ViewtifulJC
Banned
Not Nintendo games, if that's what you're getting at
Silent Hill 2 is one of those mature games.
For me there's two types.
First one is the rare one, the actually mature game with adult themes that are handled in non-ridiculous manner.
The second one is the one that wants to be called mature but is more like 'teh m4tur3' with flying guts, dismemberment, silly quicktime sex scenes etc. God of War series is a good example of this. It's something you'd imagine a 12 year old would describe as mature.
I like this train of thought.Games where the important bit would be lost on you without certain age.
No one's pretending games like GoW are "mature" in the sense of having great depth and nuance, or that enjoying them is a mark of sophistication. No one, that is, except the people who criticize them for supposedly "wanting to be mature" in the way you're suggesting, despite the fact that they don't seem to aspire to that at all.
Has content fitting for interpretation by adults, whether explicit or implicit.
So what you're saying is that this...
... is a "mature" game? It was marketed as "a booze-chugging, stripper-ogling, baddie-blasting good time". Sounds more like an immature game to me.
For me there's two types.
First one is the rare one, the actually mature game with adult themes that are handled in non-ridiculous manner.
The second one is the one that wants to be called mature but is more like 'teh m4tur3' with flying guts, dismemberment, silly quicktime sex scenes etc. God of War series is a good example of this. It's something you'd imagine a 12 year old would describe as mature.
No one's pretending games like GoW are "mature" in the sense of having great depth and nuance, or that enjoying them is a mark of sophistication. No one, that is, except the people who criticize them for supposedly "wanting to be mature" in the way you're suggesting, despite the fact that they don't seem to aspire to that at all.
Precisely.
Nintendo games tend to be categorized as 'kiddy' and immature for all the wrong reasons. People typically focus on the art style and sound design of Nintendo games, and use those two factors as the basis for calling their titles 'kiddy'. We're all guilty of judging a book by its cover. Once we 'open' Nintendo's book, we realize that it's the story, characters, and gameplay design that make their games more fitting for a younger audience than an older audience.
At the end of it all, it comes down to the markets that these platforms are intended for. Nintendo deliberately avoids creating games that are more suitable for adults than children. Microsoft deliberately avoids creating games that are more suitable for children than adults. Sony sits in the middle - they invest in a library of titles that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. They've had their share of flops (e.g. PlayStation Move Heroes, EyePet, Fat Princess) and their share of successes (e.g. LittleBigPlanet, The Playroom, Singstar, Buzz, Sly Cooper etc.).
Games that deal with themes I (or people like me) can relate about, instead of fighting demons for the sake of fighting demons. Games that will make me re-evaluate my own life.
Silent Hill 2 is one of those mature games.
A game that requires the player to have the maturity to appreciate its themes and complexities.
Mature rated games can be among the most immature though.
Silent Hill 2 is one of those mature games.
I think you mean "inversely proportional."IMO, a game's maturity is usually directly proportional to how much it leans on "mature" things to identify itself. Gears of War, which let's just point out has a bloody skull stamp as its logo, is to me one of the least mature games. Call of Duty is all spectacle. Halo tries too much to "be more than it is", if that makes sense.
I think you mean "inversely proportional."
Games that have content that justify a mature rating such as blood/gore/sexual content/themes/language/etc.
I agree with the rest of your post and your analysis of themes story and direction etc, but I have an issue with this. Most games do have stories and themes worth analyzing. But how then would you take games like Gran Turismo which seem to be fundamentally about complex and detailed mechanics?I really like some answers. Now, my turn.
My definition of maturity has nothing to do with content or skills required, that's more a matter of audience than maturity. A game about hens looking for the ancient gold egg could be mature to my eyes, really.
Has content fitting for interpretation by adults, whether explicit or implicit.