Section 1: Games as a Developing Medium - Part 1

Much of the backlash against adult content in video games revolves around the continued mainstream public perception of this interactive media as a child’s toy. Fortunately, this opinion has shifted slowly over the lifespan of this still-developing medium. A current example of a game exploring radical topics is the yet to be released Wolfenstein II. Set in 1961, the game explores the possibility of a Nazi-controlled America and the consequences for the lifestyles of those living there. You are placed in a world where the Nazis won the Second World War and are given the task of initiating a Second American Revolution against the Nazi Regime. 

Despite a fascinating analysis of this particular historic outcome, some may find a way to derive offence from the use of Nazi imagery and depiction in a video game. Unfortunately this attack is not necessarily directly towards the content of the game which would not be uncommon in a comparable film or literature, but rather judges the piece based on the medium of choice. This ties directly into the current depiction of video games as suitable for only younger audiences.