While language is spoken differently across the world, there is a universal tongue that we are all accustomed to: foul language. Whether it be spoken or hand gestured, foul language is something that most of us use on a daily basis, and even if it is spoken in another language, you can still get the gist of what the other person is saying. To some of us, it comes naturally to blurt out an obscenity here and there, and that’s fine. I have no problem with language, because to me, having a problem with say, the word ‘fuck’ or ‘asshole’ gives the word more power. A word can’t be ‘bad’, that is just nonsense. It may be bad to say a foul word, but in my eyes you can’t say a ‘bad’ word.
However, the media has a different approach to dirty tongue, and most of the time they radically soften or express words such as ‘fuck’ and the like. Television often bleeps out the slightest innuendo in order to make the particular program more politically correct or viewer friendly, yet games and movies have the tendency to go above and beyond the usage of foul language by blurting it out every couple of seconds.
Some games in particular, such as 2009′s Killzone 2, have been targeted for their usage of foul language and singled out as examples of going too far. When Killzone 2 was released, and even before so, their was a lot of buzz around the amount of ‘F-bombs’ that would be coming out of your NPC squad mates, be they directed toward you or the red-eyed enemy. Forums across the internet were asking the same kind of question: ‘Can I filter the language?’
While people call fellow drivers ‘assholes’ and their bosses ‘pricks’, many of them, including myself, don’t find that that kind of tongue adds much depth to a gameplay experience, M-Rated or not. Well, let me rephrase that; personally, I find that foul language can enhance a gameplay experience if used in a clever, productive way. However, there are those that seem to use profanity in order to make themselves look cool…or…something.
Case in point: Bulletstorm.
While I am excited for the game, I can’t help but feel like it’s trying a bit too hard to be “edgy”. The gameplay from E3 2010 brought out this fantastic line, ‘where did this giant dick come from?’ Additionally, other trailers and developer diaries produced these doozies:
“Ugly buttfuckers”, “cocksucks”, “limpdick”, “dicktits”, and even “Robot-head jerk ass”.
These words are neither funny nor add anything to the gameplay experience. It is just unclever, crude humor on display. Luckily, Bulletstorm will come with an option to filter such ridiculous obscenities.
Now, if there was the occasional “fuck you”, “shit”, and the like, I’d be perfectly fine with that. Yeah, I’d come to expect that from an M-Rated game and a shooter, but to have it come out in such an unnecessary manner really takes me out of the experience.
Gears of War, another game from Epic, wasn’t the least bit ridiculous in its language usage. Expletives weren’t thrown out every passing second, and when the characters did cry out ‘fuck’, it felt natural, it felt right to say at the time, which is definitely not how a game like Bulletstorm, Killzone 2, or even World at War presented its dialogue.
 |
| As if this will do something. |
Grand Theft Auto 4, another M-Rated game that is about mobsters and gangsters, never, ever made me cringe when hearing its dialogue. I felt the dialogue was well-crafted and delivered an authentic experience for what Rockstar Games was trying to portray.
M-Rated means the content in the game is intended for users 17 years of age and over, not just a pass for trashy dialogue.
So, one could respond to this post by either agreeing with me, or by saying that my definition of harsh, over-exaggerated use of foul language is different to theirs, and that we all have different views on the subject. And you know what? That’s fine.
I don’t mind violence in games, and I don’t mind creative usage of foul language. If it is implemented in a smart manner that really adds to an experience, then by all means the developers should add it. However, if I am going to consistently hear blithering locker room dialogue, then I thank you for the language filter, devs.
What do you guys think? Is language a big issue for you when you buy a video game? Do you prefer a language filter or do you love your surround sound pouring out a consistent wave of obscenities? F**** up the comments, you mother f****s!
Well i feel the bulletstorm video above really was trying too hard to be edgy, but i dont really think the over the top harsh language in the game itself is that bad of an idea. The very game itself is over the top and unrealistic. Its meant to be stupidly fun, not be taken serious,(and personally i think that dicktits is actually pretty funny), the game is meant to be for someone that wants to sit down and just loose themselves to stupid mindless killing, since the whole premise of the game is killing as many things and people as stylishly as possible. It treats cursing the same way it treats killing, and i’d be okay with that.
GTA 4 is the only example where foul language really contributed the character development. Another game I liked with it’s foul language was Fallout 1 & 2 because it wasn’t there all the time but gave a tone to certain characters.
Fallout 3 completely missed the dialogues with stupid f-bombs…
In my opinion, if developers (more precisely script writers) can’t find a good use (see GTA 4 again) for foul language then they are better without it. Unfortunately devs these days tend to capitalize on “controversy hype” and attraction of kids who get M rated games no problem.
Edit: Oh, how could have I forgot the legendary shooter, king of foul content: Duke Nukem 3D. Now Duke is a class of it’s own. I hope Duke Nukem Forever will bring controversy but not for sake of controversy but for f%$?ing with every popular culture thing.
Very good point, i agree.
Just few weeks ago i was thinking about bulletstorm and how I’ll try not to focus my attension on F-bombs. It really puts me out of the experience, I hope there would be the way to filter it.
And GTA 4 is a good example of how it’s done wright. If it sounds natural – it makes characters even more beliveble.
It’s important topic, hope developers would think more about it in the future
I think that a games dialog should reflect the current popculture within the game’s own context.
I am totally fine with anything being said in a game, as long as it makes sense for that particular character in the given situation.
It’s kinda like in the Predator movie where the predator takes of his helmet, and Arnold just says: “You’re one ugly motherfucker”. And indeed, he is right.
And Marcus Fenix can say the same thing about the locust, but should only do so the first time he encounters them, and not every time (dont think he does, but you get the point).
If Bulletstorm is over-the-top action and laughing fun, it *may* work. But if it’s not, I think I am really gonna hate it.
