We've been keeping close track to the whole "SeXbox" scandal, as well as Mass Effect, since the very beginning. Here's a brief and growing chronology of what's been happening. 

• [11/12/07] While the beginnings are sketchy, but it started with BioWare posting a video of how Sex plays out in Mass Effect. Subsequently from hearing that sex was in the game,  Singapore banned Mass Effect. Link
• 
  [11/16/07] After actually watching the video themselves, Singapore lifted the ban on Mass Effect. Link
• 
  [1/11/08] Roughly 2 months after Mass Effect's commercial release, Conservative News Service Cybercast released an article "Sex in Video Game Makes Waves Through Industry" which may have created the initial spark in the US. Signs of how it started are unclear as of now.
• 
  [1/13/08] Columnist Kevin McCullough of Townhall.com wrote an article, which has since been removed from the site but can be seen in its entirety here , stated that Mass Effect featured "explicitly-graphic sexual intercourse", "custom design the shape, form, bodies, race, hair style, breast size of the images they wish to "engage" and then watch -- which is discussed here . Suffice to say, the number of responses to his article called for a response from McCullough, who went on further to rebuke Mass Effect in an article Townhall has yet to pull.
• 
  [1/16/08] After three days of public humiliation for his two columns, McCullough apologized for his misinformation stating that he himself was misinformed, and that the gaming community was just as concerned about the issues he brought up, mainly about keeping M rated games out of the hands of children.
• 
  [1/21/08] Fox News reports on Mass Effect's Sex "scandal" speaking to Cooper Lawrence, a self proclaimed psychologist and Geoff Keighley, 12+ year game industry veteran. Lawrence was fast to speak and knew her data, and Keighley obviously knew what he was talking about, but he wasn't aggressive enough for the host and faux psychologist. He also didn't really express himself well and tried to explain how the ideal of choice was a great thing was not what they were talking about or cared about. There were also some moments where his replies were slow and not well thought out. Stunned at stupidity is certainly a good excuse. The panel of experts, all whom Keighley would have been considered master over due to sheer experience, stunningly spoke of games from the 70's and 80's and really didn't touch on the subject correctly at all.
• 
  [1/23/08] Days after the Fox News report is aired, EA sent a letter to Fox News correcting their allegations about Mass Effect, and copied Kotaku on it.
• 
  [1/24/08]The Cult of Perfection, Cooper Lawrence's novel which was recently released and the reason why she was on Fox News as the psychologist, is trashed on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Hundreds to thousands of negative reviews are poured in because of her complete lack of research into Mass Effect prior to going on Fox News. Claims that her novel is bad were based mainly around the idea that if she cannot research a simple game, how can she do enough research to write a good book. Amazon has since locked review posting and deleted the majority of negative reviews, but some still remain, while Barnes and Noble has deleted all traces of user reviews.
• 
  [1/24/08] EA once again discusses with Kotaku their continued fight to amend Fox News' error on Mass Effect.
• 
  [1/24/08] Fox News responds to EA, stating it has extended an open invitation to the "Live Desk with Martha MacCallum" to discuss the previously mentioned airing. EA has not given any public response as of yet, though it is hard to believe that EA would allow a primetime showing of the news, which has countless more viewers than the mentioned show.
• 
  [1/26/08] Cooper Lawrence takes back her comments stated on Mass Effect nearly three days after the live airing of the Fox News Report, most likely due to the review controversy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
• 
  [1/27/08] After countless gaming websites and blogs post their feelings and thoughts on the subject, G4's Adam Sessler gives his opinion during an episode of X-Play.
• 
  [1/28/08] Jack Thompson, in an unimaginably funny discussion with Kotaku's Editor-in-chief Brian Crecente through emails, speaks about how pitiful the situation is and how Thompson, widely considered the biggest advocate against the games industry, says "I don't see any problem with it."
• 
  More updates will be posted as they arrive.
  

Comments (1)

	1. Written by Ciaran on 01-29-2008 17:18 - Guest
	I'd never acully seen the video, you I just youtubed it. When it finished I burst out laughing. It's truly pathetic that in a country like America where a sixteen year old drives, 17 year old buys a gun and TV is plagued with viagra adverts, people create so much over... nothing. I'm betting that if it was a hetero sexual scene the criticism would have been less. Report

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