Not the type of news article you want your young game to gain

[AeRae]

This thread has lots of new and exciting information.

[Shyzhi]

Let me guess, Femonists are QQing agian? Jesus christ.. its a game for god sake. If this is offencive lets recall all games involving any kind of violance. No more CoD, Skyrim, BF, anything really. Even games like Spyro had violance in them.... Its a GAME, its not REAL, lets all stop crying now.... -.-

[Triptych]

Well the same could then be said about people who watch horror movies.. or any film/tv show with any sort of violence or death in it. Consider your argument before posting. Choosing to do something in a game for amusement/entertainment.. watching others do it for amusement/entertainment.. not much difference here..

You misunderstand my point. Horror movies are not (supposed to be) amusing and "enjoyable". They are designed to unsettle, horrify and shock their audience. Similarly with most movies about war or genocide or slavery. You don't watch them and laugh when the soldiers start machine-gunning the villagers into mass graves, or rewind and giggle as you rewatch the bit where the slave is tied to a post and whipped. "Haha, that was cool, hope there's some more whippin' in the next scene!".

Now, I haven't played TOR yet, as it's not released in my region. So I don't know, maybe the Vette torture dialogue is done in a comical or whimsical way. Maybe your character slips on a banana peel and says "DERP" a la Rob Schneider when he's done abusing her. Then fine, we can all laugh it off as an unreal portrayal of violence, and we needn't be concerned about players enjoying these scenes.

[sleekit]

Yeah, because virtual violence against women is not a valid issue and we can dismiss it simply because the Daily presented it first.

It won't go away, Bioware/EA have money, there are a lot of groups out there that will want a concession. What has Bioware/EA to point to in its defense? Its fans? Sorry, blew that one already, some of their fans have gone out of the way to declare their ignorance/hate/immaturity.

go find another stick to beat the game with.

this is the same entertainment medium in which i can beat a woman to death with a baseball bat after paying to have sex with her to get my money back . . . . X4 and soon 5 times now

Vettes torment (or not) is entirely within context in swtor. . . unlike, i might add, the torture in WotLK . . .

[wombinator04]

God people are so stupid. Oh yeah....who cares about the massive amounts of genocide, murder, and the Incredibly evil, maniacal stuff that goes on In SWTOR. Let's all complain about players tormenting female slaves with a electric shock collar, like that's so offensive and twisted.

[Kebren]

Is the article a bit over the top? For sure, but I think it bring up some valid points. Given the history of the Star Wars franchise being family friendly, some of the things you can do in game seem a bit out of character for the series. In the US the game is rated Teen, and I think I'd question letting a 13 year old have free reign in a game like this. The violence is one thing, but we tend to look at violence and sexuality in much different terms.

The gamer in me says this article is garbage, but the adult in me says there's a bit of truth to it. I'm not saying in any way that the game should be banned or not allowed. I just think this is a game written for adults, and when you throw it into a universe that's so family friendly there's bound to be some objection like this.

[PowerLift]

I can't tell if this article is suppose to be a joke. It honestly sounds like some insane religious group wrote this shit up. And as someone else posted almost every rated T game has killing. Invalid point is invalid

[Andre82]

I understand why someone might feel concerned that a game that lets you torture a woman might normalize such behavior. However the concerns are largely unfounded. In the context of the game the situation makes sense and when it is played for laughs the joke tends to be about how unimpressed she is. People enjoy it in the same way you enjoy a horror movie. This is your character being a monster, a Sith enslaving a galaxy. People are going to be surprised and exited that such an option even exists and will wish to explore its boundaries. It also makes the choices you make have real value.

My first play through I removed the collar and gave her her freedom when it was within my power, mostly because I liked her personality and it fit how I wanted my story to progress. When I do my next play through I might very well keep the collar on, and I do not believe this makes me a sadist anymore then I believe that the same would be true for thinking Darth Vader is a better villain for torturing Solo to draw out Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. Removing her or making her more politically correct (can't be hurting women now) would be a disservice to fans of good story's and to women.

This story is nothing more then someone wagging there finger at that nasty rock & roll and a chance for others to feel morally superior or enjoy some self righteous indignation.

All of this is not to say the game is without flaws. I wanted to kill Corso Riggs when he yelled at me for shooting a woman, but even that is just part of his (stupid) personality.

[GallowsZA]

Isnt Daily Mail the UK's version of the National Inquirer?

Maybe the National Inquirer is the [Insert whatever country you're from] version of the Daily Mail?

[Deleted]

It is the human nature to be cruel, enjoy tormenting others, watching people suffer.
People always want to inflict suffering to others and not be punished for that.
BW gave them that opportunity.

Be it not for for laws and law enforcement structures our population wouldn't boast 7 billion people because we would live in a constant bloodshed, poverty and humiliation where only the strongest would rule, kill, torture and abuse.
Murders, torture and abuse take place anyway both on private and governmental level. (USA and its governing corporations are a perfect example of a bully trying to lead the world to ruin)

[Vutar]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ck-collar.html


I was wondering how long before this would hit the news, granted its on Daily now but you can rest assured it will spread. One of the reasons I didn't play the empire side was because of the lower than barrens chat that usually involved Vette and such. Guess its coming out now as idiots are bragging on blogs and posting/boasting on Youtube. The number of people who would love a force her dialog would most likely be depressing but might make a good study of online game players. Not necessarily portraying us in a good light.

