Over the past couple weeks Fox News has blasted Bulletstorm as being "the worst video game in the world" as well as their typical fear mongering, fact-less accusations and other assorted nonsense that they tend to discharge out of their empty skulls.

A blog on Foxnews.com kicks some dirt on Epic Games and People Can Fly with some fact absent claims such as "sexual situations and acts in video games – highlighted so well in Bulletstorm – have led to real-world sexual violence." For a friendly reminder this statement is a joke. According the federal crime statistics the rate of juvenile violent crimes in the United States has been steadily DECREASING over the past five or six years. Statistics also show that 90% of male youths and 40% of female youths play video games. As for these "sexual situations and acts" they are referring to are the "Skill Shots" within Bulletstorm. Skill shots are just that, skilled shots at an enemy. Killing multiple enemies with an explosion rewards you with the skill shot of "Gang-Bang" while killing an enemy by shooting them in the butt scores "Rear Entry." The titles of these skill shots is what set Fox News off in the first place making the extremely ignorant claim that "kids as young as nine are playing such games," even though the advertising campaign is marketed for adults and the game itself is rated "M for Mature."

While minors do play M rated games they can only be bought by their parents and/or guardians. I guess somewhere down the line Fox News decided to shift the blame from "bad parenting choices" to "video games are the spawn of Satan, THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!"

Retailers such as Gamestop and Best Buy have been enforcing guidelines set by the ESRB extremely well. They refuse to sell M and AO rated games to minors and carding those who look under the legal age. Yet they still allow a minor's parent or guardian to purchase M and AO rated games for them. At least they give a long and thorough speech on why buying a game for a minor is a bad decision.

All in all Fox News is just barking at a shadow that isn't there, and I say let them. Everyone enjoys free publicity especially when the "big serious grownups" say that it's "a very bad no-good game." Oh I can feel the rebel in me starting to break free. As a friendly reminder Bulletstorm has been released today (2/22/11). Now go out and play this amazing, hilarious and very mature-rated game.