New video game encourages players to strip and spank each other
Collett Smart, child/adolescent psychotherapist and member of Collective Shout discusses the new game, ‘We dare,’ designed for adults, but available for children. Collett also writes for her blog, The Tween Factor.
Sex between minors is now legal in Australia it seems. Well that would be true, if the standards of the Classification Board were anything to go by. Ubisoft has launched their ‘We Dare’ game for wii and PS3 that is due for release on the 3 March. The classification board has only given it a PG rating.
In their decision to give We Dare a PG rating the Classification Board said that they acknowledged the ‘sexual tone’ of the game but believed its sexual references were ‘mild, discreetly implied and justified by context.’ So minors engaging in ‘discreet’ group sex or pornified behavior is justified because it is in the ‘context’ of a game?
While traditionally known as family consoles, the latest Nintendo Wii’s raunchy party game comes complete the promotion line ‘The more friends you invite to party, the spicier the play!’ It is rendered, ‘a sexy, quirky party game that offers a large variety of hilarious, innovative and physical, sometimes kinky, challenges’. The box promises ‘flirty fun for all,’ above an image of a plush pink armchair draped in lingerie and padded handcuffs.
The risqué video, which leaves the viewer without any doubt about the intention of the game, presents two couples in a series of sexually suggestive positions. The trailer provides offers of partner swapping, group sex, spanking and stripping. Key features advertised for the game include a call to ‘challenge your mates to a flirty striptease’, as well as the option of shedding some clothing which will even the playing field and ‘definitely make the party more interesting!’ It has been said that ‘the shedding of clothing’ is meant to be all about weight loss promotion. When was the last time you saw someone going to the gym without their clothing?
Ubisoft encourages ‘provocative’ use of controls. They persuade the gamer to, ‘Use your controller in the most unexpected ways, as you’ve never imagined before… Get up-close and personal with your friends with this wide variety of naughty and silly challenges. This is an invitation to let yourself go, because life is short and what happens in this game… stays in the game!’ They offer the option to select the mood of your party (Enchanting, Persuasive, Naughty…), as well as ‘A wide and varied range of 40 fun and flirtatious games.‘ By ‘fun and flirtatious mini-games,’ they mean group sex and pole dancing.
Ubisoft states that their sexy party game is targeted at men and women between 20 and 30 years old but with a rating of 12 years. So the target market is adults, but it’s ok for kids too? Australia has given it a PG rating, even though the age of consent is over 16 years.
We know that repeated exposure to sexualised material erodes healthy self-concept as well as providing unhealthy views of relationships. According to Professor Louise Newman in Getting Real, ‘The sexualisation of children refers to the imposition of adult sexual themes on children at a developmentally inappropriate stage and in a way which may compromise child psychological development.’ This occurs before a child or young person is mentally, emotionally or physically ready.
Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a well-known clinical psychologist in the UK, who put together The Sexualisation of Young People Review, found that core cognitive learning and developmental theories demonstrate that children learn vicariously from what they see, and that exposure to themes which a child is not developmentally ready to cope with can have a detrimental effect. Thus, ‘As children grow older, exposure to this imagery leads to body surveillance or the constant monitoring of personal appearance… Indeed, there is a significant amount of evidence that attests to the negative effects of sexualisation on young people in terms of mental and physical health, attitudes and beliefs.’
The mounting evidence indicates that exposure to sexual themes that children are not developmentally ready for can cause children and adolescents to begin to:
- Devalue relationships
- Objectify women
- Disrespect women
- Lose confidence in themselves
- Sexualise their own behaviour
- Be at risk for developing eating disorders and depression
I have grave concerns about this type of game becoming part of teenagers’ party culture. A worrying trend that already exists among some tweens is to engage in ‘dress to impress’ parties, where the girls are expected to come in (very little) ‘sexy’ clothing to impress the boys, while the boys arrive in full dress suits. Again Newman states that this type of behaviour, ‘fundamentally denies the existence of the child’s need for their own sexual development and the difference between adult and child sexuality.’
As one parent in the UK commented, ‘This sort of computer game will only serve to fuel sexual tensions and in a worse case scenario sexual touching or assault. Imagine a room of testosterone-fuelled teenagers playing this; something could get out of hand.’ Add alcohol into the mix at a teen ‘We Dare’ party and the likelihood of things going horribly wrong during or after the ‘game’ is very high.
