EA responds to Fox News’ “‘SE’XBOX” report of Mass Effect

Fox News caught wind of what’s supposed to be a new video game that shows full digital nudity and sex known as Mass Effect and ran a report about it, but Electronic Arts wasn’t very happy about errors that put the interstellar RPG in bad light. More details and a video of Fox News’ report await at the full article.

Fox News recently ran a story on Mass Effect in which the news network labeled the BioWare developed title as a new video game that shows full digital nudity and sex. As if that wasn’t enough, the report also referred to the Microsoft Xbox 360 as the “‘SE’XBOX” after the discovery of full-blown alien sex scenes in the massive RPG. Publisher Electronic Arts, however, sent a letter to Fox News Network regarding serious errors in how Mass Effect was portrayed.
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In the letter, EA’s vice president of communications Jeff Brown explained that “Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots – a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows.”

EA also corrected Fox News’ statement about the game allowing players to have graphic sex, saying such intimate scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic and are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time.

Brown didn’t fail to mention that Mass Effect is rated Mature by the ESRB, appropriate for players 17-years and older. It is not what Fox News claims to be a game marketed to kids and teenagers. Also noted were guests in the segment that made similar incorrect statements about the game who apparently “had zero experience with Mass Effect and are largely ignorant about videogames.”

“The resulting coverage was insulting to the men and women who spent years creating a game which is acclaimed by critics for its high creative standards,” said Brown after pointing out all the errors in the report.

He admitted that “as video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment.” Still, EA’s communications VP believes Fox News’ misinformed report “represents a new level of recklessness.”

The giant video game publisher EA haven’t made any legal moves against Fox News, and Brown clarified that the letter he sent is not a legal threat. “…itÂ’s an appeal to your sense of fairness. WeÂ’re asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect,” he said in conclusion.

For those who haven’t seen Fox News’ report that caused all the commotion, a video of it is embedded below. Further down, the “via” link can lead you to the full letter published on Game Informer.

Via Game Informer