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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 5 of 15)
Nathanael (Uldaman) Jan 9th 2009 5:15PM
Yea WoW is so bad for the kids uh huh sure and letting talk to the local preacher alone isn't? Did the man touch you little boy?
Truth Jan 9th 2009 5:35PM
This list, their website and whole thing is pointless.
It's the same level as watching mtv or jerry springer.
Utakata Jan 9th 2009 5:17PM
Yep, once again religious nutters telling us what we are supposed not to do. (Not to mention their study is based biggotted critera.) If they don't like this game...they don't have to play it. Please don't release papers on it to persuade elected officials to clamp down on our harmless enjoyment.
The Taliban is that away. --->
Amaxe Jan 9th 2009 5:33PM
From their website:
"This is not an attempt to ban video games, or dictate whether people should play them. This is purely meant to inform parents who are concerned with the moral content/issues contained in video games and make available to them information which is not easily found.
We understand, with this being a controversial issue, that some may not agree with more complete information being made available to those without the time, temperament or even talent to completely research the content of the wide array of video games presently available. However, we hope all will respect the rights of everyone to raise their children in a way they feel best matches their values and beliefs."
The Timothy Group is based on a certain list of principles. Lobbying the government is not one of them. Basically it is about informing people who share their values about what is problematic from that point of view.
This kind of comment is very much similar to the Jihad WI commentators called on FCC without understanding what was really said.
I don't agree with the Timothy Group on their assessment of WoW, but really this kind of response is really ill informed and intolerant.
laina Jan 9th 2009 6:00PM
It seems like half of you are proud of the fact that WoW made this list, and instead of thanking this study for the compliment, are using it to bash Christianity.
The other half of you are offended that WoW made this list, citing that 'other things are worse!' Yes, but this simply describes these games as a miniguide for parents who are probably for the most part clueless about gaming in general.
You'll notice that it describes WoW VERY mildly compared to every other game.
I too am a Christian who also plays WoW. This list doesn't mean anything one way or the other, it simply describes wow in a nutshell.
and ps: the violence relating to biblical Christianity vs. the violence in a videogame are completely different in the fact that games ADVOCATE violence, while Jesus does not. Taken literally, Warcraft means to "Make War"
And just because i'm sure someone will mention the Crusades, i'll simply mention that they were never condoned by the church. The pope at the time requested that they be stopped.
0bsolete Jan 9th 2009 5:19PM
To those angry at the reference to the cross-its true. He didn't badmouth it, he didn't insult it, but the fact is that WoW is being condemned for violence, when another media which is highly praised has far more of it. Its simply pointing out the null value of violence. If the bible can be good and have beastiality, infantcide, murder, torture, slavery, sex, orgies and a whole spread of other things, why can't a game?
And yes, people will react defensively to these articles. Being insulted for a game that we play by people who don't understand it is, well, insulting. Implying that WoW players have a love for debauchery, murder, sexual deviance, and chemical addictions by putting out a warning against it due to these things, is a direct insult to 11 million people, many of which who have had their lives enriched by the community and the game.
Call me a drug crazed sadistic sexual deviant and I'll react defensively. Call me a drug crazed sadistic sexual deviant because I play a game you don't understand and I'll react defensively and likely call you an ignorant bigot.
laina Jan 9th 2009 8:02PM
I think you are missing the point here, Obsolete. The point isnt that games simply HAVE these things in them, it's that they are PROMOTING them and making them seem 'cool' and rewarding you for it.
The bible doesn't do the same thing, in fact quite the opposite. In the bible if you engage in this behavior then you risk going to hell.
I'd say that is a pretty big difference that you just casually throw out the window. if any of these games took stances in opposition, then i doubt they'd be on this list.
0bsolete Jan 10th 2009 2:35AM
In fact, this is only situationally correct. Fall of Jericho. After marching around the walls for 7 days the walls fell and everybody inside the walls was killed at the order of god, included women, children and infants. Sodom and Gomorrah, everybody was also slaughtered by the hand of god himself, including women and children. Lilith, the original woman who was also made just like Adam, from the earth; banished from Eden for expecting to be treated equally and refusing to be on the bottom. She was demonized and cursed for simply wanting to be equal, and then woman was made inequal to man by being remade from part of man. The wise King Solomon who frequently lied to get his goals accomplished. Thats only from a handful of major stories. The fact is, the bible has some content that is considered immoral by the majority of people but it also has some value in the way of basic morals and life lessons. Plopping World of Warcraft in a list to debauch and immoral games, even if it has a catch-all side note, is insulting to those who play it. While the reaction wasn't politically correct, you have to remember, this is a blog. Their blog. They have the right to say, well, whatever basically. They don't need to be nice about any religion. And even when you ignore that fact, I still would say that being defensive about being directly insulted isn't something that can be condemned.
Hilus Jan 10th 2009 10:29AM
" If the bible can be good and have beastiality, infantcide, murder, torture, slavery, sex, orgies and a whole spread of other thing"
Obsolet, you forgot INCEST, hehehe.
Hilus Jan 10th 2009 10:32AM
"If the bible can be good and have beastiality, infantcide, murder, torture, slavery, sex, orgies and a whole spread of other thing"
Obsolet, you forgot INCEST, hehe...
ezmode Jan 9th 2009 5:18PM
If loving WoW is wrong, I dont wanna be right. Oh and if it pisses off a few Christians, it MUST be fun :D
Oteo Jan 9th 2009 5:18PM
Why even validate them by acknowledging this trash?
arogon Jan 10th 2009 9:09AM
silent hill and no more heroes are rated less then WoW... you best be sh*ting me...
Hellionkun Jan 9th 2009 5:19PM
I lol'd
Kalerender Jan 9th 2009 5:17PM
Conan got a 12, WoW got a 9..
We need to step it up a bit boys and girls!
FlameFlash Jan 9th 2009 5:18PM
Yay!
They didn't even get anything accurate!
[sarcasim]
What about ALL the torture that goes on!?
[/sarcasim]
alt255 Jan 9th 2009 5:19PM
While we dont play WoW here at the Timothy Plan, you are all invite to come over and drink some kool-aid and watch comets with us next Friday night. Its so much fun, you will drop dead...
mitch Jan 9th 2009 5:19PM
"things that are against any "morally responsible" mutual fund to invest in."
The poor hypochristian isn't getting a slice of the pie so naturally he's against it. How typical.
Case Jan 9th 2009 5:19PM
OMG. They need to go play Seasame Street... I'm sure it's perfect for Timmy.
Case Jan 9th 2009 5:20PM
LOL