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Plenty of people had predicted that 25 to Life would get criticized for it’s intense violence, and they were right.
Nina Grewal, a conservative from Canada, is requesting that the ESRB changes the rating of the game is changed from M (for ages 17 and up) to AO (for ages 18 and up) (sound familiar to anyone?) because of the game’s strong violence. Other politicians have already expressed outrage at the game.
Grewal is reported saying, “the 25 to Life video game glorifies violence against innocent civilians and police officers and sets a terrible example for our children. In this age of senseless terrorism, it is
exactly the wrong message we should be sending to our children.”
Eidos chose to comment on the issue. Kevin Gill, global brand manager for the game, reminds people that the average age for a gamer is twenty-nine and that not all video games are meant for children.
Jake Neri, creative director, commented to Brian Crecente in an article in the Rocky Mountain News.
“While 25 to Life does let you kill cops, it’s certainly not the first game to do so, and this game will also let you be a cop.”
25 to Life is very similar to many games in the media today. Two teams of players run around during the game trying to kill as many of their opponents as possible. The cops are allowed to arrest as well as kill. Arresting a criminal will keep them out of the game longer than shooting them. Although the violence is similar to many other games, many do not like the premise of killing cops.
“We understand that there is some sensitivity to the game, but I truly believe 25 to Life is absolutely in the standards and boundaries set by today’s media.”
We believe the game will be safe from a ratings change as long as 25 to Life does not add any sort of sex or nudity.