Shut The F UP! Gratuitous Swearing In Games Growing

OXCGN:

"I swear (figuratively), playing all the gung-ho "I'm cool 'cause I've got tons of bad language" games these days can feel like I'm on Xbox Live with drunken foul-mouthed sods from the Country That Shall Remain Nameless.

Case in point: the recent Chronicles of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena. The enemy just don't shut the f*** up!"

[XboxOZ360]

Well what can I say . . Actually, I'm sick to death of it all, not only in games, but also on XboxLIVE and other mediums. Sure, swearing has been around since gods-knows-when. However, it's not been such a huge thing as it is now, where children grow up thinking it's a normal part of everyday language, which it IS NOT.

If developers make great games, they do not have to rely on the swearing that seems to fill them these days. The gameplay and mechanics should make the game shine.

[gaminoz]

I didn't realise Gears of War 2 you can choose to filter out bad language. Maybe if you are going to make it a feature of your game that might be a good option?

[allegionary]

I didn't either. That's a good idea, though I don't remember too much over the top swearing there? There probaby wa...i was just too involved to notice

[Uncle Rico]

Internet + Young Kids = Ability to do anything they want that they would most likely not do in real life

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

I thought the dialogues for Killzone and Gears of war sucked because there was no quality, only quantity and that quantity included too much meaningless swearing.

[lsujester]

To me it depends on context. If you're portraying a person that would tend to curse more, then it can fit. But cursing just for the sake of cursing just shows ignorance.

For example, you would sort of expect this guy (who I randomly picked through Google)
http://www.yvonnegraphy.com...

to curse more than this guy:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www....

[gaminoz]

Yeah that movie Wanted was over the top and it sounded stupid there too. Yet it was funny in In Bruges... It has to be done with some context. Sure I know a lot of people actually DO talk like that, (like 50 Cent in the example) but all these scripted swear phrases in games just to sound like cool baddies do make a game seem a bit silly.

I think Riddick, Killzone 2, Conflict: Denied Ops, Kane & Lynch are good examples...

[Immortal Kaim]

I agree, sometimes it can seem out of place (like your wanted reference), but other times it can add to the legitimacy of the dialogue. Look at GTA4 for example, the dialogue is so much more believable because of the occasional 'swear word'. It's all about balance.

[allegionary]

Yeah that wanted movie was bad...so try hard.

[GrathiusXR]

lol i still can't believe that a Wii game has gotten in the Gusiness Book of Records for most swearing in a video game who would of thought :P

[gaminoz]

Which one was that? Was it that zombie on rails one?

[onijutsu]

twas "house of the dead: overkill" if i am not mistakenz

[Superfragilistic]

Man you should play MadWorld if you like constant inane swearing.

That thing delivers! lol

[gaminoz]

Zeitgeist no offence but...YOU HAVE TO PUT THE TITLE IN AS IT IS IN THE ACTUAL ARTICLE. Can't change it....read the rules. And who cares if XBox and GCN are dead...they have a channel for it and games back then had less swearing. Therefore relevant.

Please stop reporting just for the sake of it!

[XboxOZ360]

AHh, but you see, they get 10 brownie points in the N4g score for every report, so you could basically lodge reports all day and get several hundred points . . instant rise in ones points tally . . Which is another thing that needs looking at by N4g staff.

Oh, and you do realize, that the person that lodges a report can delete it, then make another covering BOTH items, rather than one report for each item . . but that would mean LESS POINTS you see . . get the picture now . .

This is a generalised thing on n4g, and ppl exploit it no end.

I'll now remove mine as it wasn't a report, but a comment . .

[patterson]

Tired of the stupid talk, but hey, the developers are pandering to the lowest common denominator.

Ugly characters, doing ugly things, to other ugly characters, in an ugly world, while using ugly language. That $hit sells games!!!

[Godem]

i kinda agree, yeah swearing is not needed in barley any games to enhance the experience. Call of Duty proves that.

But with your reference that you went in expecting swearing to come from 50 Cent.

But that you weren't expecting anything from Riddick? lol if you've watched the Riddick movies they are full of angry swearing!

[allegionary]

It still sounded stupid in the demo each time a goon shouted that rubbish at you...aren't they drones or something anyway?

