PS3’s Metal Gear Solid 4 catching heat for “implied” child rape from BBFC
By Triston McIntyre
![](http://gamer.blorge.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/metal_gear_solid_4.jpg "PS3\'s Metal Gear Solid 4 catches heat for \\"implied child rape\\" from BBFC")
One of the most anticipated exclusive titles for the Playstation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, has caught the attention of the big bad game police over at the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) because of one rather questionable instance in the game. Though GTA IV has its hookers, and Man Hunt has its gruesome slayings, the BBFC was up in arms that Metal Gear Solid 4 has what was called “implied child rape.”
Sorry to ruin it for those people who didn’t want to hear word one about the game until it was nestled in the Blu-ray drive of their PS3, but at some point in the game, apparently there is “mention of child trauma,” according to developer Kojima. That was originally called “implied child rape” according to the BBFC, as reported by PS3Fanboy.
However, the BBFC was forced to erase its initial statement of “implied child rape.”. Obviously, a real game depiction of child rape would demand the highest possible video game rating, if not make it banned straight out. There’s a large distinction to be made between that which is implicit and that which is depicted.
A larger issue needs to be addressed in this. Debacles like this bring up the age old dilemma of what differentiates video games from film, books, and other forms of media, and how should video game ratings be compared to movie ratings?
After all, movies like Schindler’s List, American History X, and others are permissible because they make a statement about society and culture, right? Though Metal Gear Solid 4 is obviously fictional, what is really the difference between implicit child trauma in video games and that in film? At this point, film is obviously considered a higher form of media entertainment, because film is allowed much more wiggle room with what content it can display.
Some would argue that video games allow you to take control of things that are only depicted on film, which keeps viewers from truly being “involved” in the depiction. That really isn’t a fair argument; pornographic material, movies, and even books are designed to draw viewers and readers in — to have them adopt the roll, emotions, and perspective of the characters those media forms contain.
Really, there is no difference between graphically violent films or books and video games, so how can video games be held to an unfairly higher standard? I’m not saying that child rape is right, or should be depicted anywhere, but if you’re going to act like it never happens, then where is the line drawn?
People shouldn’t be killed. Babies shouldn’t die during birth. Cultures shouldn’t be oppressed. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, and if film is allowed to depict it in whatever way it chooses, then video games should be allowed the same privilege.
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April 23rd, 2008
What the fuck? Where was the child raped?
This are just assholes with nothing to do… and they stupidly try to stain the greatest-game-to-be. Shame on them, appreciate MGS4 for what it is -.-
April 23rd, 2008
Whoa, that’s a lot of opinion to sift through. How on earth did you manage to formulate that much on an opinion on the issue when none of us know what context the game depicts this “implied child rape” in?
April 23rd, 2008
the opinion is based on more than simply this game; I’ve developed my opinions on the issue of video game regulation over time. They just happen to apply here
April 23rd, 2008
PLAYSTATION 3 FOREVER………………TILL PLAYSTATION 4 OF COURSE……………..MICROSOFT SUCKS………..360 IS SHIT……………..AND MGS 4 WILL RULE THE CONSOLE WAR………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
April 23rd, 2008
Okay…okay..lets settle here everyone…….MICROSOFT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PS3 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008
Whhoaaa!!!! You guys really love the PS3……but yea 360 does suck!!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008
Where is the child raped???????? I don’t get it???? XBOX 360 SUCKS SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008
Chris & TFOS, obviously you haven’t played MGS4 yet, wait for facts before accusing morality media QC or blindly appraising a game before you have played it. Videogames in the U.S. and Europe have not reached the same level of intellectual freedom that Japanese Manga/Anime has, so face the media hypocrisy for what it is, not a lame attempt to accuse a review board with a job to do, a console, or it’s parent company.
April 23rd, 2008
@ MSgt B USMC…..I ask myself…do I care?…
And next time, spell my name out. Don’t be a tard about it!
April 23rd, 2008
TFOS, i’m going to delete your 1st comment; feel free to repost without all the crude language. Please refrain from the pointless filth.
April 23rd, 2008
@ Triston McIntyre…Wow…what a weener…:P
April 24th, 2008
@ the future of sega…
WHERE were you when I was batting off 360 fanboys from demeaning the Wii??
