The Hypocrisy of 'Sinister' (M9): Lyrics vs. Player Conduct Standards

[soymalklatte]

The lyrics i'm talking about are:

"Looking for pleasure"
"You groaned, yeah you did"
"Got you in my sight, baby it's my first time, I'll take it slow yeah"
"Now get down on your knees, I'm asking please"
"Release the leather"
"Don't stop"
"I'll take all I wanna, Gotta take all I wanna, Don't let me down"
"Never let me surrender"
"Now watch me grow"
"Going hard, going soft"
"Free for all, consensual, I thought I'm in the clear"
"Ready or not, bottom or top, what you got in mind?"
"A little more I'll give you more, I couldn't choose this honey"
"Under my heels, twist and turn, I don't hear a safe word"

My problem is the inconsistency.

The game's rules and the GMs are crystal clear: we have to keep things PG13 in public chat. Why? Because, as a GM told me when I got warned for calling someone "cringe," I should "assume someone could be 13." That's the standard we have to live by.

So then I log in and hear this song, with lyrics that are deliberately sexual to an extreme degree.

My question for Square Enix is simple: Are you aware your players can be 13?

If not, why tell me to assume I'm talking to a 13-year old?
If so, why make a song like this?

It's the definition of "rules for thee, but not for me." As players, we're held to a strict, family friendly filter in our words. Also if I repeated these lyrics in Limsa Lominsa's shout chat? I'd get a violation faster than you can say "safe word."

Firstly, your reading of the lyrics is wrong. It's "in lace and leather", not "release the leather" (lol).

Secondly, these are all tongue-in-cheek, heavily veiled references to S&M. You understand the references, but that's because you're an adult. The teenagers who play this game are not going to get these references, and even if they do, that's why the ESRB rating is PG-13. It means "Parental Guidance, 13 and up." These references all fall comfortably within the PG-13 guidelines, and don't even try to say this is hypocritical. Open ERP is NOT the same thing as a veiled reference to S&M. Square Enix will handle this reference more carefully than you will. Just keep it out of /say chat.

[MayuAmakura]

Firstly, your reading of the lyrics is wrong. It's "in lace and leather", not "release the leather" (lol).

Secondly, these are all tongue-in-cheek, heavily veiled references to S&M. You understand the references, but that's because you're an adult. The teenagers who play this game are not going to get these references, and even if they do, that's why the ESRB rating is PG-13. It means "Parental Guidance, 13 and up." These references all fall comfortably within the PG-13 guidelines, and don't even try to say this is hypocritical. Open ERP is NOT the same thing as a veiled reference to S&M. Square Enix will handle this reference more carefully than you will. Just keep it out of /say chat.

What about ARR quests and all those cheeky sexy things that they wrote for npcs to say? Are those "just in your head thing, only adults understand" ?? How many quests in ARR are named after sex jokes? Side quests where creeps watch miqote girls from afar hidden as they bath? That's not offensive? But it's offensive when someone says "cringe" word kek. Surely teenagers won't understand the name of quest "once you go black..." and so on.

[Asari5]

i think we should remove all weapons from the game. tools for killing are no good!

after that we can move to the traumatizing 'sexual' stuff.

[theunhappypotato]

nah the song is banger keep it

[Nyastra]

Of all the things to be upset about... wowzers. Anyway, banger raid tier.

Might as well ban the beehive and entirely remove that from the game, further to that THAT one specific emote that EVERYONE wants? Yeah. That too. No fun for you.

Now I'm all for accurate ratings and such but at the end of the day you have to remember who the majority players are and who pays the subs, generally working adults who can afford this crap.

You also seem to forget that more often than not, children who WANT to involve themselves in this absolutely will and they will lie about it. Doesn't make it right, but it's the unfortunate truth.

[Doki]

Don't tell OP about the female NPCs in Sastasha.

[toramorigan]

I love all these people throwing "PG-13! PG-13!" when this isn't even a Hollywood movie, it's a freaking videogame.
I've heard and seen way worse in PG-13 movies than the tame af lyrics of Sinister.

To quote someone from a post years ago: (Emphasis my own)

The ESRB rating is T for Teen. The description associated with that rating, as described on the ESRB site itself includes:
Blood
Language
Sexual Themes
Use of Alcohol
Violence

The game is not rated E10+ or E, which are the appropriate ratings for children.

The Japanese rating is "Cero C", which is 15+.

The general European rating is "PEGI 16", which is 16+.

If they were really trying to skirt the lines of their ratings, then they wouldn't have bleeped out the f-bomb during "Not Afraid" from M7/AAC CW M3.

Honestly, spare us all the pearl-clutching and puritanical nonsense. Like other people have pointed out, there was probably more to the story as to why you got reported aside from calling someone "cringe."
If you can't talk to people respectfully, then the Mordian Gaol is calling for you, simple as that.