At long last, EA has responded to the wildly inaccurate claims made by the crack Fox news staff regarding Mass Effect. The controversy started when Fox news brought game journalist Geoff Keighley onto their show to try and clear up the rumors surrounding the supposed "sex acts," found in Mass Effect.
Though he tried valiantly to show them the truth, he was largely ignored, and the other people on the show continued to talk about the sex acts and perversion of Mass Effect, even going so far as to call it, "Luke Skywalker meets Debbie Does Dallas."
Now EA has recovered from the shell shock they must have felt when their newly acquired Bioware epic was lambasted in the media. They have issued an response to the claims, and if I may say so myself, it’s a pretty good zinger, it’s definitely a good read, if only for the warm feeling you’ll get when the EA rep accuses Fox News Corp (FNC) of mounting a smear campaign against videogames. Why? Because they are a threat to television. I’ll simply reprint the letter below, out of fear that I won’t do it justice.
Ms VanHorn,
I’m writing to request a clarification of serious errors FNC made in a story which aired about the video game Mass Effect. (See attachment) As the parent company of BioWare, the studio which created the game, EA would like you to set the record straight on a number of errors and misstatements which incorrectly characterize the story and character interactions in Mass Effect.
Errors include the following:
- Your headline above the televised story read: "New videogame shows full digital nudity and sex."
oFact: Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots – a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows. It’s also worth noting that the game requires players to develop complex relationships before characters can become intimate and players can chose to avoid the love scenes altogether. - FNC voice-over reporter says: "You’ll see full digital nudity and the ability for players to engage in graphic sex."
oFact: Sex scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic. These scenes are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time. - FNC reporter says: "Critics say Mass Effect is being marketed to kids and teenagers."
oFact: That is flat out false. Mass Effect and all related marketing has been reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and rated Mature – appropriate for players 17-years and older. ESRB routinely counsels retailers on requesting proof of age in selling M-rated titles and the system has been lauded by members of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission. In practical terms, the ratings work as well or better than those used for warning viewers about television content. - Other sources used in the segment made similar incorrect statements about the game. Judging by the inaccuracy of their comments, they have had zero experience with Mass Effect and are largely ignorant about videogames, the people who play them, and the ESRB system that governs their ratings and sales.
The resulting coverage was insulting to the men and women who spent years creating a game which is acclaimed by critics for its high creative standards. As video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness.
Do you watch the Fox Network? Do you watch Family Guy? Have you ever seen The OC? Do you think the sexual situations in Mass Effect are any more graphic than scenes routinely aired on those shows? Do you honestly believe that young people have more exposure to Mass Effect than to those prime time shows?
This isn’t a legal threat; it’s an appeal to your sense of fairness. We’re asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect.
Sincerely,
Jeff Brown
Vice President of Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc.
I’m very curious to know where this will end up going. I’m very doubtful that Fox News is going to go on the air and say, "oops! We were wrong!" In my opinion, after years of inaccurate news reports and sleazy journalism, I can’t imagine Fox is just going to turn it all around now.
