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.“
o Fact:
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.”
o Fact:
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.”
o Fact:
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.
