What makes a game mature?

Let me get this clear. I loved GTA when it first came out. As for Mortal Kombat, I kept going to the laundromat that had that cabinet at the back to play it. I love gory games, but in the context of seeing games like Bioshock (watching that always makes me cringe) or Manhunt, I have to say - what really makes a game mature?

Is it seeing blood or dismemberment? Is it seeing nudity or sex? (Most games with nudity or sex always have it happen off screen - like the God of War statues falling and breaking - so it's more campy than anything.)

For me, mature games have to blend story with a reason for seeing mature content. The first God of War was like that. Oh goody, Mr. Sparta has rammed his sword down another screaming citizen. Oh, it's okay because he is doing this to fight the gods who are huge *ssholes. Okay, that does make it okay, because the only thing they understand is inhuman fighting and death.

Not so with GTA. I've played through Chinatown Wars, and all the characters feel one dimensional. They don't do anything other than stick to cartoon characters. This makes the entire game feel like it is campy and unreal. Something that you just don't get with the God of War series.

Comments

Forstride
I always took the Mature rating as violent or graphic, and not necessarily mature as in the opposite of immature.

It really depends though...Some may be rated M for language, some for violence, some for sexual reference, etc.
 
Slyakin
I guess when a game really starts to come out of a pre-determined comfort zone, then it starts to be labelled as mature. Gore and dismemberment isn't seen often in real life, so those types of things aren't in your comfort zone. Sex and nudity isn't normally seen in the lives of children (which are the main focus of video games, I guess) so that makes it mature as well.

We all have different opinions on what is mature or not; however, the ESRB has a strict guideline for this.
 
emigre
Who cares about the story in GoW? I'm a fan but I can honestly say I would not be able to tell you the story of Chains of Olympus. The same goes for GTA, I want good sandbox action not a story or amazing characters. GTA is a series which doesn't need a story, look at Saint's Row. The story is terrible but wonderfully juvenile, I enjoy throwing molotivs at couples.
 
Thesolcity
Violence, Sexuality, Explicitness, Language, etc. I don't know who works at the ESRB but I do know that list gets longer year by year.
 
p1ngpong
The most mature game I have played in a while is Heavy Rain, mainly because of its plot and the fact that any violence, nudity or strong language it contains compliments the story, and isn't just there for the sake of it. So yeah, as you do astrangeone, I consider a game only to be mature if its more explicit elements are inherent to the overall experience its trying to immerse the player in. For example, a fps game like Duke Nukem Forever may have lots of explicit content, but overall its a thoroughly immature game.

Sex and violence does not automatically make a game mature. It may make it unsuitable for a younger audience, but it certainly doesn't equate maturity. Regardless of what age rating the game may have.
 
Nujui
I think Sex and violence also doesn't make it M right then and there , it could but it depends on how much we're talking about. It could be enough for a T rating
 
Jamstruth
The most mature game I've played in a while is LA Noire. It has some adult elements to it such as racism, sexism and corruption but deals with them properly. Its not over the top gore. Its the right amount of gore. Its sensible. Its right.

Ratings are based purely off any sexual content, violence etc. so what rated M really means is "There's adult stuff in this. You might not want to give it to a 5 year old" It does not meant the game story or whatever is actuall mature.
 
_Chaz_
A mature game is rated based on the amount of realism in the experience, the violence depicted, and the sexual content.

However most games rated Mature under these standards lack any real entertainment value and have the most immature fan-base, ironically.
 
astrangeone
[quote name='p1ngpong' post='3763280' date='Jul 8 2011, 09:28 AM']The most mature game I have played in a while is Heavy Rain, mainly because of its plot and the fact that any violence, nudity or strong language it contains compliments the story, and isn't just there for the sake of it. So yeah, as you do astrangeone, I consider a game only to be mature if its more explicit elements are inherent to the overall experience its trying to immerse the player in. For example, a fps game like Duke Nukem Forever may have lots of explicit content, but overall its a thoroughly immature game.

Sex and violence does not automatically make a game mature. It may make it unsuitable for a younger audience, but it certainly doesn't equate maturity. Regardless of what age rating the game may have.[/quote]
I watched a playthrough of Heavy Rain. It was awesome - it almost hit the right spots - especially with the finger cutting off thing. Holy hell - most games with that much gore don't make such an impression.
 

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