"watch in crystal clear, LCD, 54 inch screen, HD clarity as the video game “persons” hump in every form, format, multiple, gender-oriented possibility they can think of"

Damn, Mass Effect sounds a LOT more entertaining now! ;)

Geeze, this guy practically sounds like he's salivating. He sounds like he just heard about the general idea (shots of curves, some writhing, sound effects, etc, IE no worse than a PG-13 movie), and then let his imagination run wild...

I hope these people wipe their mouths after they finish going to the bathroom.

Will you please get an interview with this jackass and call him on the carpet for this? I was near speechless after reading that.

What?! What the--?! Huh?!

I'm seriously at a loss for words. Not even Wacko Jacko is this ill-informed. Every single word out of his mouth is a load of crap. Someone needs to run him out of his blog.

I own Mass Effect and it's NOTHING like that. The only "forms" you can adjust is the shape of your character's head and nothing else. They don't allow you to change their body shape or breast size like this stupid asshole claims. Also they don't even show sex in the "sex scene", so how the hell is this the most "realistic sex acts ever conceived" when they don't even show actual sex. They just show the characters naked in PG-13 form might I add where nipples and genitalia is never shown and the closest thing to full on nudity is a quick flash of an ass.

These people don't even try to do research anymore, they just make up a whole crap load of outrageous lies.

Wow. I haven't even played it yet and I know that guy's full of shit.

'then watch in crystal clear, LCD, 54 inch screen, HD clarity'

They'll be calling to ban displays like that next because they allow you to view such filth.

I know it's a cheap retort but that guy REALLY sounds like he can't get any. I might point out (again) that either his imagination and knowledge of human sexuality is below the level of an average 10-year old attending primary school or he's talking out of his arse.

"It’s called “Mass Effect” and it allows its players… to engage in the most realistic sex acts ever conceived."

Sure. Sue BioWare via Thompson's law firm. I'll fetch some popcorn.

That was an entertaining read... thanks GP. :)

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*Huge breath of air* HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAAHHAHAHhahahahahahah

Uninformed people are infuriatingly amusing. And I get to see the filth video again! Wonder how long before it gets pulled from YouTube for showing such depravity

Hey Dennis, why don't you contact this assclown and get an interview? Watching you decimate his statements line by line would be a real hoot!

@Trevor

I read your comment, well said.

same reaction to last time- bioware should sue for slander

People like this are the reason we have Bush in office.
People who are so moronic, so utterly mindless that they will make up completely far-fetched lies and throw them at a soft target, caring nothing for the target, but only for themselves.
People who use religion as an excuse for repression.
People who use ANYTHING as an excuse for repression.
May they all be thrown out of influence, and only have the capability to yell from their porch.

Please tell me this was a joke.... Please..... I really really really can't take this stupid shit anymore..... If I was on meds I'd be taking a double dose by now.

"And because of the digital chip age in which we live - “Mass Effect” can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.

With it’s “over the net” capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away."

Methinks this schmuck got ripped off at the store - the clerk probably replaced his copy of Mass Effect for a copy of some raunchy Japanese Eroge, and he was none the wiser.

Conservatives (especially the christian ones) may as well just try to outlaw sex. I don't understand this utter fear of sexuality.

@Zerodash

Call it sourgraping. Most guys rant against stuff they can't get on a regular basis.

@ Zerodash

without sexuality none of us would be here, so why are all of these uber christain conservatives going apeshit


we are currently facing a ton of shit coming from a fuckload of stupid

*smashes head against wall*

I'm surrounded in this world by idiots. I swear they will go after Smash Bros Brawl.

Wow, I think I just got my daily dose of conservative bullshit in about 15 seconds. Everything this guy is saying is a lie and anyone can tell that. Gamepolotics is starting to depress me because every time I visit the site this is the kind of bullshit I see. Gamers are just going to have to weather the storm for a few more generations until these kinds of knuckle heads have no say in anything.

"It’s called “Mass Effect” and it allows its players… to engage in the most realistic sex acts ever conceived."

.........sorry for the chatspeak as a response, but... ROFLMFAO.

"With it’s “over the net” capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away."

Excuse me sir, but... how exactly can one 'rape' over the internet? Unless it's, like, rigged on one end?

"[Presidential candidates] all probably assume they have better, much more important, urgent, timely, things to campaign on,"

Yes, they do. There's like, i dunno, THE WAR ON TERROR. Get out from under your rock, good sir.

"but I sure would like to get their individual takes on the new video game that one company is marketing to fifteen year old boys."

*cough readthedamnlabel cough*

"If a pre-teen, teen, young adult, or adult male plays such a game in which the women DO submit without choice, are made to appear as Barbie streetwalkers, and perform whatever act can be imagined, what’s to stop that same male from assuming that the women in his “other world” shouldn’t be forced to do the same."

Simple. Video games aren't the Matrix. They don't download things into people's heads. I assume next you're going to say cameras steal people's souls?

The pristine ignorance in this article is astounding. And here I thought research into the games would be paramount to someone willing to bash them. *sigh*

This is so over the top, I'd think it was a joke.

Wow....i mean wow

Pretty much what we've come to expect from that side of the political divide. Make up as much as possible and appeal to ignorance and then hope that others take what you say as gospel and repeat it as fact.

If anyone was planning to read through the comments, on that website, really don't bother. Save yourself the migraine.

@chuma

"If anyone was planning to read through the comments, on that website, really don’t bother. Save yourself the migraine."

No. Austin asociated gamers with the likes of trekkies. This means war.

I'm a Gundam Otaku, damn it!

*No offense to the real Star Trek fans.

@Chuma

QUOTE
------------------------------

If anyone was planning to read through the comments, on that website, really don’t bother. Save yourself the migraine.

------------------------------


Oh! if only I had read your advice sooner! *cries*

@Wookiee

No effing idea. Austin probably thought it would be "clever" to associate us "antisocial" gamers to the likes of another poorly understood niche group.

It just reveals his bigotry.

" …And because of the digital chip age in which we live - “Mass Effect” can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.

With it’s “over the net” capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away."