Anyways nice to see that youve become more “matured” over the last coupla days…
I think this “child rape thing” is something the BBFC made up… maybe they didnt understand something and thought it was child rape… and lets face it… whats a better way to demean a game than saying it promotes child rape…
First line up all the Pedophiles and lock em up… solve hundreds of murder cases…. stop pointlesss wars… THEN you can criticise games… till then…
April 24th, 2008
Future, I’m going to delete that comment too. I agree about the Playstation 3, I own one.
April 24th, 2008
I can just imagine.
‘NO NO SOLID SNAKE!! Please don’t touch me there!’
April 24th, 2008
@ winner XD
Is that solid snake in your pocket?? or are you just happy to see me?
April 24th, 2008
Dont think you should delete comments, it ruins the point of reading it. even if it does mention the writter in person
April 24th, 2008
@ darkwhitehair……Hey pal! Nice to see you again. Got anymore “tard sensations” for this article as well? Lmfao…..erm…ok lets cut the crap….
Here’s an educated question for you darkwhitehair… Does Call of Duty 4 rumble on PS3 or not? I bought to dual shock 3 controllers but yet the game doesn’t rumble. And YES i’ve updated the game, but still no luck.
@ Triston McIntyre….I heard a rumor that you’re an idiot…Any truth to that?
April 24th, 2008
@ Sega Future boy…
I dont know… I cant log into PSN because my net sucks… dont care a lot about Multiplayer…
April 24th, 2008
LMAO!! “..happy to see me..”… classic!!! seriously tho; these people have no lives. on the other end tho; it took hollywood almost a century to get movies to the point where they can delve into darker subjects. It’s weird to expect the interactive entertainment industry to make the same strides in mere decades. so, people will bitch about content for a while. let ‘em. someone will ALWAYS find something to whine about. the real crime in MGS is their fantasy-based story lines. “tactical espionage” my ass….
April 24th, 2008
Kevin,
Fantasy-based storylines? MGS has always had a slight edge of “mysticality” to it, but I never thought anyone would see it as a problem. And I don’t see how it’s story themes affect the gameplay. What makes it not “tactical espionage?”
-Arvis
April 24th, 2008
arvis - define tactics. define espionage. mgs is neither. Splinter cell is the only one out nowadays. I used to love MGS but the stories are not translated well out of their native japanese. The stories seem convoluted and weird to us westerners. How does it affect gameplay? that’s easy. it takes the gamer out of action, needlessly, to watch 5 minutes of CODEC conversations that have NOTHING to do with the game, but rather just adds to, an already, needlessly confusing storyline. It wouldn’t be so bad but there is almost more non-playable CODEC conversations than gameplay.
April 24th, 2008
Kevin,
I don’t know, it feels pretty tactical to me. I wouldn’t really call it an action title. And alot of the game is spent hiding from enemies and gathering information, so… there’s your espionage.
And I like dialogue and cutscenes. Alot, actually. The longer the better. I’ve been known to play games that have crappy gameplay just to see the sutscenes (freakin Xenosaga).
-Arvis
April 25th, 2008
I didnt enjoy the previous MGS games either.. the camera was too complicated for me and it was too hard… I enjoyed Splinter Cell more.. it was simple… thats why Im really lokking forward to MGS 4.. I want to see the changes…
April 25th, 2008
arvis - wow..i’ve never met someone who liked non playable sections of gaming more than the game itself. cutscenes are okay if they move the story along, but you have to admit the mgs stories have tons of fluff. the cgi ones that japanese devs like to cram in games (eating valuable disk space) are nice eye candy, but don’t get watched more than 3-4 times. Atfer a while, most just punch past them to get back to the game. i can’t count how many times i’ve had to punch through the codec converstations in mgs. after the first few times thru, you already know the story and just want to get back to the action. I’d rather have an additional gaming in the space used for cgi cutscenes. I think games like Thief and Splinter Cell has upped the bar for this type of genre. mgs used to be great, when it was the only one of its type on the market. kinda like the GT series. anyway, i’m sure it’ll be a great game, just not the gaming-nirvana promised a year ago.
April 25th, 2008
kevin.. you are criticising arvis for liking cut-scenes whereas you claim that the 360 GTA 4 is going to be better because of Rumble and Custom Soundtracks??? Can anyone hear double-standards???