Bottom line: Cursing is fine as long as it works for the character in the given situation.
Just behind DRM, ‘zombies’ and ‘Cliché fantasy setting’, this could be the biggest factor making me nót buy a game.
For the most part I agree that there’s no real problem with the occasional use of some rougher-than-smooth talking in videogames. There’s some nasty stuff going on in most games, and it’s kinda natural (or at least from cultural indoctrination) for human beings to respond with strong language. I have yet to see a game where it really adds value, but luckily there’s still games that appear to know what the limit is.
Last years Mafia 2 crossed that line. Just from trying the demo I began to seriously doubt if there was even a single line in that game that did not contain the word fuck at least once. In such cases, the language becomes a barrier on the road to enjoyment of the game to me. Of course the exact position of that limit depends on personal taste, and the setting of the game. A race of aliens shouldn’t be shouting “Fuck off, humans!”, and neither should Julius Caesar.
Bulletstorm sounds like it’s going the same road of ‘too much’. Sure, there’s an option to filter it, but wouldn’t a beeping sound every five seconds get terrible too? Now if they decide to go for a nice little guitar sound…… :)
i recently finished killzone 2′s single player campaign, now bad language isnt a problem for me and it doesnt offend me, but the swearing in this game was both annoying and quite funny at the same time. its as if the developer feels like there is conventionally meant to be swearing in harsh, gritty war games, so they piled as much into the game as they could.
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing…and if we are already talking about a “bad” thing…what’s that mean?!
I tend to agree with Seinfeld on cursing and its use in “comedy”, whether it’s in games or movies…it’s a cheap way to get a laugh, because the writers can’t deliver the line/dialog without it.
Context is important, and I don’t think I’m the target audience for this game…even though I really enjoy FPS games.
“Is language a big issue for you when you buy a video game? Do you prefer a language filter or do you love your surround sound pouring out a consistent wave of obscenities?”
It is a big issue for me, and I would prefer a filter…as I believe most of the way “language” is used these days is too often, and out of context.
Meh, as long as it makes sense with what they’re trying to do.
At the end of the day, if the game is any good, excessive swearing or no, the game is going to be good.
Now, if we were talking about teenagers and excessive swearing on Vent/Steam/XBox Live…
Let me preface my response by saying I’m in my 30′s and have a University degree and therefore by some standards I’m relatively “mature” and well educated – I’m not boasting, bear with me! However, I have to agree with “The Heroic Dose” in that I found the Bulletstorm video highly amusing – actually I genuinely laughed out loud. This is perhaps a result of being born in a mining village where you could get beat up as a kid for not swearing because that made you “posh”.
On a more serious note, one of my friends is in the forces and other friends are ex-forces and they’d be the first to say that squaddies can swear quite a bit. As such, I think its counterintuitive to not have swearing in FPS’s and as such it would break my willing suspension of disbelief.
However, as there are obviously people out there that don’t like the use of swearing in games developers are potentially losing revenue if people boycott their games. As such, more games perhaps ought to offer the ability to either turn off the swearing or use amusing alternatives such as “mother funster / lover”, “goddamn cake sucker” etc, although this may again change the tone of the game.
I guess my point is that I appreciate the fact that Bulletstorm is unapologetic in their pursuit of filth. I definitely understand where you’re coming from on the issue of needless obscenities dogging the dramatic tension of a game, but unironic stereotypes like Cole and Anya are much more damaging to immersion for me.
If I know that a game is intentionally taking the piss, I can just sit back and laugh at a steroid-pumped asshole with a machine gun bigger than his torso calling his enemies “namby-pamby cocksucks.”
Regardless, thanks for a thought-provoking column. Looking forward to the next.
I think Bulletstorm is made for me not because i want to be cool, its just fun listening to that kind of language wich adds an interesting spirit to the gameplay. I prefer the strong language in a videogame, but its not totally necessary for me for example DK-s favourite mass effect 2.
(sorry for the possible grammar mistakes)
a game that has rly good use of bad language is bad company 2. you hear the soldiers screaming fuck this and fuck that. but thats how they talk in war. if u get offended by language then u shouldnt play games where ppl shoot heads off eachother. i think its a good thing when mature games have bad langauge, cos u always see kids saying that they wont b allowed to play it if its cursing. but if ur that young u shouldnt b playing the game in the first place. bring on f – bombs. but dont do it just to do it.
First off, “Robot-headed jerk-ass” is a damn funny phrase. And being called “Dicktits” at the end of the video almost makes me want to preorder the game more than the Gears 3 beta.
Let’s talk Gears for a minute. Dude Cliffy Huge B and company have been getting away with far more obscene scripts than Bulletstorm could ever hope to achieve by the use of foul language.
The protagonist? A guy who regularly shows a nigh-erotic level of excitement any time he gets to shove his gigantic chainsaw up an enemy’s…do I need to spell this one out?
The black guy? Yeah, he can barely speak English and doesn’t really have time to show any depth in between “WOOO!!!”‘s and “YEAH BABY!!!!”‘s. But he’s good at football, which is why we like him.
The chick? Wispy and useless…a complete non presence. Oh, except in the new game she’ll grow a pair and fight alongside the boys, because apparently Cliffy subscribes to the Joss Whedon school of thought that says that a strong female character = a woman getting repeatedly getting the shit beaten out of her.
Do I find Gears offensive? Absolutely not. But I do think it’s a bit disingenuous to come down hard on a game like Bulletstorm for the superficial obscenities of language when it openly touts that as one of its intentional selling points.
One game that I think also adds a lot is Brutal Legend. At the very beginning of the game you have an option to turn all of the voice acting from rated M to rated T without destroying the voice acting of the game. It's quite nice and I think should be implemented more often.