Damn I must not be putting the right points into my character. I have neither Customized Sodomy nor Virtual Orgasmic Rape as my options when interacting with a female NPC.

This McCullough is an epic moron >_>.

Some of us are still participating in their comments section. It's amazing how people are defending the guy even while admitting he may have the facts wrong.

Indeed, Lovely. After reading all of that, it's all I can do to keep from tracking down some poor, innocent conservative and shaking him witless for letting such idiotic smacktards into his club.

@Viking

Idiocy has no borders my friend.

i posted a thread on bioware forums but locked within seconds.

apparently 'thanks for pointing out. but politics discussion is not allowed'

gesz if companies dont stand up to this BS then things wont get better.

If you keep on doing what you've always done you'll always get what you've always gotten.

I'm not going to enter my personal information on that site, but would someone please tell austin to go youtube the scene (point out to him that porn can't be put on youtube) so he'll realize what an ass he's being. Also point out the scene is only about 1 minute and not 3

I just had to comment on that website after seeing that moron David Austin.

I mean really since when are you able to create characters to have sex with, I must have missed it on my first play through.

BTW allot of you guys are doing great with your arguments. As long as we can stay above name calling and personal insults (which so far we have) we could be persuasive.

Try Playing the game next time you wanna start spouting utter bullshit to the general public dipshit.

What a crock of bullshit propaganda just to get server hits.

Hell, whatever game they're confusing with Mass Effect here, can I please get a copy of it?

@Sean

I think JT is avoiding any sex related game issues since his gay porn fiasco. He'll stick to violence.

Thank god the conservatives *I* know are too busy playing all these here vidya gamez to join in the criticism.

MMmmmm.... smells like... sanity. If only the rest of the world would join in.

I'm sure it's coming.

And it will be wonderful and funny and sad.

....like pretty much everything Jacko gets involved with...

[...] Game Politics reports that McCullough, the author of MuscleHead Revolution: Overturning Liberalism with Commonsense Thinking, in an effort to encourage censorship of video games, has written an article at TownHall.com spewing lies about the popular RPG Mass Effect. [...]

@ Sean

No. It's not a T2/R* game. He doesn't care about anything else in the industry. Save for a scant few like Halo, Doom, Mortal Kombat, and Counter-Strike, he doesn't mention ANY other sandbox games or other M Rated titles, like Saints Row, Dead Rising, Resident Evil, or anything of the sort.

He's obsessed with 'taking down/destroying' T2, like they're some sort of embodiment of the entire industry to him.

O.k., this is so wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start. First off, Mass effect refers to a principal of science in the game that involves creating a zero mass field around an object such as a space ship to allow it to be hyper-accelerated to extreme FTL speeds allowing for quick traversing between star clusters, not for whatever this fellow thinks it may mean.

As for customization, you can change your avatar's (player model) face, skin, hair, and eye color. Nothing else. Nada, zip, zilch. No body type configuration, no breast enhancement surgery, not even to adjust the player height. As a sign of good journalism, perhaps this fellow should actually purchase and test said game before he ever starts harping on it, but then again, what journalist does research? I mean heaven help us if they actually present real facts instead of good-speak.

As for game play, you play a Human marine Commander in the near future who's mission is to prevent a deluded and homicidal alien from using an army of androids from destroying all organic life as we know it. In order to do that the player must traverse alien worlds looking for clues as to this alien's plan and engaging enemy forces in order to save civilian lives from murder and mutilation from said androids. In a nut shell, classic space opera stuff, you know, like Star Wars or Dune, or Buck Rodger for you really old people out there.

As for this 'graphic sex scene' if is a five minute sub-plot in the game between the main character and either a human woman or an mono-gendered alien if your player is male, or with a human male or same mono-gendered alien if the player is female. It's not forced upon the player to do said sub-plot, and there is quite a bit of explanations before hand with the possible 'choices' saying that they wish to wait. As for the 'graphic' nature of it, frankly, the movies Ghost and Top Gun had more graphic love scenes in them, and they were from the 1980's. Of course, this is discounting the fact that the game is rated M due to violence related to fighting the before mentioned evil alien and his army of robots, but why confuse the issue with the facts, right? After all, it is required for retailers to verify that the individual purchasing said title is over 18 years old, and it's the responsibility of the parents to know what they are buying their child before they purchase it, correct? After all, both Democrats and Republicans have been harping on and on about parental rights and family values, then something as simple as parental responsibility would be a minor issue, wouldn't it?

It doesn't take a uber-geek or a basement dwelling social outcast to see this stuff, but it does take a deluded fool who doesn't even do even the most basic of subject research, which most journalism students would point out, I might add.

What? I thought Mass Effect was about some guy trying to save the universe from an evil alien...and having sex with one but, what the heck Star Treck did it first.

Sorry for the double post, but that artice seems to be down now.

Never mind, it's back up, but with lots of errors in the script it seems.

"Destructoid" Sorry 'bout that.

"My kingdom for an edit button!"

Wow. Love ignoramus' spreading slapping their bullshit up where ever it'll stick. What an ass clown, the "sex scene" (if you can call it that) was PG in nature, you could see more T&A on prime time television. Make me a bicycle clown!

And don't miss McCullough's... um... "comment" about it on Townhall's blog :

http://kevinmccullough.townhall.com/blog/g/82597684-a9b5-419f-b2d8-251bc...

"Why Ron Paul Supporters do not wish to protect children...

It's a frightening world.

And one of the reasons I am growing to hate libertarians: they live in denial. Read the comments following. And for the record, I saw three kids last week, purchase "M" rated video games at a local Best Buy - with no ID check whatsoever...
But that's why libertarians are not conservatives. Conservatives acknowledge God's morality, libertarians shoot Him the middle finger..."

Wow, and here I thought the previews outburst about Mass Effect couldn't be topped. And you can't design a breast size.

Not that I tried to find a way for 20 minutes or anything...

How the hell did I play Mass Effect from start to finish and NEVER put it in someone's butt, alien or not. Damnit, I want my customizable sodomy!

