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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWorld of Warcraft listed as one of the 30 most offensive games
by Adam Holisky 
Jan 9th 2009 at 5:00PM
The conservative Christian investment firm, the Timothy Plan, has released a list of the 30 most offensive games on the market (Warning: link is to a PDF file). This list details the areas of sex, nudity, gay / lesbian, violence, cartoon violence, language, comic mischief, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, demonic, and game addiction as things that are against any "morally responsible" mutual fund to invest in.In other words they don't want you to invest, like they don't, in companies that make games which deal with any of the above areas.
World of Warcraft is on the list. It has an overall score of a 9, which means it is half as offensive as Grand Theft Auto IV. According to the Timothy Plan, WoW is morally deficient in sex, violence, language, alcohol, and game addiction.
Some investors will take this advice, and that's their right to do so.
After the break we'll examine areas in which WoW is morally deficient, according to the Timothy Plan.
Area 1: Sex
"Suggestive Themes: Some suggestively dressed female characters and sexual allusions."
Yup. WoW has some pretty attractive females. Night Elves dancing on mailboxes, Dwarf Priests jumping around in their Tier 2 gear, and don't forget the mating of two sea-lions. /phew!
Area 2: Violence
"Blood, Violence: A reasonable amount of fighting interspersed between various missions. Many attacks can cause enemies to bleed."
I can agree with half of that. There is a reasonable amount of fighting. You have to kill monsters, bad thieves, and your enemy on the battle-field. But unlike the text which the Timothy Plan lives by, there are no descriptions of a man being strung up on a cross with a crown of thorns on.
The second part of the violence statement, that many attacks can cause enemies to bleed, is wrong. The bleed effect is only applyable by a few number of classes and their abilities, and only by a few weapons. By no means are "many attacks" able to do this.
Area 3: Language
"Mild Language: You may find a very occasional 'd*mn.'"
If you think that's language, you should hear what I yell at my computer when I wipe on a raid boss for the umpteenth time.
Area 4: Alcohol
"Use: Players have the opinion of purchasing and consuming alcohol, even the ability to get drunk."
Players also learn an important lesson, when you get drunk you can't walk straight and are extremely less effective in everything you do. In fact, you can't fight well at all while drunk. You might even say that WoW tries to impart the antithesis of what the Timothy Group is trying to say. WoW tells you getting drunk is bad.
Area 5: Game Addiction
"Addiction: Due to the nature of the game and its length, it is extremely addictive. Time limits need to be set when playing the game."
WoW is an addictive game. If you have an addictive personality, then you are at risk of becoming addicted to WoW or any other game. I don't want to get into the physiological responses of the body to addiction, but needless to say, addiction is real and there are physical as well as mental reasons for it.
However with that said, there are lots of other things you can become addicted to as well. Watching TV, drinking, risk taking, sex, or basically anything that releases endorphins into your brain to make you feel good.
While I'll leave it up for you to decide the general merits of this list.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 15)
Khayman Jan 9th 2009 5:05PM
Mr Plan most likely beats his wife and has fathered and illegitimate child or two.
Morgoroth Jan 9th 2009 5:14PM
And, more than likely, has the phone number of one or more male prostitutes in his Blackberry.
Szjam Jan 9th 2009 5:05PM
These lists server no point other then to make the christian community even more paranoid in general to video games.
"there are no descriptions of a man being strung up on a cross with a crown of thorns on."
You're going to get hell for that I am guessing.
Josh Jan 9th 2009 5:20PM
What happened to your Judge not, lest ye be judged?
Maybe you should worry more about avoiding "hell" yourself, and let him worry (or NOT worry) about his own final resting place.
The bible is violent. It's dumb to endorse movies such as "Passion of the Christ," then condemn games like WOW for violence. It's a valid point- with or without your silly hellspeak.
ZuWhowho Jan 9th 2009 5:38PM
I don't think this reply is fair, as Sazjam said nothing to do with going to hell: He said, and I quote "You're going to GET hell for that..." Hell ofc refering to a mob like wave of aggreive responces I presume.