I do admit to thinking the introduction to her was sarcastic cute when she prodded her jailor but never understood the extend which some players would take it except when testing sith and such... well way to go guys, brag about it and the news picked it up.

I'd like to put a shock collar on the person who wrote that article.

[Deleted]

You can force her to watch you as you do it?
Cruel.

You can also do her hot Twi'lek friend on their reunion on Nar'shadda. She even approves of it. :3

It is the human nature to be cruel, enjoy tormenting others, watching people suffer.
People always want to inflict suffering to others and not be punished for that.
BW gave them that opportunity.

Be it not for for laws and law enforcement structures our population wouldn't boast 7 billion people because we would live in a constant bloodshed, poverty and humiliation where only the strongest would rule, kill, torture and abuse.
Murders, torture and abuse take place anyway both on private and governmental level. (USA and its governing corporations are a perfect example of a bully trying to lead the world to ruin)

I doubt it's the laws that prevent that, if it was the humans nature and everyone was like that no such laws would have been made in the first place, human rights wouldn't have been heard of... Some people are like that not all, everyone has a bit of it in them, but to a very very small degree. We mostly wish to see people we possible don't like to suffer, not random strangers or those close to us.

[GallowsZA]

You can also do her hot Twi'lek friend on their reunion on Nar'shadda. She even approves of it. :3

Coincidently, my next stop. Thanks for the heads up

[varkiriel]

Isnt Daily Mail the UK's version of the National Inquirer?

No, the national inquirer has more journalistic integrity

---------- Post added 2012-01-06 at 12:36 PM ----------

From Uncyclopedia (but is actually very accurate):

Things the Mail and its readers believe are true:

• Anyone to the left of Thatcher supports an "open-door immigration policy".

Doesn't that include pretty much the rest of the human race?

[Bolson13]

Disregarding the actual topic now for a little hypothetical marketing.

I wonder if it is actually bad for news like this to appear about a game like this. I mean, gamers already know that it is a load of bullocks with violence in games leading to RL violence.
Non gamers probably won't pick up an MMORPG since it has monthly costs and whatnot so they would never have bought it anyways. Same for people buying the game for others. I can understand that a mother wouldn't buy COD:MW2 after hearing that you shoot an airport full of civilians but I don't think they were planning on buying TOR to begin with.

So people who wanted to buy and now decide not to will be minimum.


On the other end it is only getting the name out once again and let's face it, violent games sell well amongst gamers so it might actually pull some more people in. Spark an intrest in a group that might have though star wars was for their grandfather who still plays with darth vader toys and shooting people with their tv remotes (star trek I know).

Edit: I think actually that it might increase sales in a lot of other games as well. I can remember carmageddon comming out which was in it's basics nothing special for a racing game. But once the papers started writing about the mass murdering is what basically drew people to the stores to see what it was all about.

[Andre82]

You misunderstand my point. Horror movies are not (supposed to be) amusing and "enjoyable". They are designed to unsettle, horrify and shock their audience. Similarly with most movies about war or genocide or slavery. You don't watch them and laugh when the soldiers start machine-gunning the villagers into mass graves, or rewind and giggle as you rewatch the bit where the slave is tied to a post and whipped. "Haha, that was cool, hope there's some more whippin' in the next scene!".

I think your taking it to far. People do "enjoy" horror movies in part because they like being shocked or scared. Context is important and the context of the humor with the shock collar tends to be about how unimpressed she is with it. Being a monster trying to enslave the galaxy in a game no more makes you a sadist then thinking Darth Vader is better villain for torturing Solo to draw out Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. This is nothing more then the news wagging its finger at that blasted rock and roll. Plus it gives your actions real. Whats the payoff for being s hero if being a villain was never really an option.

[melodramocracy]

Bad publicity is the best publicity.

This sort of thing will attract folks that, well, dig this sort of thing. Just like bondage / humiliation / rape porn does.

But on my server at least, I've yet to hear any talk about this particular companion at all. Most folks just play the game and seem to enjoy it.

---------- Post added 2012-01-06 at 10:47 AM ----------

It is the human nature to be cruel, enjoy tormenting others, watching people suffer.

Care to back this up with scientific data?

[Deleted]

Reminds me of the torture quest in Borean Tundra.

You've killed thousands upon thousands of creatures, humanoids and spirits when getting to that quest, but people freaked out because you were forced to torture a wizard that places people in small arcane boxes.

[Deleted]

Reminds me of the torture quest in Borean Tundra.

You've killed thousands upon thousands of creatures, humanoids and spirits when getting to that quest, but people freaked out because you were forced to torture a wizard that places people in small arcane boxes.

Morale of the story, people just overreact that's it really