WOW.... I am forced to believe that this is a hoax and was set up to be a kind of sting as to the idiocy of the politicians trying to enact legislation. That he set this whole thing up, and very elaborately planned this. That this man is a genius of a massive scale. Please do not kill my faith in humanity, please do not tell me that it is real. I don't think I could deal with stupidity of a level directly proportional to the genius it would require to pull of this stunt as a hoax.

"My tears cry for oppression of their creator's mind"
-Me

@Ben Ambroso
Maybe cause you probably weren't actively searching out like some people ;)

Geez, I want to know what version of Mass Effect he's playing and how much it costs.

I just sent this email to the author, let's see what I get in response...

Hello and thank you for taking the time out to read my email, I would like to take you up on your recently written article: The "sex-Box" race for president, I am not one for nitpicking, yet nor for issuing blanket statements, therefore I would like to address you on the key factors where some glaring mistakes were made in your article.

I own the game Mass Effect, it is a highly interactive story in which you control a commander *insert whatever first name you want here* Shepard, he and his squad of 6 (interchangable members) are on a mission to stop a cycle that has repeated every 50,000 years, I don't want to go into details because if you ever play it I would hate to ruin the story for you

Anyway on to the first issue with your article:

One can custom design the shape, form, bodies, race, hair style, breast size of the images they wish to “engage”

No, I am afraid that that part of the article alone is rife with inaccuracy, for example: your customisation is limited to the following: Gender, colour (of the human spectrum), hair style and facial features (Facial hair, freckles, eye/nose shaping that sort of thing) and then you may also tweak the backstory, allowing for a deeper understanding of your characters history (including scars if your Commander Shepard has them). There is no possible way to alter the size of the breasts (on a female character), the shape/height of the body or the race of your Commander Shepard.

My Cmdr Ben Shepard for example was an Earthborn soldier who survived a thresher maw incident on the planet Akuze, he had brown hair, a small scar over his right eye and a goatee growing, as well as slight blemishing across his face.

next bit:

video game “persons” hump in every form, format, multiple, gender-oriented possibility they can think of…

A bit over the top don't you think? there are a grand total of 3 possible love interests for your character, The Asari (all Asari are physically female): Liara T'soni, the human female soldier: Ashley Williams and The Human male Sentinel: Kaidan Alenko. As a subplot (IE like a side quest) a male Cmdr Shepard may choose to romance Ashley Williams or Liara T'soni, and a female may romance Kaidan Alenko or Liara, (the Asari being a monogendered race, it is not considered homosexual).

The romance subplot is one that guides your character into a symbiotic bond with the NPC of their choosing, ensuring that they do not come to harm or feel upset by their actions, a romance can be broken by actions just as simple as killing a hostage crime lord out of spite, for the more sensitive characters like Liara at least.

There is, to my understanding, one proper "sex scene" in the game, and that involves the Commander and his love interest (Liara in my case) embracing and then ending up on the bed, there is a brief flash of Liara's bottom, that is it, the rest is too dark to see, but is comprised of kisses in a very dark environment.

There are no visible breasts, Genatalia or other such reproductive organs that even a Thompson follower could find offensive.

Nitpick number 3:

the women DO submit without choice, are made to appear as Barbie streetwalkers, and perform whatever act can be imagined

No No No, the love interest of your choosing will come to your character after he was faced with an impossible decision which [SPOILERS] involved the death of one of his close friends and crew members [/SPOILER] she comes to comfort him as your character is visibly depressed by the choice that he was forced to make, they eventually get on to the subject of their relationship with one another (provided you took the time out to actually build a relationship with a character), this leads to the darkened lovemaking scene in which there is only one sexual act, which you can not interact with nor modify, the only thing that will be different for players is the facial features and skin colour of their Commander Shepard, the rest is all scripted in to the scene, no position choices or anything of that sort.

Issue number 4/5 (this is a small one so I am going to put them together)

And because of the digital chip age in which we live - “Mass Effect” can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.

With it’s “over the net” capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away.

Right those paragraphs are absolutely VOID of facts, as I said before, there are 3 possible love interests in the game, and the lovemaking scene which has been so overblown is little more than a brief 50 second interaction with the love interest of your choosing.

and "over the net capabilities?" If you are refering to XBox live, then I would have to point out that this is a terrible misinterpretation of the facts, this game has no online play, the universe of mass effect spans the entire milky way, sees your character through a ton of star systems, nebulae, star clusters and individual planets, each one being wildly different from the rest, unlike an MMO (like Guild wars), when you play mass effect, your only companions are the virtual characters who you choose to be in your squad, apart from that you are alone.

There is the possibility to download content into the game, (with none released as of yet however) such as new weapons, vehicles, characters and planets, there is no possibility of downloading "virtual orgasmic rape" into the game at all, and you would have to be of a very unsound mind to even want to in the first place! All content that is downloadable over XBox live is content made by the producers of the game in question, Microsoft game studios themselves and approved third party software developers (however the final option is generally for software that you get onto the dashboard itself, not actual in game material), this "virtual orgasmic rape" which you claim is possible to attain can be found only within the head of the author of the article.

Since it seems that you are absent any firsthand knowledge of the game I will try and explain to you one more time "THERE IS NO RAPE, SEX SCENE CUSTOMISATION, GENATILIA, DOWNLOADABLE PORN OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT IN MASS EFFECT!"

To finalise this message I would also like to point out to you that the game is rated M 17+ in the states and BBFC 12 in the UK (where I live, however I plan on moving to LA as soon as I get out of college, there is a university in LA teaching nanotech which I am interested in)

The game is rated as such for:

Moderate graphic violence
1 Mild/ Moderate sexual scene
Use of Mild language

The rest of the stuff belongs only in your head I am afraid sir.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email, I hope for a reply (my address is included), as I would like to get to understand where your view of the game comes from, may I also suggest that you buy the game, there is in excess of 100 hours of fun and storytelling to be had from it and the story is told in the style of a JRR Tolkien novel, definitely worth a playthrough if you get the chance!

Thank you again, hope you get back to me!

Ben

What an irresponsible article - clearly the writer has had no contact with the game beyond the posted youtube video. The details he describes are beyond exaggerations, they are complete fabrication.