Senior politicians in the UK have called for the game to be kept off shelves while its sexual content is investigated and the US won’t be seeing the game released within its shores. Australia, however, has allowed this to be sold in stores from today.
Take Action
To object to the potential sale of this game in our large retail chains, please use these links to write to: Kmart, BigW and Target. Target and Kmart have both advised us that they do not and will not be selling ‘We dare.’ Well done Target and Kmart!
[Update] To clarify, these retailers may not actually be selling ‘We dare’ at the moment and they may not intend to. The purpose of writing to them is to let them know about the issues surrounding ‘We dare’ as outlined in the article and to urge them not to sell the game now or in future.
[Update] EB games is selling ‘We dare.’ Contact them here. We suggest clicking on ‘General and Corporate information’ on the left hand menu and then click on ‘I have a general question about your company.’
To object to the classification of this game, please fill in the online enquiry form for the Australian Classification Review Board here. Their policy states that a fee waiver occurs, if the material:
(a) involves a matter of interest to the public at large, or to a significant
portion of the public; or
(b) provides a public benefit; or
(c) encourages or contributes to a desirable public purpose.
Also,
Write directly to the Attorney General’s Classification branch on attorney@ag.gov.au. Att: Jane Fitzgerald (Assistant Secretary)
19 Comments
How can they make this pg?? I just watched the ad and it’s is beyond me how they can think that the sexual tones are discreet!! They are blatantly obvious.
On the bright side it looks as if it’s getting a pretty bad response from everyone.
Done. I wrote one letter and altered it depending on who it was going to.
I am a frequent customer of Kmart, as a mother of three children. I am writing to share my concern over a product being sold in your stores, “We dare”, a PS3 or wii sex game. This game is intended for adults of legal age, but has somehow received only a PG rating (for players aged 12 and up). This game has been removed from sale in the UK as its sexual content is investigated, and will not be released in stores at all in the US.
The trailer for this game shows partner swapping, spanking, stripping and group sex. This is in no way appropriate for children. I ask you to keep in mind the legal ask of consent is 16.
This video game contributes to the sexualisation of children, where inappropriate material is imposed on children in such a way as to be damaging to their natural psychological development.
Please consider your reputation for being a “family friendly” store and remove this game from your shelves.
Kind regards,
Caitlin
Just done – sent my complaint to the classification board, on the grounds that getting it reclassified should (hopefully) reduce its impact.
Showed the trailer to our son and my husband, both sets of eyebrows nearly fell off…..!! Forgot to copy and paste my letter here before submitting, though.
That is just all kinds of wrong.
I’ve all but given up trying to get anything through to Target, Big W or Kmart. Sent a version of this email both to the Classification Board and Attorney-General though:
Dear Ms Fitzgerald.
I write today in protest at the recent classification of Ubisoft’s We Dare game for Nintendo Wii.
This game encourages players to participate in sexually suggestive and imitative activities, including striptease, pole dancing and group sex. The game’s maker states that the target market is men and women between the age of 20 and 30 years.
I am gravely concerned that, despite the fact that the age of consent in Australia is 16 years, the Classification Board seems to think that material which encourages its consumers to act out sexual scenarios with each other is not only ‘mild’, but is suitable for children to purchase or consume. Or – potentially far worse – to purchase and consume in the presence of an adult.
There is a growing body of expert evidence that repeated exposure to sexualised material before children are developmentally ready erodes the ability of young people to develop into healthy adults and s a contributing factor to mental illness and self-harm. In the light of the harm that such material may cause young consumers, the Classification Board’s decision to make an explicitly sexualising game such as ‘We Dare’ easily available to children is, quite frankly, completely irresponsible.
You may be interested to know that senior politicians in the UK have called for this game to be kept off shelves while its content is investigated, and that it will not be released in the US. I would be very interested to hear on what grounds the Australian release and classification of this game are being justified.
Looking forward to your response,
Nicole J
Target just called me and said they don’t stock the game. They asked if I had actually seen it in a store, because they had received three complaints but couldn’t find it anywhere. I also just got an email from Kmart pretty much saying the same thing.