April 25th, 2008
DarkWhiteHair,
Thanks for your support, but I didn’t take Kevin’s post as criticism. I understand that I am in the minority as someone who plays games for a good story. Kevin was just offering a different point of view, that’s all.
The main difference here is that rumble and custom soundtracks are features that add to the gameplay experience (here taken to mean any point wherein the player is in direct control of what is happening on the screen). For Kevin, story is not part of the gameplay experience, whereas for me, it is the POINT of the gameplay experience.
Different strokes…
-Arvis
April 25th, 2008
darkwhitehair - the difference, genius, is that custom soundtracks and rumble ADD to the gameplay while unnecessary and overbloated cutscenes DETRACT from the gameplay. and just for the record, i think the 360 version of gta will be better due to better graphics, more story, and online multiplayer. it’s not just rumble and soundtracks, sorry. you’re really reaching for straws, sport….
April 25th, 2008
arvis - i never said the story was not part of the gameplay experience. only that needless cgi and waaaaaay too many non playable sequences are a waste after the first few times playing it. Really, how much of snake’s past do we need to hear about? it gets old. fast. anyone who’s ever played mgs games know that the codec conversations go on waaaaaay too long. it’s just kojima and his way.
April 25th, 2008
Kevin,
My bad.
I do like long cutscenes. And I like seeing them multiple times. But I will admit that I can’t stand it when you don’t have the option of skipping the scene. This is how it goes: Long Cutscene > Boss Battle > DEATH > Re-load game > Forced to watch long cutscene again!
As much as I like cutscenes, seeing them back-to-back when I’m frustrated from being killed by a boss character is not fun.
-Arvis
April 25th, 2008
I’M clutching at straws??? I wasnt the one who made a stupid statement about the PS3 version being blurry WITHOUT EVEN PLAYING THE GAME!!!
April 25th, 2008
darkwhitehair - i never said the ps3’s version would be blurry…just not as crisp as the 360’s version. if i’d paid $600 for the ps3 i’d be insecure too. it’s okay.
April 25th, 2008
Let me guess - there’s a line of dialogue where it’s briefly mentioned in reference to another character…and that’s what all the fuss is about.
Wow. Victorian-era puritanism…from the UK? I’m shocked. “No sex please; don’t even talk about it - we’re British.”
April 25th, 2008
@ darkwhitepubichair…..Still sucking old cock left to right?? The 360 version of GTA4 SUCKS!!!!! The PS3 pwns the 360 version. Don’t believe, well you can piss in hell!!
….By the way……This article sucks so much fucken suck, it FUCKS! It fucken sucks so much COCK sucker mother fucker BULL FUCK THAT!!!
But the thing that really mother fucken ass lick balls ass shit fuck ass balls BALLS, pissed me off was when you stated that 360’s version is more crisp than the PS3!! Are you shitting me up the ass!?!?!?!!????
What ASSload of FUCK!!!……360 is the most god awful disgrace in human existence! It’s cleary evident that the PS3 swings the bigger cock, compared to 360’s small tweener
…..But fuck off balls shit got hell damn balls boobs fuck me BITCH!!!!
April 26th, 2008
seriously future sega boy… theres kevin making ridduculous assumptions about the 360 being “crisper” and theres you being all mature with your “eloquent” use of words…
Seriously.. PLAY the game in both consoles… THEN you can mouth off…
April 26th, 2008
FutS, are you upset? Did somebody take your pacificer?
Don’t worry futboy, GTAIV will most likely be good on both consoles, but better on the 360 due to more DLC (unless the RRoD hits). It’s only one game though, so don’t fret.
By the way, I’ll spell your name out when you learn how to write English and how to spell the words: retard, wiener, and two.
And do us all a favor, watch South Park and enjoy it, by all means, but please don’t make any more lame attempts at mimicking it. Unless you really are an idiot fanboy, in which case it’s understandable that you continue to sound like one.
April 26th, 2008
Sega,
I don’t think Hair said any of the things you claim he(she?) did.
…
But it’s really hard to tell how serious you’re being.
-Arvis
April 27th, 2008
Lol I’m just hear to wreak havoc and choas :p I could care less on which one is better because I own both consoles. But according to the statistics from google, the PS3 has a slighter edge than the 360 version…..Works for me!….sigh….I need a blowjob…
April 27th, 2008
Interesting… how do you get the stats from google?