EA is avoiding a name-calling competition with Fox News, but it’s not ignoring the claims that Bulletstorm could turn kids into rapists.
By now, we all know how Fox News is convinced that playing Bulletstorm increases the chances you’ll commit a violent act like rape. The newsgroup is reporting psychologist Carol Lieberman’s outlandish claims as pure fact, and Electronic Arts isn’t taking these claims sitting down. The publisher has been quick to respond to these allegations, and it’s definitely sticking to facts instead of uninformed conjecture.
EA’s Vice President of Public Relations Tammy Schachter has issued an official response to yesterday’s news story:
“As you know, Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction that takes place in the 26th century on the abandoned fictitious paradise planet Stygia, where our heroes fight mutants, monsters, flesh-eating plants and gigantic dinosaurs.
Epic, People Can Fly and EA are avid supporters of the ESA and believe in the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system. We believe in and abide by the policies put in place by the ESRB.
Bulletstorm is rated M for Mature for blood and gore, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language and use of alcohol. The game and its marketing adhere to all guidelines set forth by the ESRB; both are designed for people 17+. Never is the game marketed to children.
Epic, People Can Fly and EA support the right of artists to create works of entertainment fiction for consumers of all ages, including adults who enjoy action adventures like Bulletstorm. Much like Tarantino’s Kill Bill or Rodriguez’s Sin City, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults.”
Personally, I wish EA had addressed how Fox News falsely reported that incidents of rape are on the rise (FBI statistics show the opposite, actually), or how this isn’t the first time the group has blatantly misrepresented sexual content in videogames. Granted, the publisher probably doesn’t want to engage in public mud-slinging, but I really hope that someone is eventually able to hold the group accountable over these wild accusations that masquerade as facts.
Source: Game Informer via GamePolitics