I have no intention of feeding any trolls that might be listerning, so I'll leave it at that.
MrHen Jan 9th 2009 5:39PM
Josh, I'm guessing Szjam was trying to mimic someone saying the bit in quotes.
As for the thorned man on a cross, I do find the original post a little out of taste. Not so much in the "Wah! The big jerk took a potshot at some guy who made a list based on opinion!" sense as in "Did we really have to go there?"
There is more sex, violence, language, alcohol, and addiction in the Bible than in WoW. Does that have anything to do with the linked article? No, not really.
Plan Jan 9th 2009 6:03PM
""there are no descriptions of a man being strung up on a cross with a crown of thorns on."
And that was completely unnecessary.
Just because one asshat is so uptight with his Christian morals that he disses your favorite video game, you shouldn't try to belittle people's religious beliefs.
Jimbo Jan 9th 2009 11:49PM
@MrHen
the Bible talks about sex, violence, language, alcohol, and addiction in a bad way. its not promoting it at all. its telling us to refrain from the evil of it. whereas one could say WoW promotes some of those topics. and as other posts have said, this list is not "judgemental against video games" anymore than you are judgemental of christians. i will give you that there are christians who have a "im holier than though" attitude. but they are sinners just like you and me. where you may struggle in one area they may struggle with pride. i do like what this article says about addiction. so many people are addicted to stuff that isnt "bad" but yet its just society that make it that way. take soda for example. very addicting but not "bad". its all in the person being strong enough to resist and to recognize the addiction.
Khalis Jan 9th 2009 5:07PM
The fact that these whackjobs think this is bad for me tells me that I've found something good. I've never gone wrong doing the opposite of what people like this tell me to do, or not do.
People with imaginary friends are insane.
rock Jan 9th 2009 5:13PM
Indeed, words to live by.
Caliid Jan 9th 2009 5:25PM
What's creepy is that they all seem to think they have the same imaginary friend.
Religious nuts seem to display characteristics that are found in only two places: Churches and mental institutions.
rosencratz Jan 9th 2009 5:49PM
I'm pretty sure they also say that you shouldn't kill or steal... among other things... I think it's safe to assume Khalis is a person worth avoiding as a social reject in future. ;)
elvendude Jan 9th 2009 5:49PM
I'm looking through their list of games, and it reads like a Christmas shopping list to me. Actually, some games I'm going to check out specifically because they're on that list.
Khalis Jan 9th 2009 6:19PM
@rosencratz
You assume wrong. These people tell you that you shouldn't steal or kill because god will send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus. I don't kill or steal because I know it's wrong without someone telling me it's wrong.
Which begs the question; Is it OK to play these games as long as you accept Jesus as your personal savior, thus making everything forgiven?
Vhaithe Jan 9th 2009 5:07PM
"But unlike the text which the Timothy Plan lives by, there are no descriptions of a man being strung up on a cross with a crown of thorns on."
Did you really have to go there? Mock him for having a stupid opinion if you must, but please don't mock the religion involved.
Jehanne Jan 9th 2009 5:09PM
Yes, you have to go there with these hypocrites.
Thiosion Jan 9th 2009 5:09PM
While I understand why you would be offended, I think he was mocking the hypocrisy of the statement, as opposed to beliefs themselves.
Adam Holisky Jan 9th 2009 5:11PM
I'm not mocking anything. I'm was raised Catholic, went to Church, participated in it's community, all that good stuff.
I just recognize the Bible is extremely violent. And thus I find it hypocritical that it's okay to let kids be fully involved in violence because of religion, but not because of video games.
winks Jan 9th 2009 5:14PM
look thats violent too and the bible is nothing more then a good story. he didnt go no where but to qoute a BOOK that hasnt been proven to be true. dont cry because we speak of this story.
Withersby Jan 9th 2009 5:15PM
I don't think he was mocking but rather pointing out the hypocrisy involved in saying "avoid this artistic work, it includes some offensive subject matter" when the very book that Christianity if founded upon is chock full of murder, sex, violence, cannibalism, etc.