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Where do you draw the line between gaming and reality? It maybe a very fine line if you are using Splinter Cell as an example, however surely everyone knows that Resident Evil isn't real?! The phrase "if you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen" fits the bill perfectly as gaming enters a new spectrum. It wasn't too long a go when an American family decided to take the Survival Horror genre to court using Silent Hill 2 as an example for unnecessary violence. Although the family wanted cash in hand for their troubles they didn't win and instead the gaming industry was asked to include help for the people who find the game disturbing. Enter the accused Resident Evil Zero...

My feelings on the matter are very black and white as I don't believe that a nervous gamer should purchase a game which will make them jump. As most teenagers like to go against the rules there will always be one person somewhere who will suffer the consequences of playing a horror survival game. The Resident Evil series is probably my favourite series of games and although many complain about various gameplay issues I have always stuck by and defended them. As I load up a new Resident Evil I take a very big pinch of salt and prepare to scare myself silly, however once I turn off the game I slap myself around the face and return back to reality.

If you take the suspense out of a Resident Evil game then you are taking away the fun of playing with the lights off and the windows closed. During the development of Resident Evil Zero a group of "law abiding citizens" in America thought it would be good to bring up the court case which occurred earlier in the year. Capcom didn't pay much attention to this and they assured people that they would increase the warning levels for people who were thinking of purchasing the game. The first Resident Evil Zero advert to be released in Japan warned people that the game contains "explicit scenes of violence" and that nervous gamers should take this into consideration before purchasing the game. After seeing the advert over the internet I couldn't believe that Capcom had actually included a phone number (in Japanese of course) for which people could ring if they wanted to be reassured that the game isn't real.

Americans (without sound nationalist) will take anyone to court as long as they have a lawyer who is stupid enough to see the case through and as long as there is money involved. I suppose it never crosses their minds when they hear about the game and read about it just to ignore it and avoid at all costs, instead they have the game on pre-order and the lawyers phone number on speed dial. This sort of attention helps to promote games but it also casts a dark shadow on what is a potential contender for the best game of the year. Something talked about in this level of detail generates excellent publicity and sales for the game begin to increase, however then there is the question of a help line...

When it hits the stage of Psychologists recording a 2 minute message to assure gamers that it shouldn’t be taken seriously then I really do think it has gone too far. Despite the fact that Resident Evil games are highly entertaining there is always someone who is prepared to dive deeper into the infrastructure in order to create a stir and course some trouble. Who is the victim in such a case? Is it the gamer who was stupid enough to ignore the warning only to come along later and complain or is it Capcom who are just delivering yet another superb survival horror game? When a classic series is demoted by the minority it's rather ironic that at the same time they are actually helping to promote it at the same time. Text warnings, advice lines, whatever next? Surely this isn't the future of gaming, if it is then where do we go from here?

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No, you don't understand. What I'm saying is that it wouldn't work to discharge any duty of care (which would be its sole purpose if it was established for legal reasons as the previous poster suggested). Wouldn't go far enough for that, its not something you have to be asked to do. You can do it to escpe liability it such a duty has been bound to you by the nature of your actions. If you don't do it you accept liability as you have provided no other remedy.

This is all irrelevant as no duty arises. As I've said before, if one did the game would be obscene and therefore illegal.

Nintendo and Capcom weren't asked to provide full Phycological help and therefore the help ine is sufficent. Yes the number has worked in terms of PR work which they would have hoped for but at the same time they are within the warning guide lines for the game. Its a very clever ploy by Capcom and Nintendo and I would guess that other companies will be trying to do the same thing with future releases.

Even in the States that wouldn't work though. If they were worried about law suits they'd have to discharge the duty they owe the consumer. The famous case were a woman received substantial damages from McDonalds after spilling hot coffee on herself resulted in them putting warning on the cups. The "hot liquid" warning puts people on guard and discharges the duty, exactly like the Dr Pepper warning would do.

For a mentally disturbing game this would not be accomplised by providing a recorded message. Why do you think people pay £100 an hour for psychological help? It requires skill and an individual treatment and there is no way a recorded message could discharge the duty of care that would arise in this situation.

However, the whole point is that Nintendo/Capcom don't owe any duty of care in the first place. The game would be obscene and therefore illegal to sell/publish if they did.

It's not a PR stunt, in America there are warnings on Dr. Pepper cans about not shakeing them in case it shoots into your eye or something when you open it. They had to put the warnings on because someone shook one, and it went in his eye, and he sued them.


Stupid Americans.

Don't tell me Capcom and Nintendo have only just thought of setting up a hot line to boost sales figures. They will have had the idea for a long time and with people complaining about previous installments in America why not use the number now? I am not denying that there is the idea of using the hot line to promote the game but there is some truth behind them doing it to stop people complaining. Companies will have thought of this idea before but they haven't used it in the same way Capcom have with Resident Evil Zero.

Come on! Of course it is a PR stunt! If the game was really so psychologically disturbing that such a significant number of people needed medical attention they have to set a line up, do you really think you'd be able to buy it over the counter in shops?

This is exaclty what they want - people running around talking about the super scary game and how "grown up" Nintendo.

Other lines they should set up:
i) The "it's only a game, don't get so wound up" line for when puzzlers/RGPs/tatical games in general get too frustrating.
ii) The "aren't you clever" line for when your girl friend/family doesn't understand why your high score is just so brilliant.
iii) The "witty retort" line for when a friend has just beat you at ISS and you have no reply to his slagging.
iv) The "Lara Croft isn't real" line for when barely pubesent boys's eye sight begins to suffer.
v) The "yeah your console is obviously the best" line for fanboys sick of getting abuse hurled at them for starting the 1,000,000 "My Console is better than yours" thread.

Damn... this needs a new thread.

Its maybe just a little bit too over the top.

I mean come on, Whats next? Nintendo setting up a hotline for people worried about the welfare of animals used in games such as Super Monkey Ball?

Silent Hill is about as psychologically disturbing as brushing your teeth.

Some people think it is a PR stunt for sales but others actually support the idea of a Help line. If it wasn't for the people who complain though I do not believe a help line would have been put in place. The fact that the help line is actually a recorded message does move the idea towards a PR stunt, however I haven't seen this used before in a game and previous Resident Evil games haven't really needed help in the sales department. I have played and completed every single Resident Evil to date and although I have talked about them a lot I do not believe that my fears manifested into anything more serious. If Resident Evil has a help line then what is Silent Hill 3 going to have? To be honest in terms on phycological horror the Silent Hill games are very nervy in places and they go far deeper than Resident Evil games. I like to think of Resident Evil as a harmless fun, however the Silent Hill games geniunley affect me after long periods of play.

Is that line not only a PR stunt though? Don't think they are seriously worried for peolpe's sanity.