Sadistic and realistic gore/violence in contemporary games

[Luke]

Aliens exist.

Very well played.

I need to find a decent picture of myself and photoshop my mug on that bad boy.

[AppleQueso]

Being desensitized to violent media doesn't have a lot to do with whether you're desensitized to actual violence.

Though usually when I hear people wax on about desensitization, they're basically trying to tell you that if you're okay with watching a slasher film, you probably wouldn't be bothered if you watched your neighbor getting stabbed. Which is idiotic.

The research on desensitization isn't anything that dramatic. There is evidence though that if a person has played a lot of violent games that they have reduced physiological responses to real violence and that they are less likely to engage in helping people who are in an emotionally intense or violent situation.
[snip.]

But then people push the idea a little further and it turns into a character judgement. If you enjoy violent media, you're a bad person who doesn't help people when they get hurt. Stop enjoying violent media right now!

I can't even imagine how this subject changes when we stop talking about people who consume this media and start talking about the people who create it.

[Sonicx360]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijh4fcapGY4

I was only able to last about 40 seconds into the video before laughing out loud.

MK's violence has always been super goofy and over the top. It's kinda the whole point.

Plus there's those sound effects, especially the goofy voices!

Ever since I was a kid, the sound effects crack me up more than getting scared, especially during a Fatality. I always think that the "gibberish" voice acting was done on purpose.

[AppleQueso]

Ever since I was a kid, the sound effects crack me up more than getting scared, especially during a Fatality. I always think that the "gibberish" voice acting was done on purpose.

Of course it was, these are the same people who brought you the TOASTY guy after all.