by Scott Shaffer

Created on: June 19, 2008   Last Updated: January 23, 2011

Censorship is an ugly monster that does more harm then good. In video games it does nothing more than to bring about attention for the game itself. In my opinion, and unfortunately it is just an opinion, if you censor something it brings about a need for exploration that may not have been there prior.

If we look at a few examples maybe you will see what I mean. Not long ago there was a game called Theft Auto, in which if you had the proper ability you could access a section of the game that had a sex scene. I personally have not seen this scene but I do know that once this hit the attention scene and censorship was attempted the game became one of the most popular games in history.

Another game that hit the censorship most wanted list was Resident Evil 2, which boasts one of the goriest and most violent forms of violence known to man. While you are working your way through a maze of corridors and buildings, amassing points is accomplished by destroying as many of the walking dead as you possibly can before they eat you alive. Again, this game came to existence due to the want for such a game by the public, and it has been rated M for mature but still, it is being sought out and in some countries banned.

Censorship is a great idea if it could be utilized in an effective way. The censorship should be happening way before these games hit the market and not after they are already out in the public. Once someone has a game and it is shown to have "secret" areas or is listed as M for violence or sex it only stands to reason that it will become popular for the very reasons the censor groups are attempting to ban it for.

In many countries around the world games are being banned for violence, sex, and even symbolism, but the problem still remains that once you ban an item or attempt to censor it, it becomes more popular by the masses as a novelty appeal. Ask any gamer if they have seen the scenes from Grand theft Auto and they will most likely tell you no, but ask them if they would like to own the game and they will say yes. Most would not have even played the game were it not for a chance to sneak a peak, but even if they can't access that scene, it is there and that is all that matters to them. So is Censorship a tool for bettering our youth, or is it a band-aid on the problems that some groups perceive in gaming today? I would wholeheartedly contend that censorship is nothing more than looking the other way.

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