Adult games rampant in S. Korea (pic)
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2007-04-27
KeyWord: Adult, games, rampant, S. Korea, Mortal Kombat, Pangaea, Theft Auto GTA
Date: 2007-04-27
Summary:With more and more adult games come into the market, the Korean gaming industry proposes that concrete measures should be taken to prevent teenagers from getting access to adult games.
With more and more adult games come into the market, the Korean gaming industry proposes that concrete measures should be taken to prevent teenagers from getting access to adult games.
All Star Baseball, rated by the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) as a game "not suitable for children and teens", will be officially released on April 26. In All Star Baseball, Japanese movie stars or singers will play "rock, paper and scissors" with the gamers and the loser has to take off all his/her clothes. Pangaea, an MMORPG rated as "not suitable for children and teens" on April 2 by KMRB, has provoked a lot of debates among people due to its sex and gambling content since the start of its application for review from KMRB. Other adult games we can find on the S. Korean market include Theft Auto GTA, a game criticized by many people for violating moral standards because in the game, the gamers have to kill civilians and policemen in order to increase their experience points, and Mortal Kombat which is a very cruel mafia game.
Despite the potential side effects, the above-mentioned games still have passed review by KMRB which holds that these games will be open only to adults who are expected to be one of the main factors contributing to the rejuvenation of S. Korea¡¯s gaming industry. In the past, only teenagers were fond of playing games. However, there is a trend that more and more adults are playing game and as a result, large amounts of adult games are being developed and pushed onto the market on a continuous basis.
Many people are concerned that teens can access adult games easily. Currently, many youngsters in S. Korea play adult games using their parents` ID number. Till now, no concrete measures have been taken to tackle the phenomenon. Can the "not suitable for children and teens" label solve everything?
