Fox news has just aired a propaganda piece full of inaccuracies and falsehoods regarding the new Electronic Arts game Mass Effect.

The most blatant lie though is the news anchors claim that the game features 'full front nudity'. Bought in for opinions are a physiologist and a game expert from Spike TV Geoff Keighley.

Keighley tries his damnedest to set the record straight and even calls them out on a couple of points, but when it appears he has taken control of the interview the segment is abruptly ended.

Update: It appears gamers are revolting. The 'expert' in the video below is having her book attacked on Amazon.com, with bad reviews and low ratings. You can on her book page. They are having a hard time trying to keep damage control to a minimum by deleting the bad reviews and scores. Censorship in full swing.

Now EA have called Fox out on the inaccuracies, and is demanding an apology.

"As the parent company of BioWare, the studio which created the game, EA would like you to set the record straight on a number of errors and misstatements which incorrectly characterize the story and character interactions in Mass Effect." The letter starts and then proceeds to outline their very strong case."

Your headline above the televised story read: "New videogame shows full digital nudity and sex." Fact: Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots - a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows. It's also worth noting that the game requires players to develop complex relationships before characters can become intimate and players can chose to avoid the love scenes altogether.

FNC voice-over reporter says: "You'll see full digital nudity and the ability for players to engage in graphic sex."
Fact: Sex scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic. These scenes are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time.

FNC reporter says: "Critics say Mass Effect is being marketed to kids and teenagers."
Fact: That is flat out false. Mass Effect and all related marketing has been reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and rated Mature - appropriate for players 17-years and older. ESRB routinely counsels retailers on requesting proof of age in selling M-rated titles and the system has been lauded by members of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission. In practical terms, the ratings work as well or better than those used for warning viewers about television content.

The resulting coverage was insulting to the men and women who spent years creating a game which is acclaimed by critics for its high creative standards. As video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness.

Do you watch the Fox Network? Do you watch Family Guy? Have you ever seen The OC? Do you think the sexual situations in Mass Effect are any more graphic than scenes routinely aired on those shows? Do you honestly believe that young people have more exposure to Mass Effect than to those prime time shows?

This isn't a legal threat; it's an appeal to your sense of fairness. We're asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect.

Sincerely,

Jeff Brown
Vice President of Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc.

As a gamer, it's good to see EA stand their ground on this issue particularly when lies are being spread. Fingers crossed Fox news will do the right thing.

Sources (kotaku.com):

• Keighley Sets Mass Effect Record Straight... Or Tries To
• EA Calls Fox Out on "Insulting" Mass Effect Inaccuracies