The Resurgence of the Culture Wars

It has been nearly a quarter century since the release of Grand Theft Auto 3, a game that marked the beginning of a decade-long culture war over video game content. The controversy surrounding the game was not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern of conservative efforts to censor and regulate the medium. Socially conservative politicians, commentators, and activists on both sides of the Atlantic sought to scapegoat video games for youth violence, employing a strategy that had previously been used to target music genres like rap and metal, as well as horror movies. The attempt to implicate the game Doom in the Columbine High School massacre in the late 1990s was a notable example of this trend. Grand Theft Auto 3, however, proved to be a turning point in the debate. The game's commercial success, coupled with its graphic content and allusions to sex and prostitution, sent many conservatives into a frenzy. The "Hot Coffee" incident, in which it was discovered that a mini-game featuring the protagonist having sex with his girlfriend had been left on the game's disc, was a major blow to the series and earned Rockstar a warning from the FTC. Despite these efforts, the argument over video game censorship was ultimately lost by conservatives. Games were consistently found to be protected speech in the United States, and the notion that violent games were responsible for violent crime among young people was repeatedly debunked by statistical analyses and psychological studies. However, with cultural conservatism experiencing a resurgence in many countries, there are now concerns that the battle over video game censorship may be relitigated. Conservative groups have begun to use payment processors to demand the removal of "adult" content from digital storefronts like Steam and itch.io, a tactic that may seem reasonable but could have far-reaching consequences. The removal of pornographic games may be seen as a minor issue, but it could create a precedent for further censorship and set a dangerous precedent for the industry. The fact that games with LGBTQ+ themes are being caught up in the sweep and treated as "adult" content is a worrying sign, as it mirrors the strategy used in book banning efforts in the United States. The expansion of the definition of "pornography" to include anything related to the lives and existence of minority groups could have serious implications for the industry and for free expression. The key figures in this movement have been open about their strategy, which involves using the removal of pornographic and LGBTQ+ themed games as a wedge issue to drive a broader agenda of censorship. By the time the mechanisms being used to target these games are turned on other types of content, it may be too late for the industry to take a stand. The moment to draw red lines over free expression is now, when the games being targeted are relatively small and may be uncomfortable to defend. The industry must be reminded that payment processors are not the ultimate arbiters of what content is acceptable, and that the creative freedoms of game developers must be protected.