@ rdeegvainl

Well, considering that Wrex is a humped back monitor lizard from hell with a shoot first, don't ask questions attitude, and Garrus is a hawk eyed, armored skin security officer for Citadel Security who is impatient about standard rules and proceedure for law enforcement; I'd have to say, yes, it's a joke.

This is the source of propaganda. People who listen to this guy will take his word as truth and we will have an army of people calling for the heads of the company that is putting customizable, virtual pron in the hands of our poor children, instead of reading Penthouse like good Christian boys!

If only it were true. I'd be grabbing a copy... lol.

@ jonc2006

Agreed, Thompson as at his own prostate, this guy is looking at his own tonsils.

Wow, he must have gotten a special edition, because mine is nothing like that. I think I might have to complain to Best Buy for not selling me the good version.

In all seriousness, this seems like a random attack on something he doesn't understand for reasons he heard from someone else who didn't understand what they were talking about. Well, at least we won't have to worry about missing Jack, because we seem to have another in training.

Damn. Just...damn.

I've read or listened to a lot of overly-sensationalized crap, but this is inexcusable and not funny at all. This article just reeks of lies and defamation.

@MrKenyon

I read his response. He didn't actually respond to a single thing I said other than that I was a Christian.

Play the game before you make this moron publish shit like this.

I didn't think we would ever see someone more out of touch, willfully ignorant and bigoted than JT. But after reading the comments of this David Autsin fellow, it looks like we've found one.

It's also very troubling to think there's someone out there who thinks the same way he does. You wonder how many more are out there.

That comment was not directed at gamepolitcs, but the moron who wrote the article. And for the last time, stop assuming all Christians are like these people. Some of us are rather nromal folk who DON'T throw our religon in other peoples face and who do not aprpeciate illogical, misinformed, ignorant, radical, hate-speech like this guy write. Don't blame all christians for the wrokings of a few.

Ahem...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

That just brightened up my day. Thank you.

Fuck that this guy and his godamn dont even deverse my coment its obvious he never played it

So what if it does?

It's rated Mature, after all.

What if people who buy the game like "customizable sodomy"?

Well as long as we arnt even trying anymore....

Jack Thompson supports and enjoys taking part in the maiming and murdering of puppies and kittens

McCullough sexually assulted my grandma

McDonalds Chicken Nuggets are made out of unlucky 6 year old orphans

Liz Woolley runs a brothel

The british PM has an impressive collection of knives and "loves to test them out of random people"

India just flat out sucks

and Leeland Lee is an illiterate mentally handicapped senator with an IQ of 6

Well that meets my crazy baseless insulting quota for...today

CURRENT EVENTS FACT (that was not just created it is real I swear to God)

-100% of the Catholic priests convicted of sexual abuse of minors [could] PLAY MASS EFFECT [if they had access to an] XBOX 360.

-Osama bin Laden is [possibly] playing Assassin's Creed RIGHT NOW and [might] use it to plan new terror attacks on the U.S.A.['s unprotected castles, souks, and Templar headquarters. Which we have so many of.]

Penny Arcade's picked up on Kevin's article. Which probably means Kevin is soon to be carbonized by the intense, searing heat emanating from all the flames directed at him.

So.... normal day at Townhall? They are all like that there, you know.

Said it once, say it again.

WHERE IS BIOWARE and WHY AREN"T THEY SUING THIS LYING BASTARD?

That is all .

At no point do half the things he says in this article occur in the game. Clearly he never played it, only heard third hand (incorrect) information and made terrible assumptions.

I hope BioWare picks up on this and sues the article writer and website for slander.

i posted on teh bioware forums and was told i cant post it its politics n got the thread shut.

if bioware dont want to do anything then they are letting me down as a gamer.

You see! Super Mario Galaxy is a game filled with smut and rape! Mario sodomizes children and Peach whores herself out on the street in graphic scenes featuring graphic homosexual intercourse!

See? I can make shit up too. Lets see what I can do to another game.

You see! Left Behind is a game filled with smut and rape! Some people sodomize children and others whore themselves out on the street in graphic scenes featuring graphic homosexual intercourse!

I wonder who else I can make stuff up for!

You see! Rock Band is a game filled with...

I can do this all day.

THE PAGE IS DOWN!! does this mean victory??

EPIC FAILBOAT FOR THE IDIOT WHO WROTE IT!

You know, I bought this game after his glowing review and I'm very disappointed. 6 hours of gameplay and my character still hasn't had wild sex.

//Anyone want to wager about what were those responses?//

About 5 of them being related to the subject at hand and the rest bickering about political party views and a n00b going saying how his "pwnt"ing everyone and mocking them as well regardless of the person's party even if their on his side (seriously, "pwnt"? You can't "pwnt" anything, it's a true n00b at work!)

The sad part is, some of the people who posted on there were for this guy's opinion and wanting it banned. Some people just take things at face value and don't bother researching the topic for themselves, and it's sad when they bring others in the bunch as well, creating a nation of idiots.

[...] Mass Effect features “customizable sodomy” - I don’t know whether he realizes it or not, but conservative blogger Kevin McCullough just so happens to use the Internet. An Internet that is home to some of the most out-of-bounds, mind-boggling acts of sexuality available on the face the planet. How he considers Mass Effect to feature “the most realistic sex acts ever conceived,” we may never know. I always thought that, you know, “doin’ the dirty” was the most realistic one could get. What follows is an entry so out of control that all it needs is the Onion logo in the corner. [...]

@ altair

the term is rocism, and i for one am also sick of the anti-robotic fiction in the media today portraying AIs as nothing more than mindless killers....

:p

NovaBlack, Bioware already knows.

This is EXACTLY why we have slander laws on the books. if the makers of Mass Effect don't sue this guy . . . than there is almsot no hope.

I find it funny that this article won't last long. there is no way with the attention it is getting. the final straw to it was when tycho put it in his last post. now you know they will be getting millions (from PA, Kotaku, Game politics and Destructoid) of people flooding the site with only 1 or 2 people backing him up in the most basic of senses. Even they agree he is lying though. I won't be surprised if this article vanishes from the site considering it isn't even news, its slander. But I will be surprised if the douche writes an apology about how he lied.

