Contents |
Mortal Kombat was released in 1992. It became a sensation in the video arcades of the 1990s because of its real-life graphics and never before seen images of blood and gore. The game was based around the premise of hand-to-hand combat fighting between two characters on screen. The player would assume control of one of the characters and co-ordinate certain combinations of kicks, punches and special moves to inflict as much devastation on the opposition as possible. By today’s standards, the graphics in Mortal Kombat were tame but in the early 1990s, they heralded a new type of visual experience. Adding to the novelty of the game were a variety of finishing moves with such names as ‘Fatality’ that allowed players to complete especially elaborate actions such as decapitating the opposition.
Media reactions to the game around the world and in Australia were particularly negative. Many people believed that the blood and gore contained in the game was unnecessary and harmful. ‘Mortal Kombat depicts one of the heroes of the game decapitating a victim, another prefers electrocution, a third rips out the still beating heart of his victim with his bear hands’ (Setzer and Duckett, 1994: 5). Games such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap prompted the extension of the film and television classification scheme to videogames to limit the distribution of objectionable material. Attorney-General of the time, Michael Lavarch said "Ministers believe a tougher approach is necessary to reflect concerns about the possible harmful effects of the interactive nature of the games - especially on children too young to distinguish between fantasy and reality in playing them� (Reuters, 1994).
The negative reaction also prompted Mortal Kombat distributor Nintendo to release a second version of the game. Known as the SNES version, the gore fatalities were changed to tame ones and the blood was changed to white sweat. The Sega version of the game used a code mechanism to make the gore features optional in gameplay. Nevertheless, the Sega version with the gory details still intact sold more copies than the SNES version.
Mortal Kombat was one of the first videogames to provoke widespread negativity about violent themes in videogames. It prompted a review of the Australian classification system in place at the time and signalled to game producers that there were many groups in society concerned about violence in videogames that needed to be addressed. However, Mortal Kombat went on to become a cultural icon with many sequels spawned in the series, as well as two movies, a live action television show and an animated series.
AmandaTaylor 12:35, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
Manhunt, by Rockstar Games, was released at the end of 2003 and has become one of 2004’s biggest selling titles. It has been described as one of the most visceral and intense videogames ever made. The objective of the game is to escape from a prison and in doing so to kill as many people as possible for the omnipresent narrator’s snuff film. Outrage about the game’s content as well as its extremely realistic images surrounded its release. In July 2004, a boy was killed in Britain by another boy who was said to be obsessed by the game, prompting further outrage and controversy. The media effects debate was also stirred up again by this event. In Australia, the Office of Film and Literature banned the game from being sold in stores. New Zealand also banned the game – the first ever to be banned in the country (Smith, 2004).
The events also added more fire to the Australian censorship debate with the Victorian Government calling for the addition of a category to the classification system to allow the game to be sold in Australia, while other groups called for a total ban on the game and others like it. Organisations like the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) claimed that by banning such games, the right of adults to choose what material they want to consume was jeopardised (Smith, 2004). The Opposition Leader in the West Australian government branded the game as ‘excessively brutal and violent’ and said that it ‘rewards and praises the player for the more violent and the more brutal the killings and bashings are.’ (Mendez, 2004)
As with Mortal Kombat, Manhunt has prompted widespread debate and controversy over its content. The increased graphical capabilities of software technology in 2004 has meant the themes within the game are heightened through real-life graphics. This is very much like what happened with Mortal Kombat in 1992. Its graphics were extremely realistic for the time period. Overall these case studies show that the violence in videogames debate is a longstanding and enduring issue that has not changed dramatically in its few decades of existence.
Mendez, T. (2004, Aug. 16) “Call to ban ‘killer’ video game,� The West Australian, retrieved October 24, 2004, from http://www.thewest.com.au/20040816/news/general/tw-news-general-home-sto129090.html
(1994, Feb 18.) "Australia, Singapore censoring video games," Reuters News, retrieved 27 October, 2004, from Factiva database.
Setzer, V. & Duckett, G. (1994) ‘The Risks to Children Using Electronic Games’, The Arachnet Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture, vol. 2, September, retrieved 5 Oct, 2004 from, www.monash.edu.au/journalsejvc/sqarv2n4.setzer
Smith, B. (Oct. 6, 2004) “R rating plan for gory video games,� The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved October 24, 2004, from http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/05/1096949514750.html?oneclick=true
AmandaTaylor 12:33, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
