Why are censors bad for CREATIVE FREEDOM?

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        Censorship has been one of the leading types of damage done to the entertainment industry. This due to the fact that the idea of censoring is seen as a power. As a result, many games have faced cases of censorship in the long run. There is a YouTube Channel called Censored Gaming, a group of people reporting on gaming news that involve censorship. The issues with censorship have been escalating and many have been wondering what do we do in order to curb it out from being unnecessarily intrusive.

        Censorship was utilized in the age of TV when it comes to content that may be too much for public viewing as the kids would also watch TV. Age ratings were invented to categorize forms of entertainment in the event someone makes something for older audiences and not child-friendly. When the show starts you see the age rating on the top right flash. You would see age ratings on the bottom of a poster or front/back cover. The age ratings were there to help disclose the target age groups of audiences, therefore serve as a warning whether the content can be viewable by children or only by adults. We have the age ratings to help us know if it is for kids or not. So why are games getting censored when they are either rated M for Mature or it warns about the suggestive themes. I remember a time period where there would be ads and TV PSAs that would point out the ESRB age rating system. We have our age ratings, why would someone continue to make controversy out of games and anime rated for older audience for being games and anime rated for older audiences. To the certain people causing them, the age ratings do not matter and they view it "harmful" and must be censored.

        The problem with censorship is that it is viewed as a power. Consequently, people will do what they can to obtain that power for their own benefits. As China has been having a field day with things on their turf, when it comes to censorship, The US and EU government isn't seen to be the one's responsible for today's cases of censorship (Outside of China). That seems to be the tactics done within the public. Someone has found a loophole that would allow them the ability to get something censored. These known tactics involved include internal meddling, demonizing audiences, and creating outrage. There seems to be more tactics being invented. Basically, one person doesn't like that one game because it is <insert terminology here> and that person thinks it should cease to exist and people creating face consequence and the people supporting and playing it should face consequence as well. It doesn't stop there as that said person goes a campaign to get that game that person doesn't like censored as devs and publishers are backed into a wall. This is the way people have been getting their hands on censorship as a power without ever needing a government position.

        Games have been unnecessarily censored from left and right it is beginning to hurt the entertainment industry as we speak. Censorship when used a power hurts creative freedom. The entertainment industry survives of addition and the creative freedom that allows creators to make for more numbers. Essentially, creative freedoms allows addition to be made. The entertainment industry survives of that addition. Any means of subtraction would hurt the industry. Having something for each and every one, or having separate IPs for specific target audiences serves as means of creating addition as it is impossible to make one big IP for everyone. You have the mainstream and popular IPs but there IPs that were made to cater to the niche audiences and markets. If we were to speak of Senran Kagura, that IP was made for a niche older demographic that loves the female characters and also love fanservice and wacky raunchy themes. As a result, the series would see it mostly be rated M for Mature as the series was made for older audiences in mind. Namco made Pac-Man for the family as Tekken and SoulCalibur was made for older audiences in the fighting game scene. This what studios and companies do to create addition in the industry to profit from. Creative freedoms serves as an important factor and the age ratings were maid to avoid complications that would effect creative freedom.

        An adult rated game or anime facing censorship because it dared have something for older audiences in the first place because someone didn't like it and had to go on a campaign is actually harmful to creative freedom. A precedent that can be destructive as it gets worse is bound create a straw that would break the camels back. The situation has created more and more dilemmas for everyone. The censoring creates a subtraction and subtraction hurts the entertainment industry. The industry survives off of addition rather than subtraction.