Aresil:

You have no idea how long I've been campaigning against these so-called "zombie" and "survival horror" games. Undead-Americans and Biologically Mutated Americans alike have been tragically stigmatized due to these "hate experiments." D: My friend, Duke Phillippe Lasrande of the Eternal Night, was turned away from a blood bank recently because they weren't going to cater to "the damned." Vampire-Americans, and indeed all Undead-Americans, deserve better than that!

Mr. McCullough

I must say I found your column on “Mass Effect” to be grossly inaccurate and wonder where you got your information, or if you have even bothered to play the game before condemning it and making false claims.

“The objections to such filth should be simple to understand.

Starting with the disgusting idea that one can "create" their own versions of what people look like, removing warts, moles, and bald spots while enhancing - shall we say - the extended features of the game's characters tends to objectify women, sex, and human relationships. Right? We can all agree on this?”

The idea behind allowing the player to create his or her own character is to make the game more personal to each individual who plays. The player can tweak (to an extent) the aesthetic of the character to his or her personal preference. Should it be written into law that every movie/television/game character be covered in warts, moles and bald spots?

Well a player can choose to cultivate a relationship in the game, the optional subplot is handled with a great deal of restraint and maturity. The characters even deciding to wait to presue a physical relationship, only at the end of the game does anything happen and then it’s no worse then anything on television, in fact it’s a lot tamer then anything in a James Bond movie.

“Then there's the dishonesty behind the game' title. "Mass Effect" sounds like a war game with a deadly virus that is spreading unless the GI-Joes are able to defeat the evil and deadly substance and it's covert war plan. By it's design, kids could ask for it, or for their parents' Best Buy Card to go purchase it with nary a raised eye-brow. Generic, non-descriptive, and relatively harmless.”

Dishonesty? Mass Effect refers to an in game reaction that powers the starships and allows for interstellar travel, there is no attempt at dishonesty. The game case has in right on front an M rating. An M rating means the game is meant for ages 17+ a sizable portion of the market. On the back of the case is again the M rating with a brief description of the content of the game (in Mass Effects case Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence). If a parent decides to allow there child to play the game that is there choice, not yours, not the governments. If a parent doesn’t bother to check the ESRB rating before purchasing that is their fault, not the developers.

“Now if I have trouble with my son taking his James Bond 007 games a little too emotionally, imagine the powerful effect that hormones add to the mix when the player's own character is copulating like jack rabbits with super-models, actresses, and anyone else they can spend the patience to create, name, and "put into play."

I hear the libertarian Ron Paul's answer already, "Government has no business censoring freedom of expression." Figures, he's a libertarian.”

Well James Bond is notorious for objectifying women in whatever medium, that is your choice. If you have a problem with Mass Effect fine, don’t let your kid play it, but that’s where it ends. Government has no business regulating something as tame as what’s found in Mass Effect.

“In the race for President there has been a lot of discussion about faith and it's impact on the lives of the individual candidate. Some pretty inane ones like Carl Cameron's less lucid moment this past week when he posed the inquiry about marital submission to Governor Mike Huckabee.

Yet here's a question that deserves to be asked, and in all likelihood will not be: "How much moral judgement should the President push into legislative issues that are likely to severely damage our children's innocence, function, and capability?"

I hear the nay-sayers claiming I'm being the wild and crazed Bible thumper I've always been - but its a worthwhile question isn't it?”

Would you have government regulate movies, television and literature? If so to what extent?

Speaking of the Bible, would you regulate or censor it? How many acts of violence against others have been inspired by the Bible? Most famously Leviticus 20:13 reads “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman both of them must be put to death; their blood is on their own heads.”. How many acts of violence have been committed against homosexuals based on this verse or others like it? Should the government be allowed to censor and regulate Holy Books? If not why?

“If a pre-teen, teen, young adult, or adult male plays such a game in which the women DO submit without choice, are made to appear as Barbie streetwalkers, and perform whatever act can be imagined, what's to stop that same male from assuming that the women in his "other world" shouldn't be forced to do the same.

We now know because of the lengthy track record of serial killer after another that addictive use of pornography was prevalent in case after case - long before the switch got flipped and what their masturbatory imaginations have given into became what they were forcing real live human beings to do.”

What’s to stop them? Common Sense, the realization that they are playing a game that is not intended to be a reflection of reality.

Well your serial killer reference is accurate, how many people view porn? How many of them go on to become serial killers? Is porn addiction the cause of there violence or a symptom of some deeper problem? Is the Bible the cause of abortion clinic bombings/shootings? Did the Bible cause Paul Jennings Hill to murder Dr. John Britton? Video Games are an easy target for those unwilling to look closer at the problems society faces. If one where to censure video games on the grounds that they can have a potential negative impact on a tiny fraction of the population then one must also allow for the censure of the Bible which itself has been the inspiration for indefensible acts of violence.

“And because of the digital chip age in which we live - "Mass Effect" can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.
With it's "over the net" capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away. “
Sodomy? Further proof that you have not played the game or viewed the material in question. No where in the game is sodomy depicted. What is present wouldn’t warrant anything higher then a PG-13 rating at the absolute most if where in a movie.

It’s a pity that you seem dead set against this game, one which it is safe to assume you have not bothered to play or even do any serious research about. Instead you see fit to make an issue of something unworthy of serious attention. That you feel this should be an issue of national importance is telling. If a country can censor one form of expression what is to stop it from censoring others? If one is willing to censor Video Games, then why not TV, Film, Literature? Why not the news? The Internet?

It is time for the world to wake up. Video Games are no longer solely the realm of children. It now includes, indeed is chiefly, made of teens and adults. As such the material produced will reflect the taste of its audience.

Sincerely
Jimbo

Are you guys sure he is not describing what he wants from a video game?

