swearing in games ?

Just wondering if its just me but...

Now this might be that I am just an old "fuddy duddy" but I do not like swearing in games but, possible worrying, I have no problems with (most) violence (perhaps because I was brought up viewing tom and jerry cartoons, or maybe it is time for me to go talk to a "trick cyclist" ?).

So I ask, should games have an option to turn off or even tone down swearing ? Or put another way, ”What the hell do you think ?” rather than, ”What the f#*& do you think ?"

OK ladies and gentlemen, over to you...

Being a 'fuddy duddy' myself, I don't particularly mind swearing as long as it's in an age restricted format and is relevant to either the character or the story.

There does seem to be a tendency of late to name games with an unnecessary expletive in the title, which is just shock tactics and IMO pointless.

An option to turn such things off should always be provided in the 'Options' menu.

I'm not a Fan of this as well. In games that need this kind of language it's ok, in all other it should be reduced to Minimum. Games always have an educational aspect, we should never forget.

Can I also add, "Is it more normal to accept violence in games rather than swearing ?"

For example - "Gears of war" on xbox 360, I had only slight reservations about the "excessive" violence in it (chainsawing adversaries ?) but the swearing was (if I remember right) turned off almost straight away.

Actually I think games nowdays use more swearing than before. Like in new Shadow warrior sometimes I get a bit suprised and think it's a bit out of place on that game. Maybe it's a selling point these days. I mean the old Lo Wang didn't swear :,( at least I don't remember there to be much else except crude humor.

Then again something like Gta or South park would be rather disturbing without harsh language.

Swearing in games is like sword wielding girls in bikinis, you just know you're looking at a 3rd rate game attempting to plaster glitter glue over the rusting sump.

"sword wielding girls" - now I don't object to everything

"plaster glitter glue over the rusting sump" - now that made me smile.

Old topic on the subject.

I would still like to know if people now find swearing in games more offensive than the violence ?

"plaster glitter glue over the rusting sump" - now that made me smile.

Thx, I came up with that on the spot.

"sword wielding girls" - now I don't object to everything

I wouldn't mind bikini clad sword wielding girls either, except it's flashing Mozambique hut being dressed up (or down) as if it's a castle. You just know that you're going to have the wrong creepy crawlies in your bed and the wrong type of females biting you (Mozzies in case you didn't know).

I don't mind violence in games, particularly when I play a violent game, but I've never heard of a game played for its swearing. Even if some don't mind it, others will, and you're simply reducing your potential customer base by having this, something which isn't even a feature.

And for your question, yes I've stopped playing games because of its swearing.

Well i stopped playing some games, cause i sweared to much, while playing it.

I probably fall somewhere in between, having spent my youth watching ZX81 and spectrums fail to load, I have no qualms about watching My teenage kids playing games with language that would make Granny's teeth curl...

Personally I throw the odd F bomb in daily speech...

But in games I do find it tacky, juvenile and contrived, rarely, even in games designed for a "mature" audience does it add any realism or immersion as it's usually saturated rather than slightly seasoned with swearing and or bad taste humour...

I think it's a stylistic choice. For example, House of the Dead: Overkill used way too many expletives, but it's because they were imitating a certain cinematic style with it. At some points, the swearing and violence and disturbing nature of that game was "overkill" for lack of a better word, but then, that was the whole point. As a result, I loved the game, and so did many reviewers.

Other times I feel swear words are forced. Still other times I feel like their exclusion is unrealistic at best. Nothing kills immersion like playing a video game with an evil, gritty villain who never once utters a curse word. Even when heroes are injured or love interests are killed and they just shout "Darn!!!!", it just isn't realistic. People would swear, so characters should too whenever it makes sense to do so.

I would agree that swearing should be avoided unless the game calls for it though.

Nothing kills immersion like playing a video game with an evil, gritty villain who never once utters a curse word.

You do realise that the world's first recorded murderer was allegedly a vegetarian who probably wouldn't have swore in his life. So was Hitler, and he was an animal rights activist to boot. Did Hitler ever swear? Can't be bothered checking. If you want a proper quality villain, you need to get pass the one dimension.

Sure, sure, sure, I know that. And I know there are plenty of psychopaths out there saying "dagnabbit", but I'm just saying some villain archetypes that SHOULD swear often don't.