Friday The 13th May Be The Most Violent Video Game Ever
Many game developers use the massive gaming expo PAX West – which is currently underway in Seattle – to unveil their latest wares. There is always some hot, new gaming footage to come out of the show that sparks the usual conversations about graphics quality, framerates, game mechanics, and the myriad of other things that make a good (or bad) game. One of the game trailers released last night, however, may spark a different kind of debate. And we’re not sure that’s a good thing.
If you grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, you may remember that discussions about video games, and video game violence especially, spurred huge protests and even sparked congressional debates. Ultimately, video game rating systems were implemented in an effort to prevent impressionable, young children from seeing things that were deemed inappropriate for their age.
Mortal Kombat, which featured gratuitous violence, blood, and “Fatalities” – for the time -- was at the center of many of the debates regarding video game violence. Well, when you see Gun Media’s game trailer for Friday The 13th: The Game, Mortal Kombat is going to seem almost cute by comparison.
We must warn you, this trailer is absolutely NOT for the faint of heart. Many of you will find this disturbing. Viewer discretion is most-definitely advised...
Friday The 13th: The Game will apparently have a Left 4 Dead type vibe, with Jason Voorhees in the role of the massive zombie hordes and special infected that attack players. It is up for pre-order now and is due to ship a little later in the year. However, it’s not the concept of the game that most people will be talking about; it’s the insane, intense violence depicted in the footage above that some people will likely take issue with.
Friday The 13th: The Game will apparently have a Left 4 Dead type vibe, with Jason Voorhees in the role of the massive zombie hordes and special infected that attack players. It is up for pre-order now and is due to ship a little later in the year. However, it’s not the concept of the game that most people will be talking about; it’s the insane, intense violence depicted in the footage above that some people will likely take issue with.
As a huge fan of the Left 4 Dead series myself – I still play very often – simulated, gratuitous blood and violence isn’t new (or shocking) to me. But watching this Friday The 13th: The Game footage left me a bit slack-jawed and wondering if it goes too far.
Part of me thinks this is exactly the kind of thing video game ratings are for and game developers should be as free as any other artists to express their visions for their games, in any legal way they see fit. But, because there is an interactive element involved, and the potential for visceral, over-the-top experiences are possible with this kind of simulated violence, I’m not so sure.
What say you? We’d love to hear from you all on this one.
