Duke Nukem Forever 'awfully sexist,' says Fox News

According to a article on FoxNews.com, 1996's Duke Nukem 3D--"which made millions for its developers and transformed the entire world of video games--depicted women as strippers and prostitutes." And now, according to Fox, Duke Nukem Forever is primed to "take sexism to a new level."


To illustrate its point, the story says the game opens with a scene where Duke is seen receiving implied fellatio from twins in school get-ups. This is where Women's Media Center vice president Jamia Wilson takes severe offense.

"It was offensive then and it's even more offensive now," she told Fox News. "These depictions of women are extremely harmful, especially to young women."

Specifically, the scathing article's main focus is on Duke Nukem Forever's 'Capture the Babe' multiplayer mode. This game mode--according to the Official Xbox Magazine (via Eurogamer)--has players carrying a character, The Babe, around. If she yells, players are given the option to slap her.

Fox News also brought up the Entertainment Software Ratings Board--which slapped a M for Mature rating on Duke Nukem Forever--and quoted group spokesperson Eliot Mizrachi.

"This game carries a Mature rating indicating that it's intended for ages 17 and up, and retailers overwhelmingly enforce their store policies requiring that M-rated games not be sold to a customer under that age without a parent's consent," he said.

Now here's my point-of-view.  While this story was posted on GameSpot (Which I'm starting to visit less and less each day), I thought I would take a look at who was posting what.  As it turns out, the majority of the people there are saying that "If it's rated M, it's okay."  Or another person says "Did a bunch of women call in and complain about this? Or did one person see this and figure they know what others think and tell them this should upset them. Most intelligent women prolly don't care about this video game and have real things to worry about."

Now I'm no expert, but when I started to read some of the post to my girlfriend, and when she was watching me play a trailer on XBOX the other night, she was beyond appalled.  She told me that it's sickening to see that games have sunk to a new low.  As I tried to tell her some history on the "Duke", she started to tell me things that opened my eyes.

To have a game like this, and then have the countless people say it's okay just because it's Duke Nukem, well, they should really think twice.  I know this game is suppose to be over-the-top, and filled with girls, but there's a point where you have to say "When is too much, too much?"

Here's one more quote from someone;  "You should be able to slap a woman if they are speaking out of line!"

I know this is probably geared as a joke, but it's this type of joking that really shows the rest of the world how immature gamers still are.  They moan and bitch about movies and television, and their amounts of violence and mature nature, but when you are in control of a game, it's a bit different.  I for one am not against such things, but we all know the vast majority will be the younger generation that hasn't even heard of the original Duke Nukem.

I have a feeling this game might sell very well, just because of the bad press it is getting.  People will pay to see what is so "bad" in this game.  *sigh*  It teaches kids that it's alright to treat women like this, even when it's a game, some people that are younger still might try this on women, and that's the saddest thing there.  

Where are all the good games these days?!?!  I'm talking to you Crystalis!