Cold Coffee: Controversy Among Fans

Normally when I talk about something that really bugs me here on Cold Coffee, it's something that has gradually become an issue as time went on, making the 'good old days' this shiny golden era where everything was better. Unfortunately, having some major controversy is nothing new for the video game industry. For a variety of reasons, there has always been a group that strongly disagreed with some aspect of a game, even way back to 'adult' games on the first generation of gaming consoles.

It seems as though people are really starting to come forward and make a scene about something that's included in a game. These people are usually either parents who are concerned by what they're children are seeing or women whom are concerned at the amount of sexism in a game. Some may disagree with me on this one but I believe most of these people should calm down and think about what they're really bitching about. Yes, sexism is alive and well in the video game industry and yes, video games have become predominantly more violent through the generations but at the end of the day they're still just video games.

A lot of parents like to bitch about the amount of sex and violence in the Grand Theft Auto franchise for example, but have any of these kids grown up to become lowlife thugs just because the lifestyle was glorified in a game? No. The same goes with that semi-recent outcry regarding the leather-clad nuns from the newest Hitman title. What these people aren't realizing is that creating video games is an art form and not just some 'job'. Video game developers take their work very seriously; they pour their heart and soul into their creations only to have them shit on by the public who don't like that they're 12 year old son or daughter are being subjected to certain darker themes of real life.

First of all, these are real life themes and it's absolutely none of your concern what an artist does with his/her talent. Various artists create art in every medium imaginable that contain some pretty questionable elements. The same goes for the film industry; producers create movies filled with rape, stomach-churning gore, religious attacks and more but that's their right as regular citizens. Everyone has the right to free speech and if there's an issue with that, you can look the other way and allow people to express themselves freely.

Now what I CAN agree with is not being able to show these things to everyone, but that's what age restrictions are for. Even the websites for popular games require the input of a birth date to enter. Sure, kids can lie but the effort is still there regardless. I would be appalled if that new Tomb Raider reboot used the alleged 'rape' scene as their marketing point because it's impossible to keep certain people from seeing it, however that's not the way the world works. If you don't like it, don't support it with your bitching, which is only getting it more attention in the media.