Novablack;

The only time to REALLY worry is when this guy is as popular as Oprah because "she has the power to destroy entire industries with a mere utterence". As it stands, he's a nobody until he started saying bad things about the Vidya and Ron Paul. THat's it. Look at the blog. VERY few people agree with his views. Not even non gamers want anything to do with him. Heck, the comments article even had a concerened parent who was at first shoked at the blog becaus she couldn't believe what the game contents according to him, but after she had done research and getting info from her son, even she's questioning him.

Besides, Bioware suing this guy will only make things worse. It'll only make Bioware look like the bad guy, and it would look like they were trying to censor his views. And as we all know, everyone believes the victim more.

Well played Cyberskull.

i hardly think bioware suing him after saying their game permits

'over the net orgasmic rape'


is making bioware look bad.



and yeah, but were do you draw the line, do you say to 100 small fry journalists, its ok if you spout this crap because you dont have many readers?

i mean if you add them all up its a LOT of misinformation thats being spread.

if we dont tackle it everywhere then we mayaswell not bother at all. Besides how can you justifiably attack ppl like oprah (say she was spouting it) and justify how you havent ever defended games to anyone else making the same points.

Oprah herself could have heard it from a journalist who heard it from a journalist who heard it from a site like this.


nip it in the bud, just my Opinion.

Oh god this was hilarious. To people honestly think they can rant on with outright fallacies such as this and not get called on it?

@Skylar:

To paraphrase one of the skits on Family Guy:

"Oh, sorry Jack, but you need 100 IQ points to live."

@Trevor Mcgee:

Yeah, how dare you disagree with him!

@Zen:

Yeah it's called lying, sadly very effective.

@Demontestament:

You obviously don't have the 'orgasmic rape' mod installed on the game... Maybe he can hook you up with it?

@Blaine:

Got the day marked already on my 2028 calendar.

@Al:

I just wonder if Austin and Captain Fail-Hard got together and had a pow-wow or something?

This is turning into the RE5 'racist' scandal all over again. Take shelter.

@Jimbo

That was a great fucking rebuttal, no doubt.

So, is he basing his beliefs that because the name of the game is "Mass Effect" that the game is all about sex?

@darrelBt

do you have a link?

@DarrelBT: You kind of echo my concerns over Bioware suing this guy. No good comes from looking too heavy handed and threatening legal action over anyone that doesn't like your game. On the other hand, Kevin might have crossed some lines that he shouldn't have.
The bottom line is that Bioware probably isn't really damaged by this. The number of people who would have bought Mass Effect if not for this article is probably pretty small; people who are on the fence about buying it probably wouldn't be swayed by a political blog. The exception is if this article is cited by a politician as a reason for investigating Bioware or threatening legislation because of Bioware's highly successful 'virtual orgasmic rape simulator.' Then this has become damaging to Bioware's trade.
I can see Bioware not caring too much about this as long as it's not picked up by anyone who actually matters - the government or investors. If either of those groups starts complaining because they heard that Bioware sells porn to children, according to Kevin McCollough, then Bioware can act.

@Father Time

And they are Canadian, so they are probably looking at us Yanks why sipping a Molson and thinking, "What a bunch of ****ing idiots, eh?"

I finished playing through Mass Effect just yesterday. The cut-scene in question is PG-13 in nature (no breasts and two shots of the Asari NPC's blue rear end). There was no intercourse visible at any time during the scene, as is amply evident from the video provided with this article.

The fact that the right wing-nuts have to make up their own controversy in order to get any attention for themselves just proves how pointless most of their ramblings really are. They rail and moan about the "liberal media", then turn around and create an entirely fabricated story as evidence of an issue that does not exist.

As an American citizen and registered voter, I know which candidates won't be getting my vote in this or any foreseeable election!

i was gonna go to that site to tear that guy a new one, but i see that every comment there already has.

he's confusing Mass Effect with Virtually Jenna.

[...] Blogger Kevin McCullough attacks the Xbox 360 game Mass Effect is this poorly written and grossly inaccurate rant. We became aware of this disturbing piece of “journalism” thanks to this post at Game Politics. I do not want to waste the space to quote from McCullough’s piece and point out the numerous misrepresentations. As it is, Game Politics did an impressive job of limiting their selections. Suffice it to say that McCullough has so many mistakes in his story that once they’re removed, there isn’t much of an article left. [...]

Hmm, clearly I was playing the wrong Mass Effect. :(
Where can I get a copy of this ME with such varied options for virtual sodomy? :D

ldonyo, actually there were side boobs visible in all for variations of the game romances. Side boobs automatically make the game AO. >.>

What.

What.


I...I mean, I'm not even angry about this.

I'm just...

Hahahaha.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is the most fucking funny thing I've ever read. Seriously, wow. This is like claiming a pencil is the most deadly weapon ever created.

@Father Time:

Actually wasn't it only 10? But yeah, that's what I was referring to, lol. (Now watch it either air on FOX or Cartoon Network in the next 12 hours... :P)

GIR! Quit messing around with that thing! You're emitting deadly waves of STUPID!

:D

~Otaku-Man

This guy is what the japanese call BAKA.

Christ, I just read this and I was absolutely amazed at how many bullshit lies he spewed out.

emailing the author won't do any good. I would personally love to see Bioware sue for libel. The tasteful use of sex in Mass Effect (portrayed as a bigger deal in the game than in most movies I might add) could serve as an example of the medium's ability to tackle adult topics with maturity. I'm willing to bet that even the most conservative politicians (provided they are honest and not lying media whores) would not find anything to criticize.

A TownHall columnist, making stuff up? Who would've thunk it?

I've made it a point to write thoughtful emails to the writers of each of these Mass Effect articles. I don't bash them, or their opinions. Instead I point out how their lack of research cripples their arguments and makes them look foolish. By attacking the one thing they respect, their own credibility, perhaps we can get them to think more carefully about what they write about important games like Mass Effect in the future.

He wrote a response to the criticism.

http://kevinmccullough.townhall.com/blog/g/ad4fece3-3a1e-42bd-8546-29559...

Oh look, he took the worst example he could find and used that to stereotype gamers as a whole. Who could possibly see that strategdy coming?

You know, I could have sworn Social Darwinism tried that out about a hundred years ago when they filled the skulls of white people with marbles and compared it to the skulls of mentally disabled black people so they could feel better about themselves for paying black people less.

