Not long ago, the Left 4 Dead 2 “boycott” amicably wound up (I hate to admit it, it seems like an instance where online petitions do work.) Now outrage is brewing and gamers are cracking out the signatures with the news that the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will not support dedicated servers – the tried and true model of multiplayer FPS gaming. A brief but amusingly weary summary can be found here. Naturally, this sort of news would not be easy to accept for casual gaming communities, competitive clans, modders and their fans. The developer, Infinity Ward, already indirectly responded to this controversy, rebuking ‘the modders and the tuners’ who want to ‘bifurcate the community’ in favour of a solution that will satisfy the majority of their audience. But is it necessarily good to alienate your most ardent fans in this way? Sound familiar?

Now, neither of these are actually games I play. I rented Call of Duty 2 AGES ago if that counts for anything. It’s just interesting to see that video games will always arouse strong and passionate opinions, and there are circumstances where a game company simply has to make concessions for its own sake. Interesting sort of interaction.

Also interesting how apart from the SecuROM fiasco (for which The Sims was only one game affected) EA seems to be largely immune to its community opinion. Outside of their official forums, is there any meaningful interaction or contact to speak of? I believe this dynamic is no doubt driven by the ‘silent majority’ who help keep Sims games on the bestseller lists constantly. I wish they’d speak up more.

Here’s ten fresh controversies for the nutters with microphones. (Keep in mind some of my suggestions are actually saner than others. I needed ten things, OK?)

1. Promiscuity. Well, it is a goal of gameplay in TS2 to have sex with 20 different people. Though you have to play the game to know that, unlike certain critics wailing about penises and labia.
2. Same-sex marriage, acceptance, tolerance, etc. All that stuff the Bible supposedly doesn’t let you do.
3. Insensitive portrayal of persons with mental health issues. EA: insane kleptomaniacs = funny.
4. Exploiting kids with pay stuff. “Dad! I get $10 for free if I sign up!” Dad cracks out the credit card. Next thing you know, the kid’s spent $1000 on Sims stuff and you have one very angry parent appearing on Fox 8 News.
5. Child abuse. AKA leaving babies on cold concrete floors for several hours.
6. Paid organ donation. Well, it’s a pet peeve of mine. Exploitation of people in developing countries, EA?
7. Biking without helmets. DANGER!
8. Godless heathens.
9. Bullying. Or the possibility to do it through repeated poking.
10. Vegetarians. I dunno, something has to be offensive about the way it’s implemented … Oh wait, VEGANS!

Disclaimer: not necessarily a reflection of my own personal opinions.

But on the topic of gradual aging, I’m going to use my soapbox here and spell out exactly why gradual aging (GA) sucks.

First reason – gradual aging is more realistic, but realism is overrated. Give us fun gameplay, I say.

The second reason – technological limitations. GA would almost certainly mean a variable height system. Granted, I would love to see a variable height system, but I understand that the graphics engine is limited – Sims of all sizes need to interact with objects. Currently the game manages by having one animation per life stage – if you’ve got short and tall Sim meshes, for every increment of age, how will the engine cope with animation?

Speaking of growth spurting – no convincing way of handling puberty. When can Sims become sexually active? you’re just begging for controversy here. The game needs a way to ‘unlock’ items and interactions to these growing Sims, and the only If they’re ‘locked out’ of sex until 18 (or 14? 16? 21? depending on your part of the world) is that necessarily good or bad?

And as for the life stages, I like the distinctiveness of each generation. I just hope that Elders aren’t as boring to play in TS3, living on for ages and ages. I was so thankful when I discovered the no age discrimination hack (lets Elders keep adult jobs).