Hi all,
We should have been clearer in our blog post. When we asked supporters to write to the major retailers it was to object to the ‘potential’ sale of the game. ie. they may not actually stock the game at the moment. The response we are hoping for from retailers is that they will choose not to sell it. We will update the blog to make that clearer.
In response to concerns about the new PS3 & Wii game We Dare, Target Australia would like to advise that we do not and will not be ranging this game in our stores.
Regards,
Target Customer Relations
Thank you Target! We will let all of our supporters know.
I got a response from EB Games, who do stock the game, and it seems will continue to stock it.
Hi Caitlin,
Thank you for your concerns and we do apologise if this game has caused you concern or distress.
All games in Australia are subject to a review process by the Classification and Review Board of Australia and EB Games strictly adheres and follows the classification set down by the board. Whilst we do recognise your concerns about the content of this game and I have already passed your feedback to our Marketing and Buying team, the decision has been made to proceed with stocking this title as per the advice we have received from the Classification Review Board and also the vendors of this game which is Nintendo and Ubisoft.
If you are unhappy with retailers stocking this game in Australia we would suggest contacting Nintendo directly on (03) 9730 9822 or you can contact the Classification and Review Board of Australia directly and voice your concerns with them. Please find a direct link to the feedback section of the Classification and Review Board website – http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/classification.nsf/Page/FrequentlyAskedQuestions_FrequentlyAskedQuestions?open&query=complaints#c2
We thank you for your feedback in relation to this matter and we hope the information provided has been useful to you.
Kind Regards,
Craig Landeman | Customer Service Supervisor
I’m not sure that boycotting the SALE of this game is the right course of action.
Are we not all in agreement that this game is okay for consenting adults?? If we are, then it’s not the sale that’s the problem it’s the rating. Send your angry letters to the Classification Board; who have denied Australia many high-rating games because it claims them too offensive, yet allows THIS game to be given a PG rating.
They have their damn heads on backwards!
I totally agree that this game is HIGHLY inappropriate for minors, I wouldn’t even be comfortable with 15-16 year olds playing it, however for actual adults who are seeking some good, clean, albeit naughty, consensual fun then this game is fine.
Boycotting every place that sells the game doesn’t help the cause, and it is unfair to the gamers who would play the game responsibly. The real message needs to be sent to the Australian Classification Review Board, letting them know they have the rating wrong. Would this game receive the same level of attention if it had an R18+ rating?
While i understand the issue of the sexualisation of children is not something that should be condoned, to state that it encourages the disrespect and objectifying of women is sexist; these games show both genders in similar situations and would work both ways and to tout it as against women is blatantly sexist.
The issue with this game is not its content but its rating which is the failure of the OFLC, we should have R18+ ratings for our video games so that games such as this are rated accordingly for their target audience. As per the promotional material for the game it is specifically marketed and aimed at people above the age of consent, that it is rated PG is because the OFLC dropped the ball not the distributors.
Seriously?? You guys are getting your knickers in a twist over THIS game? Holy shit…I know kids below the age of 12 who regularly participate in games far worse than this one, but to be honest, I’m not worried about them either. I grew up with these sorts of games (the ones that everyone complains about) and I now have a beautiful wife and a gorgeous little girl…I turned out just fine. I don’t understand why you’re targeting this game – I’ve seen the videos and it’s harmless.
A game like this does not warrant a restricted classification, so I would say that if it were changed it would only go to an M-rating, in which case it would STILL be available to the “precious” youth of our nation.
SNIP for abuse.
Hi Justin, you’re entitled to your opinion, but the abusive tone of your comment undermines your assertion that you ‘turned out just fine.’
Alright, fair call. I just really don’t understand why everyone is slamming a game like this, just because it’s a bit flirty in nature.
The majority of today’s “precious” youth knows more about this sort of thing by the time they’re age 10-14 than this game could ever teach them. So why such a big fuss? No one cares if a 15 year-old gets his hot little hands on a copy of “F.E.A.R. 2″ (to the uninitiated, that would be one of the more disturbing/violent titles out there), but as soon as the subject moves from gratuitous graphic violence to a bit of harmless flirting and, oh no, a bit of spanking even…everyone jumps up and down about it!
