Fox News bites on false reports about the game Mass Effect, gets whacked by gamers.
So much to enjoy in the clip below -- the way Fox keeps the sensational and inaccurate banner about full nudity up during the whole segment, the way host Martha MacCallum states the false claims as fact, the scorn in "psychology specialist" Cooper Lawrence's voice when she says she's never played the game, the outrage of a panel undeterred by Geoff Keighley's factual corrections...
Some discussion of the story's evolution; Kevin McCullough's column seems to have been disappeared from Townhall.com, but you can still read it at Free Republic.
Game Politics has some questions that Lawrence has yet to answer (end of item).
I mentioned this to my 16-year-old. He asked if it was driven by Jack Thompson, of whom I had not heard. The answer seems to be, "not directly," although Fox has given him airtime in the past. Elijah says he might use his Best Buy gift card to buy the game; fine with me, as long as his grades stay up and his room stays clean.
I have not seen the game but the reports that I have heard is that there are some frontal computer generated nudity and suggestive contact. I believe it was given an adult rating and therefore I would never have let my 16 year be exposed to it. I seem to recall that this issue was cleared up by FOX news.
Posted by: Beau D. Jackson | Jan 26, 2008 at 01:55 PM
The game has NO frontal nudity what-so-ever. It has a grand total of 2, count them 2 side shots and even then nothing is exposed. You'll get more titillating stuff from prime time networks shows than you will from Mass Effect.
After a serious pummeling of her book by gamers on Amazon.com, Lawrence has now recanted her original position on the game. She is the typical pundit that FOX and other media outlets get to go on TV and rile up their base. She knew basically nothing about the game and has admitted that everything she said in the FOX segment was based on what was "told" to her.
Total yellow journalism on FOX's part. Can't wait to see if FOX will correct the record on air.
Posted by: Ged Maheux | Jan 26, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Tell your son he's making a great purchase. I bought the game about two weeks ago, and its one of the best I have every played. Ged is correct. You will find more nudity on MTV than you will in "Mass Effect."
Posted by: Sam W | Jan 26, 2008 at 06:59 PM
Tell your son he's making a great purchase. I bought the game about two weeks ago, and its one of the best I have every played. Ged is correct. You will find more nudity on MTV than you will in "Mass Effect."
I bought my son a baseball, bat and glove and I can assure you he got great enjoyment out of the game rather than sit on his behind in the house doing a "kill count!" Maybe some of these games have something to do with the kids of today eating Ritalin like M&M's!
Posted by: Beau D. Jackson | Jan 26, 2008 at 10:40 PM
So, teenage boys can't tell the difference between video games and real life if they don't have real experiences?
Did she just suggest that all teenage boys go out and have sex so they can tell the difference? Where were these pundits when I was a teenager?
Also - the panelist at the end who says "What happened to Atari and pinball?" Exactly the person who belongs on a news channel discussion about video games - I feel so much more informed now.
Posted by: J. Neas | Jan 27, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Ed Cone, why do you hate nudity?
Posted by: Jim Rosenberg | Jan 27, 2008 at 08:50 AM
"I mentioned this to my 16-year-old."
Elijah is 16?
Damn, Ed. You are getting old!
MD
Posted by: Mad Dog | Jan 28, 2008 at 09:38 AM