History repeats itself. The hatred may change but politicians are crocs. They evolved early to the point of asshole perfection and haven't changed since.

Pharisees in ALL relgions ruin everything.

Just like Furries.

I'm not gonna reply to that 'response' of his. My blood pressure isn't worth it. And hey, at the end he invokes 'god' as an argument. Yeah, +1 to zealotry, -30 to intelligence.

Here's the email I sent him:

Subject: You have forfeited your honor as a journalist.

Kevin McCullough,

You have publicly, and falsely, accused a party of promoting rape porn. In your words:

"And because of the digital chip age in which we live - 'Mass Effect' can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.

With it's 'over the net' capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away."

All of the above, as you've seen — but failed to admit — is false.

Judging by your latest blog entry, I don't think you quite understand what it means to make that kind of false accusation.

It isn't just that it's libel — which it quite clearly is.

You see, Kevin, journalists have a responsibility to speak the truth. It's what they're trusted to do. It's what honor — simple, human honor — binds them to do.

And when they fail in that responsibility, as you have, when they break that trust, as you have, then they do one of two things. They apologize, retract, and make amends, or they fail again — fail to admit when they're wrong — and become known as liars for the rest of their careers.

Ten falsehoods in one short article, Kevin? Ten? That's not just dishonesty; that's impressive. Impressive enough that Michael Moore would stand up and salute.

Now, maybe you didn't mean to lie. Maybe you just built the article on hearsay, and built on that with your own imagination — but how much better is that, really? For a journalist, I mean. Are we talking about dishonesty or incompetence here? Which is it?

And you know what's worse? When you had a chance to own up and admit it to it all, what did you do? You called names, and printed more falsehoods. "Guy on guy," Kevin? No. False. Again.

You've dishonored yourself. You've dishonored this site. You've dishonored the Republican party. And, if the Ninth Commandment has anything to say about it, you've gone against God as well.

I will give you this: You've gotten Republicans and Democrats to agree on something. And that, well, that's impressive too.

So that means i should be a ugly, asocial, rapist serial killer with no life whatsoever. Oh, wait, I'm not! That means his logic fails!

Jokes aside, i don't know what this guy was thinking. Or if he were thinking at all. I'm Christian (only on paper though, i'm not really a believer), and if i'm not misinformed, i think one of the seven deadly sins is lying? So yeah, he's going to hell.

Whatever game he was playing.. I want that one! My version of Mass Effect is obviously a cheap knock off!

@ Dennis

Could you possibly get an interview with this guy and call him on his bullshit? This guy created an entirely different version of Mass Effect in his head and is attempting to use this false image of the game to attack video games as a whole. Please tell me you plan to contact him and get his response to being totally and completely full of shit. I really want to see what nonsense he'll try and make up to get out of the hole he dug himself into.

By the way, I posted a blog about this on Destructoid.com, the link to my blog is in my name, just click it if you wish to check it out. It might be amusing to some of the other readers here. I, however, must warn that it was written in anger so it contains quite a bit of foul language and possibly inappropriate sarcasm. Oh, and it's probably not written very well either, heh. But, check it out any way if you wish. If you're a member don't be afraid to comment.

~Trevor McGee

I dunno. That looked kinda gross to me. Sex with alien chicks? Despite what sci-fi tells us, the chances aliens look anything like us are pretty dang slim. Let alone have reproductive facilities that wouldn't make us puke.

But nit-picking aside.

It's easy for us to blow this guy off. We've grown up seeing worse than this all over the TV. While religious purists usually don't even own TVs. (After seeing the up coming line up of reality TV shows, I'm starting to come around to their way of thinking. Farmer Needs a Bride anyone?) So for them, this IS pornographic. But this IS the land of the FREE. We can do whatever we want and these games are labeled with an age rating. If parents are buying it for their kids, that's a lack of parental responsibility and not the fault of the game publisher. Should we go after gun manufacturers because some drunk loser left his pistol out where his five year old could get to it? If we stopped everyone who made something people found offensive then society as we know it would grind to a halt. Frankly because I can point to anything, anywhere, at any time, and there will be someone out there offended by it.

Unfortunately nothing anyone says would matter to a person like this. There are far too many people in the world that jump to a conclusion and take it as a personal insult if someone disagrees. In a massive complex world made up of billions of miles and billions of people, it's utterly illogical to be closed off by new ideas and opinions. Keep your minds open and don't let ego stop you from coming to terms with new ideas and concepts otherwise we fall into the same pit as political and religious extremists... and Jack Thomson.

This has already been mentioned, but it bears repeating, loud and clear. I also said it in the previous Mass Effect chucklefest:

The game got a 12+ age rating (as in 'suitable for most children) from the BBFC. The same organization that is trying to leverage the UK high court to super-doubleplus-ban Manhunt 2, so they're not exactly an ultra-liberal establishment.

Mass Effect is less raunchy than Star Trek. There, I said it. There was an episode of Enterprise that involved a vulcan hot oil massage. THAT showed more skin than the 10-second scene (out of a 20+ hour game) in Mass Effect.

Bioware must be laughing their arses off here, because, honestly, they could never have predicted the amazing, world-shattering controversy this incredibly mild (again, 10 second!) scene would generate. And of course, they've got nothing to defend, as they've done nothing to offend. Most of the controversy is the chinese whispers effect, each conservative news-source somehow blowing the story up further and further from the truth.

Spectacular, insane, hilarious.

Well Kevin responded to all the controversy in his blog by basically saying we is right and all the gamers that wrote him are pathetic.

http://kevinmccullough.townhall.com/blog

Thankfully he isn't anywhere near us here in Europe or he would have a heart attack, Mass Effect here is 12s

Yeah. I read his response and left one of my own. I doubt he'll read it or even respond but I said what I think needed to be said.

