Metal Gear Solid V gets rare ESRB 'sexual violence' warning

It's sad that we still treat video games so much more harshly than film and even television. If someone is raped on TV it gets a TV14 rating. If the sounds of an assault are included in a game suddenly it's the end of decency. Blood and gore, exploding intestines, brutal close combat kills? Cool. Let me hurry up and buy this game for my kid! Wait...there is a scantily clad character?? SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE.

My concern here is that Kojima's take on women in games has always been exploitative at best, and at worst women (and violence against them) are fetishized to the the extent that they are barely human. He has never shown himself to have the storytelling ability, insight, or subtlety to successfully handle serious subject matter. When you tell stories and you can't get above a childish/adolescent view of the world, there are certain subjects you just shouldn't tackle, and sexual violence is one of them.

The audio tape must be pretty bad to give the game that rating.

There sure as hell isn't going to be anything in a video game that I haven't already seen in the movies, or real life for that matter. It sucks that people's sensitivities can have an effect on what gets put out to the public. People need to realize that this sort of shit, no matter how wrong and vile, is a part of life. Not trying to justify it at all, but it exists and there is no getting rid of it.

I hope to God Kojima handles this appropriately; I felt uncomfortable just reading this article. Do it badly and this could turn nasty for him.

Poor watermelon,got drilled.It didn't got squished because it is one badass melon.

The hipocracy of people in the US. Blood violence and gore is acceptable. anything sexual including sexual violence: "For what purpose though?" "It shouldn't be included unless its tasteful" lol so sexual violence is ok if its "tasteful"? No form of violence is "tasteful". Cut the political correct crap.

People are saying that it should be in the game to deal with 'adult' content. For what purpose though? Is it necessary or relevant to the story? Or are they just being exploitative and using this for attention? I don't want developers to go anywhere near rape if its just so they can go 'see games can include this too!' Who needs it? That's just cheap exploitation. Give the embarrassing way that games handle sex scenes I'd hate to see how they'd deal with rape.

You have to wonder why they would include this and the deliberately undressed Quiet model after everything that has been said about misogyny and sexism in the last 12 months. After all of that, and as tired as some are hearing about it, this happens. It seems very deliberate to me.

Another thing: people are saying that oh films include it and no one bats an eye. There aren't too many mainstream films that would include a rape scene today. Decades ago they would have included it but not now if you actually want a PG13 rating and people to see your film in America. That said, films in the independent market can include extremities like sexual violence because the filmmakers know it'll catch the eye of the mainstream media and generate more interest in their work...

We can thank Night Trap for the creation of the ESRB. heh.

NOw i wanted this game even more! Curse you Kojima hehe:)

There's that screenshot with that mysterious melon again.

Well, there goes any chance of me playing this game. I refuse to support any media with sexually violent content because that would just make me part of the problem. Sexual violence has no place in media, whether it be music, movies, or games.

<< LINK REMOVED >> Those movies are not for kids, neither is this game. It's just a warning, the game is not banned.

<< LINK REMOVED >> Like I said to another dude's post, it's because of the "games are for kids" bullshit mostly our parents' generation and older are always spewing. Remember the controversy over when Lara Croft was getting slapped around in the Tomb Raider reboot from last year? Same bullshit. It's completely ridiculous.

lol as if ratings matter. I've seen in stores 12yo kids buying games like CoD, or rather their dad is buying it for them.

This changes little in terms of MGS's target audience.

One thing I dont get...why is a topic like this taboo in video games, but it isnt on movies or on television shows? I am slightly confused as to the reasons behind this fact. Is it because the media likes to portray gamers as immature? It doesnt make sense considering the level of storytelling we have come to expect from games, and I for one am glad (not for the content of what he did) but that Kojima didnt feel the need to censure the story as he thought it should be.

Its really strange, i can handle pretty much anything in regards to sex or violence but even hearing that kind of stuff makes my heart sink. Either way i'm going to enjoy the game for all it offers, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable at times.

So then.....if the in-game sex is consensual should they call that sexual healing?

Is solid snake gonna whip out his solid snake?

I think Paz is the one being raped in the audio file (or sony casettes) since Quiet is a character from MGSV phantom pain, not ground zeroes.

Also she's a war prisoner in cuba, it's pretty obvious she's being tortured and abused there.

Movies do it too honestly, not really a problem, it just has to be handled properly, I feel it helps make the story that much more dark.

If this were in an episode of Law & Order: SVU, no one would bat an eyelash. But it's in a video game, so the sky is falling. Ahh the double standards...

Now go retroactively read the GTAV ESRB description. This is child's play compared to that shit.

Cool.

I don't mind that content being in a game, just so long as it's portrayed in a responsible manner.

and that's probably why people are getting antsy about this. in video games violence is a thrill, whether it's stomping on a toadstool or shooting pixalleted terrorists. very rarely do games really try to carry the weight that violence brings in the real world.

but sex, sex gets everyone nervous in north america to begin with when it comes to media. let alone sexual violence which is a REAL problem around the world. So i can understand how people will feel nervous about it being in the game.

I guess for me, i'm going to have to judge it for myself when i play it.

But seeing how Big Boss loses an arm, Kazuhira Miller loses his leg, part of his arm and an eye. you see electric shock torture, water boarding, an audio tape being pulled out of a woman's insides.

Seriously people, anyone who paid attention to the last two big trailers should take that into consideration. the game is going to be emotionally intense and hopefully for the right reasons. Hopefully pulling at the right emotional strings in people.

but again you yourselves will have to judge that. I can already imagine what some of the editors on here will most likely think and write, before and after playing the full game. so I implore you all to judge it yourselves. and don't get 'outraged' by their opinions. Form your own.

Quiet is the victim of those attacks !!!