In 2011, Sony released LittleBigPlanet 2 for the PlayStation 3. Two years later, Sacremento, California's News10 uncovers the startling truth behind its misleading "E for Everyone" rating.
Give players the tools to create their own game content, and sooner or later there's going to be a penis, a phenomenon Stephen Totilo's hard-hitting investigative report from earlier this year explored.
LittleBigPlanet 2 users were given much more than simple drawing tools. With the ability to tweak animations, create custom scenery, and add voice and sound clips to their custom levels, we'd be completely drowning in LittleBigPorno if not for the game's moderation team — a team that's obviously not infallible.
The News10 report, which aired over the weekend and can be seen in its entirety here, is a little late to the game. I'm not sure why the team felt now was a good time to warn parents about a game their children have been playing for more than two years — perhaps a concerned citizen stepped forward?
Still, the subject is handled relatively well, especially once "game guy" Barry White steps in to lend his voice. I was afraid they'd completely gloss over the whole "online interactions are not reated" disclaimer, and when the reporter suggested it might be sexual predators making these levels, Barry looked like he wanted to laugh as hard as I did.
On a final note, I am am astoundingly tired of parents talking about how children are better at figuring parental controls than they are. If there is a potentially dangerous something in your house that you do not fully understand, why are your children playing with it?
E for everyone? Video game contains sexual content [News10 via USA Today]
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