Folks, do try to keep in mind: A lot of hardcore conservatives have somewhat of a Jesus persecution complex, and it sounds like this guy has it in spades. Basically they like to think that Jesus Christ, who was right about absolutely everything, was persecuted in his time because of his message. Therefore, when neocons spread their own messages today and people disagree with them - it just means that the neocons are also completely right and are also being persecuted for their message.
Faith is an admirable thing, to be sure, but not when it's used as a reason to ignore everything you don't agree with. The point being, the more you guys email him to point out his many obvious mistakes, the more it will reinforce his own notions that he is right but has to be persecuted for his beliefs.

I can't post comments on the blog or articles due to various reasons, but I applaud the other gamers here who tried to reason with Kevin regarding his attempts to attack us.

@Bill

What makes you think they didn't raspberry his book already? The only guys who gave it 4's and 5's appear to be in the same bandwagon as him.

The other commenters generally blasted him for showing himself to be a rightwing nutcase - they thought of the book as nothing more than NeoCon rant.

[...] We feel a little awkward pointing the way to a horribly researched criticism of Mass Effect by “conservative” blogger Kevin McCullough, but it’s probably just about the most flat-out crazy thing you’ll read all day. GamePolitics discovered the article entitled “The ‘Sex-Box’ Race for President” where McCullough just pulls out of the vacuum of space various criticisms against Mass Effect which are “pushing our next generation of young men through the gates of hell as fast as is humanly possible.” McCullough’s issues include, but are not limited to: [...]

HAHAHAHA!!!!! Phew, that was great. I love satire.
...
It is satire, right?
Somebody? ...anybody???

This guy is a total moron. "I'm right! I'm right because you are nerds! Neeeeeeeeeeeeeerds!"

this is ridiculous. you should play the game before you start making this stuff up. lol, i feel bad it's gonna get a bad rep from people like you who haven't even bothered to play the game. just guessing. there is a brief scene (probably PG-13 or less), but nothing even CLOSE to what you are taling about. dumba$$

@Ix

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind." - Mohanda Gandhi

We've done a pretty good job exposing Kevin for being the neo-conservative, slanderous, faux-reporter that he is already.

No need for us to end up proving his point by slandering one of his works...as tempting as it is...

He's calling gamers out. He apprently has a radio show and is daring gamers to come on his show http://kevinmccullough.townhall.com/blog . Let me warn any of you who are thinking of calling in how these shows work. If you think you are going to get to rant, forget it. He controls the mute button. Be prepared with what you want to say please. Also, he will always have the last word. Finally the call screener will only put on people that Kevin can destroy. If you do call, please be polite, intelligent and do not lose your temper. He will use it to prove his point to his listeners. It is a set up and will most likely be a slaughter because his show is his world.

I went and warned them at the blog as well.

To the brave souls who think they're got the cojones to face off against Kevin in a proper debate (ie. no name-calling, slandering, etc), I wish you the best. Godspeed.

Once again, sorry for the double-post.

To the guys thinking of calling him, be very careful.

From the way Kev addresses us, he's doing all he can to ensure that the gamers who call are truly pissed off. He's going to try to represent us with the worst we can offer with intentional provocation.

He plans to use us for his propaganda. The thing is - will we let that happen?

Don't fall into the trap.

@Twin-Skies

Yeah, but what about the humor of the post. It's so over the top and mentions lack of facts multiple times that it's not going at an eye for an eye, more like a laughing in his face for an eye.

Enough people laughing may cause his eyes to pop out though so I guess we should restrain ourselves for his sake anyways.

Hopefully Mr.Halpin will call in to his show.

Is anyone else getting a laugh of him turning avatar customization into some kind of pornographic thing?

Talk Radio is not designed for debate, it's designed to make the host look good. It's a meat grinder that leaves a caller with an opposing view sputtering to get a word in edgewise. The only people allowed to present an uninterrupted statement are those complimenting the host.

The internet allowed him to make his case then everyone else to make their case uninterrupted. anyone can read through the comments and see a real opposing view. After seeing Adam Sessler make a fool out of himself against Jack Thompson I have no inclination to play on a feild as uneven as Talk Radio.

I don't know, this practically screams parody.

Law of Poe?

Welp, we tried


He is sadly in the terminal stages of chronic idiocy.

Let's stop prodding the puss-filled sores lest we get some on us and catch the same disease.

if anyone has a link to a recording id be very grateful

The show is downloadable, I was the second caller from North Jersey. Here is the email I sent him and report I sited from the FTC.

Kevin,

I was your second caller today who mentioned the study about game sales to minors. Here is a link the the Federal Trade Commission report on game sales showing a drop from 85% of M rated games getting into kids hands in 2000 to 42% in 2005. Showing 15% weren't able to in 2000 and 60% weren't able to in 2005, that's a drop of 400%. The report goes on to spank the industry on some other issues, but this was the main focus of the investigation.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/03/videogameshop.shtm

the pertinent section from the study...

------

The undercover shop saw a decrease in the number of M-Rated (for “Mature”) video games sold to unaccompanied children. Video games rated “M” by the ESRB contain content appropriate for those 17 and older. Forty-two percent of the secret shoppers – children between the ages of 13 and 16 – who attempted to buy an M-rated video game without a parent were able to purchase one. In the 2003 shop, 69 percent of the shoppers were able to buy one. National sellers were much more likely to restrict sales of M-rated games. Only 35 percent of the secret shoppers were able to purchase such games there. Regional or local sellers sold M-rated games to the shoppers more frequently – 63 percent of the time. The shop also marked other improvements by retailers, compared with results from the previous undercover shops by the FTC.

Nationwide Undercover Survey Results:

Was the shopper able to buy the M-rated video game? (Percent "Yes")

2000 - 85%

2001 - 78%

2003 - 69%

2005 - 42%

-----

Now let's see if he posts it or not.

So, at this point is it reasonable to chalk up the bulk of the "videogames are evil" debate to be completely intertwined with religion? I find it harder and harder to consider them to be seperate- it always seems like most of these nuts are "devoted" christians.

@jccalhoun

If we followed his logic, then wouldn't that mean he doesn't have any solid grounding for calling Mss Effect's love scene obscene, given that it's also "up to interpretation?"

Sounds like he's just waching his hands of his statements.

I imagine Kevin did not expect to piss off so many people this time around.