[Sorla13]

oh and think of the people on live, holy moley, dont go headshoting anyone on halo, you get some.....colourful? language shouted at you.
then again, my parents do hear it too, and poke their head in the door to check im alright..... as im yelling something similar back at the headshot victim....
very loudly

[XboxOZ360]

Games can have swearing, but there's a big difference between swearing for the stories sake and just swearing to get a rise and make it "popular" because the gameplay is trash . .

It seems many games will resort to the later in order to sell the games, but it's interesting to see that a huge % of those games don't stay in the home all that long, especially here in Australia when Mum/dad hear what their 12-5yr old is listening to and playing.

Yes, they need to be more educated, but in a country that says all 15yr olds can watch "Adult" content, what do you expect. But that's a whole other story.

Younger generations have grown up believing that those words are normal. They'll even defend themselves by saying so.

They are not normal, they have their place, and a liberal amount is fine, but abuse of it for the simple fact to sell something and thus continue the 'education' is just not in the best interest of any country really.

[allegionary]

Yeah...like the article says, surround sound and swearing = not good in home with mum and little kids. Well unless you live in a house of cussers

[Snake Raiser]

Very well said, you have left some good comments... bub+.
KZ2 has a lot of pointless cussing, but most of it is only from Rico (hate that guy), so maybe that is intentional. I am going to guess that you are supposed to hate rico. I just laugh out loud when every member of some (elite none the less) squad cusses in every sentence.

[Uncle Rico]

Maybe there are some instances why games can be blamed for bad behaviour and violence. The devs encourage it and forget they also have a pretty young crowd.

[allegionary]

They also have an older crowd that has outgrown the over the top swearing

[Snake Raiser]

Games can, and do influence people, but not any more than T.V. or radio, or music, or ect. Yet video games take all the blame. Also, personally I hate almost all censorship, so seeing that games might be banned really bugs me...

[jack who]

why dont you STFU

[menoyou]

who cares you bunch of cry babies. same people who complain about this are living real life like a-holes, treating everyone like crap, being immoral gross freaks. then they expect the world to be a nice place because you can cry about it on tv or online.

[gaminoz]

Yeah but at least they do it with more class....

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

That's one thing I didn't like about Killzone 2's story. The overuse of the f bomb.

Every 5 seconds Rico felt the need to throw it out.

I remember the first time beating the heavy

"Yeah you got that dirty mother F#$#er!"
"Yeah we killed those mother F%#$ers!"

I've even noticed they're feeling less and less compelled to keep cursing low in teen games and stuff.

Just hope they use it correctly. A good curse here and there makes it much better, Uncharted is a good example of that.

[Superfragilistic]

Yeah I hate Rico... that just annoyed the hell out of me, when the game would be just as good if not better with more selctive use.

As for 50cent... Well it's to be expected, but seriously keep your kids away from that one!

[gaminoz]

Uncharted had some of the best dialogue that fit totally in context. Killzone not. 50 Cent you have to expect that, but the game didn't need him. It would have been better without all the swearing. Some of it was a bit funny though.

As for kids...you can't even play those games with surround sound without the whole neighbourhood hearing it.

[jagstatboy]

I wish devs would put the option of turning off cussing like in BIA:HH and Gears. I get tired (literally) of having to wait until the kids' bedtime before I can play Killzone2. I can send them out of the room so they can't see the gore, but I have surround sound for a reason. While I don't mind the occasional cuss word, overdoing it just for the sake of having it in there (I'm looking at you K2, Madworld, HOTD Overkill, Riddick), is ridiculous.

[pixelsword]

and look up some real military situations. People in the military swear. They swear when they want and how they want, often out of place and unwarranted. Grunts are the clean-cut kids who get indoctrinated into swearing but Sargents, drill instructors, officers, Special Forces, and lifers are very different breeds from a greenhorn and even each other.

Here's a bunch of "newbies". Notice the lack of pubic hair and swear words:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

these are the Gears of War Carmine's, the greenhorns in every game that has them.

Now notice the Sargent (Drill instructor) with the not-so cheery disposition:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

a marked difference.

They didn't make up the term "swearing like a sailor" because sailors went to court a lot.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Yeah, okay military situations.

But you think I wanna hear a dude in a game yell out mother F^cker every second he gets hit by a bullet?

No I don't want to hear that.

