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July 14, 2008, 02:47 PM ET
Video-Game Version of Beer Pong Sparks Controversy
A new video game simulates beer pong, a drinking game popular in fraternity houses and dorm rooms across the country. But not everyone thinks the game — part of a series called Frat Party Games — is good fun. Some education groups and state officials have argued that the game glorifies alcohol abuse, and they have called on its creators to pull the title or label it for adults only.
The beer-pong simulation runs on the Nintendo Wii, the popular game console that lets users control the action by waving a controller around. So to throw the virtual ping-pong ball into a cup, users simply make a throwing motion while holding the controller.
The Association of Fraternity Advisors issued a statement last month criticizing the game. “Why would you choose to promote a game that glorifies unsafe or detrimental behaviors, especially one that is to some extent targeted to young people at a most impressionable time in their lives?” asked the group’s president, Jay Anhorn, in the statement.
The game even drew the ire of Connecticut’s attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, who has spoken out against the Wii game, which was rated “T” for teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, meaning it is appropriate for ages 13 and up.
“The video game rating board is under the influence — rating frat party video drinking games suitable for minors,” said Mr. Blumenthal, in a statement. That is “absolutely inappropriate,” the statement added.
In response, the game’s developer, JV Games, changed the name from Beer Pong to Pong Toss. But the company’s co-founder, Jag Jaeger, said in an e-mail interview with The Chronicle that the game never depicted alcohol, and he defended the company’s series of virtual fraternity games.
“I can respect their concerns, but in regards to this being a video game I think it’s misplaced,” he said. “As an example, a racing game is marketed to under age kids but we all have a reasonable assumption that they won’t climb into a car and pattern their driving from the game.”
He argued that the game’s rating is appropriate. He said the company has not yet decided what its next game in the Frat Party series will be. —Jeffrey R. Young
Categories: Student-Life, Company-Watch
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