Scandalous Games

Scandalous Games is a video game history podcast that takes a closer look at video game related controversies. Every episode, historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story about a scandalous event from gaming's past to his friends who offer commentary on moral panics, ill-advised advertising campaigns, unusual figures, and any and all topics related to video game scandals and how they shaped the medium. New episodes drop on the first and third Tuesdays of every month! Check out more info, including show notes and sources, at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

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Scandalous Games

Episode 13: Virtual Reality (How Did Video Games Get Age Ratings in the U.S.?)

June 07, 2022 • Scandalous Games • Episode 13

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We celebrate one year of video game controversies with a mulit-part series on how video games got age ratings in the United States.

In today's episode, we look back at tech fads that influenced the way people thought about video games, starting with virtual reality. Would VR give us the Holodeck or the horrors of the Lawnmower Man? And how did the seemingly limitless possibilities of virtual reality influence video games?

Topics discussed include: The surprisingly long history of VR; the potential marketing benefits of the Data Codpiece™; how VR invaded TV, movies, and video games; and the possibilities and pitfalls of "teledildonics."

Check out Fatroll Gaming (Phil's Elden Ring show): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4AxENRyXMhWlPG14-fgTog

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.