horrified as most violent video game ever to launch on 'family friendly' Wii". Mail Online. 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  73. ^ a b John, Tracey (2008-04-10). "Newsweek's N'Gai Croal On The 'Resident Evil 5′ Trailer: 'This Imagery Has A History'". MTV. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  74. ^ "Editorial: SAW Game Is Depraved And Inhumane; Konami Should Be Ashamed". Cinemablend. 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  75. ^ "Most Controversial Games of 2009". Game Daily. 2009-10-08. Archived from the original on 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  76. ^ Amrich, Dan (July 2, 2009). "Only on Xbox 360: Left 4 Dead 2". Official Xbox Magazine UK (49). Future Publishing: 43. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  77. ^ Ramadge, Andrew (2009-09-17). "Left 4 Dead 2 refused classification in Australia". News.com.au. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  78. ^ Jefferson, Willie (2009-07-14). "Racism in video games: The new norm?". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  79. ^ Kietzmann, Ludwig (2009-10-28). "New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism". Joystiq.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  80. ^ Crecente, Brian (2009-10-28). "Modern Warfare 2 Features Skippable Scene of Atrocities - Modern warfare 2 - Kotaku". Feeds.gawker.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  81. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (2009-11-09). "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 09 Nov 2009 (pt 0002)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2009-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  82. ^ Natalie Shoemaker (2012-03-11). "The most controversial moments in Call of Duty history". Geek.com. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
  83. ^ "Russians ban Modern Warfare 2 console versions for 'No Russian' mission - Neoseeker Forums". Neoseeker.com. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
  84. ^ "Modern Warfare 2 Map Removed Following Controversy". IGN.com. 2012-10-08.
  85. ^ New Video Game Will Let You Play as the Taliban, AOL News, August 13, 2010
  86. ^ Goodrich, Greg (2010-10-01). "Multiplayer Change | Medal of Honor — Coming October 12, 2010". Medal of Honor. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  87. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (2010-10-05). "Military stores won't carry Medal of Honor despite 'Taliban' change". Joystiq. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  88. ^ "Iraq War video game branded 'crass and insensitive' by father of Red Cap killed in action". Dailymail.co.uk. 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
  89. ^ Cork, Jeff (2011-02-20). "Fox News Blogger Continues To Beat The Bulletstorm Drum". Game Informer. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  90. ^ Goulter, Tom (May 19, 2011). "Slow news day leads to Portal 2 adoption "controversy"". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  91. ^ Cardona, Julian; Martinez-Cabrera, Alejandro (2011-02-17). "Cartel video game riles U.S.-Mexico border residents". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  92. ^ Purchese, Robert (2011-07-08). "Dead Island Developer Techland Disturbed by Feminist Whore Skill". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  93. ^ Martin, David (8 November 2012). "7 Navy SEALs disciplined for role with video game". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  94. ^ Dozier, Kimberly. "Pentagon cracks down on SEALs troops who spill secrets about their missions for profit". AP. Associated Press. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  95. ^ Dransfield, Ian. "Capcom Includes Paid DLC On The Disc, Hilariously". Play. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  96. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (March 16, 2012). "On-Disc DLC Outrage Is Off the Mark". GameSpot. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  97. ^ Griffiths, Daniel Nye (13 June 2012). "That Was Quick: Crystal Dynamics Responds On Tomb Raider Controversy". Forbes. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  98. ^ Schreier, Jason (13 June 2012). "Tomb Raider Creators Are No Longer Referring to Game's Attempted 'Rape' Scene As an Attempted Rape Scene". Kotaku. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  99. ^ Pitcher, Jenna (25 June 2013). "Saints Row 4 refused classification in Australia due to 'alien narcotics' and an 'Alien Anal Probe'". Polygon. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  100. ^ Pitcher, Jenna (2 August 2013). "Censored Saints Row 4 receives MA15+ rating in Australia". Polygon. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  101. ^ Pitcher, Jenna (5 August 2013). "Saints Row 4 in Australia barred from international co-op (update)". Polygon. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  102. ^ Crossley, Rob (15 August 2013). "Anger over 'rape scene' in Hotline Miami 2". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  103. ^ Chalk, Andy (23 October 2013). "The Stanley Parable Maker Promises to Change "Racist" Image". The Escapist. Retrieved 22 December 2013.