Oh yes, I’m sure that violently killing people is just peachy. SO LONG AS WE AREN’T FLIRTING!!!
That’s my rant for the day. Thank you for this pleasant outlet. Have a nice day everyone.
Hi again Justin,
I do wonder why you’re using the word ‘precious’ in inverted commas. I take it you’re being sarcastic? People are often mocked for being concerned about children and I’m not sure why that is.
But to address your specific argument that youth ‘know more about this sort of thing’ well that is not always the case. But if they do, media like this plays a part in that. ‘We dare’ is part of a bigger problem of introducing adult concepts to children before they are able to process them. Video games, music videos, television programs are all recognised as contributing to the sexualisation of children which in turn leads to negative health outcomes for them.
Regarding your other suggestion that ‘no-one cares if a 15 year old gets his hot little hands on a copy of F.E.A.R. 2′ actually there are many who are concerned about that. It just happens that this article is about ‘We dare’ and the way the game requires people to act out sexually. This might be just fine for consenting adults, but this game is rated PG and that is a problem. Hence, our article.
FYI here is an article about video game violence which might interest you: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2000/04/video-games.aspx
Thanks for your comments Justin.
That was an interesting article. But I have a couple of things to point out.
Firstly, they say their study revealed that people who were “habitually aggressive” would be especially vulnerable. Of course they are especially vulnerable, but that doesn’t mean only to games. That counts for other types of media as well. Their minds are already fragile, so it only takes the smallest exposure to any form of violent media and they’re out on a rampage (so to speak).
Secondly, and I don’t have any specific reference, but there are studies that have shown that exposure to those types of games isn’t all bad. These studies have spoken about large increases in activity in some parts of the brain, significant development of fine motor skills and fast-twitch reflexes. In some cases, subjects that are naturally quite angry, or suffer from certain disorders (eg. ADHD) have shown improvements in behavioural patterns.
Now I’m not actually disagreeing with the article at all, because I think that there are many people out there who are adversely affected by these types of games and other media. However I believe that there are just as many out there who find that they can relax with a violent game, or use it as an escape from a stressful job.
Now I have one more thing for you to ponder. Imagine a kid who is constantly bullied at primary school. He wakes up every morning hoping that they won’t notice him, but they always do. Some days are better, some worse. Then one day his dad comes home with a shiny new copy of DOOM II. He plays it into the ground, two or three or four times a week, some days for hours at a time. Gradually, his parents start to notice a dramatic improvement in his school performance. He still gets bullied, but it no longer has an impact on him, because he has an outlet for any sort of negative emotions. He passed all his grades with flying colours, is now living a happy and comfortable life as a helicopter technician, and has watched those that bullied him fail in life.
Now, some may think that this is an inappropriate way to vent emotion. However, I do not.
This kid was me.
My understanding of the research on this is that there is a distinction between violent video games and other violent media due to the fact that in video games, the person playing is directing the violence. In other media, they are spectators. That’s not to say other media won’t be harmful, just that video games have been shown to have higher impact. And of course, those who already have aggressive tendencies will be more vulnerable.
Regarding your other points about fine motor skills, reflexes etc. those can be developed with games that aren’t unnecessarily violent and perhaps in other ways that don’t involve video games at all.
That is an interesting experience you’ve had Justin and I’m so sorry to hear that you were bullied at school. I (the writer, not the entire ‘teamcs’) was also bullied so I understand how awful it is. I’m glad you were able to come through that.
I agree. Fine motor skills, fast-twitch reflexes etc can be developed with other types of games (eg. racing games, Japanese hand puzzles, etc.), I made mention mostly of shooters because they were the main subject games in the study.
Cheers for the kind thoughts…but don’t worry about me, because like I said I’ve risen above it to become quite successful. It has been a somewhat poetic course of events.
I guess at the end of the day I’m just one person…an extremely small part of the bigger picture, and I just happened to gain a lot from playing these games. I know that no two people are exactly alike, so results may vary.
All I do know is…please don’t make another Wolfenstein, id.
Cheers!
Really glad to hear that you’re doing well Justin. Thanks so much for posting your thoughts here, I appreciate the discussion.