Top 10 Controversial Video Game Topics

Freemium games are everywhere: whether it’s MOBA’s, Mobile MMO’s, first-person shooters or even side-scrolling brawlers, you can find something to suit you and don’t even need to shell out a penny. It seems like a great deal at first: games like Dirty Bomb offer an experience that could rival any triple-A title but the system becomes problematic when the adverts to buy become too aggressive or buying extra content is the only feasible way to progress through a game. Game of War: Fire Age perhaps goes too far towards intrusive marketing but others, like Punch Quest, aren’t profitable due to offering too much free content. Remember when you thought your new smartphone would revolutionize gaming on the go? We can tell you the answer, but it’ll take 12 hours or 5 green gems.

You don’t order a game early to make sure you get your copy on release day any more, it’s all about the juicy incentives that those who wait to buy a game won’t receive. They are a great way to potentially get early access to a title or for unique gifts but they may also entice you into buying a game that could well be broken or just generally bad. Then all you’ve done is get in the front of the line to watch the servers crash on launch night. Publishers do it to get sales off to a good start and it could be perceived that they are benefitting from the hype that surrounds the releases of huge games.

Rockstar began this trend with LA Noire in 2011 and now almost every publisher offers all their DLC and extra content in one big bundle. It certainly takes the pressure away from keeping up with what a game offers after release but the features within these packages can often be ambiguous or not revealed for months after it is available for purchase. Probably the biggest issue is that this gives the impression to gamers – often rightly so - that you’re cutting your game in half in order to sell it for double the price, piece by piece. Worse still, since most companies deficit finance their products, many AAA games are built to depend on the extra cash infusion given to them by their season pass DLC – meaning that this is becoming an intractable part of the industry as a whole.

This system forces you to always be connected to the internet and is designed to prevent video game piracy but may end up punishing the majority for the behavior of the law-breaking minority. It makes sense for titles like Battlefront and Destiny where online multiplayer is the game’s main component and can allow updates to be applied easier but, with classic franchises like Diablo and Sim City, many people never really wanted online play to begin with – so sacrificing their single player experience because the servers are down is understandably infuriating. Plus, at the end of the day, evidence on the impact of piracy on the games industry is conflicting, making the implementation of such a service contentious at best.

This model is often employed by small developers to get financial support for their unfinished game while also having free bug testing and a huge swath of feedback. But it’s a gamble, plain and simple. The Stomping Land was meant to be a dinosaur themed survival game and received over $100,000 in donations but never came to a full release, leaving it’s supporters out of pocket. It’s an inherently risky system but can lead to success for niche genres and big names like Kerbal Space Program and Ark: Survival Evolved, both of which have grown from humble beginnings. Not only that, but because of the evolving nature of these games, some publishers have enraged their supporters with patches and updates that don’t jive with the community. So next time you see a “Don’t Recommend” Steam review from someone who has 527 hours of gameplay, now you know why.

While there seems to be no solid evidence for a 1 to 1 pay for good reviews system in the industry, grey areas do certainly exist. Most publications depend on advertising from the big brands to run their business, and they also depend on those same companies to give them access to their products to so they can create their content. How you gonna do a launch day review if they don’t give you the game? So, needless to say, many of these publications are reluctant to antagonize these companies. Notable examples include Jeff Gerstmann’s firing from Gamespot after a negative review of Kane and Lynch angered Eidos while Youtuber TotalBiscuit blew the whistle on a forced Shadow of Mordor brand deal regarding what he could and could not say. While this might not be as shady as the comments on my IGN articles will have you believe, it’s still an very real issue facing the industry.

Gone are the days when you could get a full game for a one-off payment of $60. These small payments began as a way to ensure a steady flow of cash for mobile games but it has slowly trickled into mainstream games that you have already paid a significant amount for. It’s one of the only ways that freemium games can ever be profitable but it feels cheeky for EA and other big companies to keep asking you for money. It’s often a treat to get a new campaign mode in another part of a game world you love but when finished features are deliberately held back to go into DLC, the concept strays into considerably murkier waters. Everyone agress that’s it’s fine to pay more to get more, but many people feel as if they’re paying more up front just to get less.

No doubt you’ve heard about the PC Master Race or the ongoing argument between PS4 and Xbox One fanboys. These conflicts may seem superfluous but they represent large subcultures of the gaming community and their points of view should not be ignored. Every platform has it’s pros and cons but the passion with which each faction defends their corner is admirable. The PC fans may be rather more elitist than any other party but it ultimately boils down to personal preference for what side of the discussion you come down on. While many AAA games now release with acceptable ports for the major consoles AND pc, some exceptions always seem to slip through the cracks, and boy oh boy to people get upset when it’s their system that does so.

It’s one of the oldest criticisms leveled at video games and one that persists to this day. While there are a handful of instances of violent crimes being linked to playing games, there is little evidence that consistent exposure to such games will lead to criminal behavior. Although other forms of media have graphically portrayed violence for decades, the interactive aspect of gaming and the new, ever evolving nature of the medium makes it a far easier target for such accusations. Part of this definitely stems from the fact that videogames have a huge appeal to younger demographics, but anyone will tell you that you’re supposed to stop children from seeing violent movies – why would you not stop them from consuming other forms of violent content? Most gamers feel like there’s an unfair double standard when it comes to this – plain and simple.

Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions.

Online Memberships
Console Revisions
Console Exclusive DLC

All you have to do is scroll down the comments section of any article that even REMOTELY touches one of these issues and you’ll immediately agree that this is the most incendiary topic in the industry today. Whatever your stance may be, you probably know that it’s impossible to voice your opinion on this topic without being called a Misogynistic Bigot or a Libtard Social Justice Warrior. If you want to avoid being doxed, swatted, threatened with rape, DDOSed or simply bombarded with vitriol, it may be best to steer clear. If, after all that you simply must be heard on the matter – then prepare to hear what everyone else has to say about it too.

Do you agree with our list? Which video game controversy makes you want to take to the forums and add your flavor to the argument? For more controversial top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.