But if I hear it occasionally, that's cool with me. This is entertainment. If I want to hear the ambience of war I would damn well join the military right now.

[pixelsword]

Granted, and I respect that; but what do you think these types of people are going to say when they get hit by a bullet?

"Owie?"

dude, it's part of the atmosphere of that reality. Granted, most people wouldn't swear if they got shot by a bullet, but most people wouldn't be in situations where they would be getting shot at either.

The people who do such things, mobster, bikers, hit-men, hired-muscle, gang-bangers, bouncers, assassins, and other people in such professions are not the type of people who go around going "gee-golly!" when the spam hits the fan.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Yes, but you have to remember, it's an entertainment form.

Yeah, I know a person isn't gonna go Gee Wilickers! When they get shot by a bullet, but in an entertainment product, I don't wanna hear a person drop the f bomb every chance they get.

There is realism, then there is excessiveness. (Is that even a word? lol)

When devs are going for realism, they aren't going for the most f bombs ever dropped in a game. They're going for physical realism. and to make a game even more realistic, adding in curses correctly helps.

[pixelsword]

Art is meant to explore and offend as well as educate and unite.

If you don't like it, nothing is preventing you from not purchasing it: as a matter of fact, I would almost dare say that knowing that certain games ought to lead you to conclude that there may be language that is unbecoming.

To make a game a product is EXACTLY why movie critics rightly say games aren't art. If people want to make developers produce a product, then fine: but you can't have your cake and eat it too; it's either going to be a product or a piece of art. The fact that you can hit a switch and turn off the blood places games as just games and not art; high or otherwise.

Every time I see comments wishing to dictate the vision of a game knowing that developers will cave in, it only strengthens the argument Robert Ebert makes.

[Ragamuffin69]

is when you win a multiplayer match in cod:waw. You get something along the lines of "Outstanding guys! Out F***ing standing". So necessary!

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Stuff like that is hilarious though.

[2Negativecool]

Which was my only gripe with the game. The constant "F" bombs seemed like B movie dailouge to me.

[gaminoz]

That's because it is. They are trying to be like 'real' military guys and instead sound like wannabes because they do it so over the top. Even if real military guys do swear a lot, they probably do it in better context or they'd sound like idiots to each other too.

[xabmol]

If a game has "POOPOO" words in it don't play it!!

I bet if they said, "dang" or "Fiddlesticks" it would be A OK in your book. Enjoy your 1st amendment right! lol

[gaminoz]

Did you read the article or any of the comments. There is swearing and then there's gratuitous swearing trying to look cool and looking stupid.

[xabmol]

I swear a fu*king sh*tload in real life. So the swearing doesn't really piss me off. Some people fu*king despise all the sh*t talk being thrown around in KZ2, but I could give a rats @ss.

Reading the article (yes I fu*king read it btw) just shows me this guy doesn't like hearing fu*kers cuss all fu*king day. But ya know what he is just being a big fu*king b*tchy duchebag.

/Not ok?
_______________________

I swear a whole lot in real life. So the swearing doesn't really irritate me. Some people really despise all the bad talk being thrown around in KZ2, but I couldn't care less.

Reading the article (yes I actually read it btw) just shows me this guy doesn't like hearing people cuss all hours of the day. But ya know what he is just being a naggy naysayer because he doesn't like it.

/Ok?
____________________

If he doesn't like hearing cuss words he should just stop playing games with cuss words in them, and talking to people that cuss a sh*tload. FFS!!

[gaminoz]

Sure but his point is that more and more games are doing it just for the sake of it...so that (if he didn't want to listen to it) he would be able to play less and less games. Gears 2 had a mode to turn it off...can't be that hard for devs to do that for those that want it.

Out of curiosity...do you think that people are 'cooler' if they swear a lot?

[darkmurder]

Yeah swearing has gotten a bit out of hand, I dont mind it as long as its not a 10 year old kid on Xbox Live though.

[allegionary]

"The Country That Shall Remain Nameless"....lol. Gee, I wonder which one that is....

[TheMART]

Go play KZ2. There is one squad member that uses the fack word so much it becomes dumb. Guerilla was thinking it would be badass. It more started to look like stupid humor like House of the Death: Overkill swearing.

One of the candidates of totally way off swearing, not contributing to the game being badass at all.