Sony revealed that it was cracking down on the sexually explicit content of PlayStation games by modifying its "internal standards."
According to Cnet, a Sony representative told The Wall Street Journal that "their decision was based on the rise of the #MeToo movement," which saw powerful people from the tech, entertainment and music sectors break away from their allegations. of sexual violence. Assault and harassment.
A Sony spokesperson told the WSJ that its guidelines were in place "for creators to be able to deliver balanced content on the platform," as well as to ensure that video games "hinder" not the growth and development of healthy young people. people.
The news comes after Sony revealed the details of the long-awaited PlayStation 5, which will offer 8K functionality and compatibility with older games.
Potential legal action
Sony is not only interested in the ethics of allowing sexually explicit content in PlayStation games; He is also concerned about the risk of legal action against the company if it does not introduce stricter rules for developers.
A spokesperson told the WSJ there were fears that "the company will become a target for legal and social action."
The crackdown on sexually explicit content comes five years after the controversy that Gamergate had swept the internet. Game designers Brianna Wu and Zoe Quinn (among many others) became the target of harassing campaigns after criticizing the way women are portrayed in video games.