JJ2: Child's Game or Everyone's Game?

[FireSworD]

So, not the most useful topic, but I think it's important to discuss this subject since some people think it's relevant to level design etc.

Personally, I don't think all content made for jj2 has to be 100% "child friendly", and "child friendly" is a very controversial and opinionated subject.

Thoughts?

[Jgke]

I have made content for JJ2 that is seriously not child friendly. You don't want to know more.

[Nonomu198]

I will say this: violent action game.

[Sean]

The community of JJ2 is dominated by teenagers rather than children, and as such I don't think we're obligated to make it all 'child-friendly', except on public non-plus servers where children may and actually do join in.

[PurpleJazz]

I think the game is relatively universal. It's not like the game itself has any mature content, it just so happens that we're mostly an aged community. These days it seems the normal view is that it's socially unacceptable to be playing games with children in mind when the general gaming population plays mature games. I wouldn't say we're childish for still playing JJ2 though, simply because we enjoy it for its qualities (how many 2D action games with a competitive multiplayer can you name!), and not because we're against video game violence. It's not like it's any more childish than Mario and Sonic, which are both highly popular franchises amongst older gamers.

[MrAlextov]

At Single Player : Is Child`s Game Friendly. There are not strangers.

At Multiplayer : Bit dangerous. He may learn swears from the Chat.

[PT32]

I think the game is relatively universal. It's not like the game itself has any mature content, it just so happens that we're mostly an aged community. These days it seems the normal view is that it's socially unacceptable to be playing games with children in mind when the general gaming population plays mature games. I wouldn't say we're childish for still playing JJ2 though, simply because we enjoy it for its qualities (how many 2D action games with a competitive multiplayer can you name!), and not because we're against video game violence. It's not like it's any more childish than Mario and Sonic, which are both highly popular franchises amongst older gamers.

I like a lot of the things PJ's pointed out here, because they're true.

Therefore, I shall build on it.

Not every game out there HAS to have mature content, and not every game out there HAS to be child-unfriendly. Some things are better left alone, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Personally, I'm against allowing adult material in Jazz-related stuff...but I also recognize that not everyone may agree with me.

I would put forth that there are plenty of other places where children can go to play child-unfriendly games, so why not preserve the "innocence" of a decently clean game (which, indeed, is the biggest appeal Jazz Jackrabbit holds for me) so that folks who WANT a child-friendly game will have a place to go?

And before you jump all over me because Jazz Jackrabbit isn't 100% child-friendly, it's certainly more so than a lot of other games out there.

Sean's point about most of us J2Oers being teenagers is a good one (I'm 18 and a half myself), but my answer to that is that if we change our standards now just to placate the teenagers playing at this moment (who'll all likely be through with Jazz Jackrabbit within the next 5 years anyway), won't we be shutting out a future crop of children who could potentially pick up the game of Jazz Jackrabbit and take the place of us ol' geezers?

The real question here is this:

Do we A: Wish to make the game more palatable to the limited people playing right now and watch our beloved community become no more within the next decade?

Or B: Make a small self-sacrifice on our part (Which really isn't that small, since we can find plenty of mature content elsewhere if we want it badly enough) in order to keep J2O thriving and growing for a long time to come?

Hencely, I am against changing the rules, not because it's the wrong or un-Christian thing to do (Although I believe that as well), but because I genuinely believe that the J2O community has survived this long against some crazy unbelievable odds because we're different. Because we're unique. Because we don't feel the need to change our identity just to go with the flow. The formula we employ has carried us this far, so why don't we just keep doing what has made us this successful and see what happens?

If the rules ARE changed, I'll probably stick around, but only because I'm a Jazz Jackrabbit/J2O loyalist who is openminded and reasonable enough to accept that people are different from me. I can't say the same for anybody else.

In conclusion, let me leave y'all with one last thought: Once we start changing the rules, where will we STOP?

Just think about it.

[minmay]

There are already quite a few levels and tilesets on J2O with swearing in text strings, mask messages and otherwise. Nobody seems to mind. I can't recall anyone uploading pornography but seeing as the only reason to do so would be to offend, the existence of rules against it doesn't seem like it would really matter.

[Love & Thunder]

I think that JJ2 itself is a Universal game(As in the kind that's suitable for everyone, but still fun to people who aren't Children(Like Sonic, Mario, Rayman, etc.)). Even Online Multiplayer is suitable for kids, just as long as you have a decent "filter.lst" file, and keep them away from those... Unsavoury Servers(Although those don't appear too often).
I think Jazz2Online(I don't mean the JCF or any other Subdomain of J2O, I'm talking about just plain old Jazz2Online) is... Sort of debatable. There are some questionable things here and there, but it's mostly suitable for all. :)
The JCF, though is definately for Teenagers and older.

So, overall, when boiled down into a few words: I think that JJ2 itself is for everyone, Jazz2Online is debatable, and the JCF is for Teenagers or older.

[PurpleJazz]

The way I see it, parents shouldn't let their children use the internet unmonitored if they are worried about them seeing adult language. Let's face it: if you're going to use the internet at all, you're going to see swearing at least once in a while. There isn't really anything you can do to avoid it. Even if mature content is forbidden on-site, there isn't anything that can be done to control online interactions (hence why the rating systems never cover online multiplayer on games).

[Grytolle]

There are already quite a few levels and tilesets on J2O with swearing in text strings, mask messages and otherwise. Nobody seems to mind. I can't recall anyone uploading pornography but seeing as the only reason to do so would be to offend, the existence of rules against it doesn't seem like it would really matter.

I got collectively banned for it:7

[Slaz]

The way I see it, parents shouldn't let their children use the internet unmonitored if they are worried about them seeing adult language. Let's face it: if you're going to use the internet at all, you're going to see swearing at least once in a while. There isn't really anything you can do to avoid it. Even if mature content is forbidden on-site, there isn't anything that can be done to control online interactions (hence why the rating systems never cover online multiplayer on games).

In terms of swearing: compare children's television from today with the 90's and you'll see a lot more swearing is tollerated these days, including slightly more graphical violence. Children like to cross the line which is something seen in all human history, it's like an exploration to them.

I believe the rating boards themselves are a good thing, as long as their ratings remain advisory and not an official restriction. A game store should never be accountable for any 'damage' a child could've caused after buying and playing an 18+ game, those things should be totally in the hands of parents.

When I was a child, I was never interested in any 'mature' games with blood effects and such. So I don't know what my parents would've thought of it if I did want to play a bloody game back then. Knowing them, they probably would've allowed it to some extense but sure didn't like it. I was only interested in platform/action games on PC and Nintendo including JJ.

Internet is and should remain an open network. So if a parent doesn't want his/her child to see swearing and certain images on the net, it's their job to monitor or restrict usage physically or using online safety software, etc.

Just my opinion on all of this. 8D

[ShadowGPW]

Jazz is like a cartoon for me, it can appeal to everyone. There are enough things in JJ2 that you only understand when you are a bit older.