From the violence of Mortal Kombat's infamous Fatalities - which nowadays barely raise an eyebrow - to the obvious scatological influence of Pokemon's revolting Dug Trio, video games and controversy have always gone hand in hand, like a pair of codependent lovers skipping gaily towards a burning whoopee cushion factory.
Apropos nothing in particular - beyond the routine controversy that arises on any particular day in the games industry - here are ten notable shock moments drawn from the boiling lavatory water of gaming hysteria.
Apropos nothing in particular - beyond the routine controversy that arises on any particular day in the games industry - here are ten notable shock moments drawn from the boiling lavatory water of gaming hysteria.
10. KZ MANAGER'S CONCENTRATION CAMP MANAGEMENT
A resource management series like so many others, KZ Manager had one significant distinction from the likes of Rollercoaster Tycoon, and Sim City: players were tasked with running a 'successful' Nazi concentration camp. Nauseatingly, it was required to manage poison gas supplies and public opinion, while executing prisoners and trying to raise funds by selling their gold teeth.
Alas, KZ Manager was just the tip of a vast, anti-Semitic iceberg. Literally hundreds of underground, pro-Nazi games have been circulated in Europe over the last couple of decades - titles include Aryan Test and Anti-Turk Test. Inevitably, the origins of most are shrouded in a cowardly cloak of anonymity, or hiding behind developer names such as Adolf Hitler Software Ltd, and Hitler & Hess.
Horrid.
Alas, KZ Manager was just the tip of a vast, anti-Semitic iceberg. Literally hundreds of underground, pro-Nazi games have been circulated in Europe over the last couple of decades - titles include Aryan Test and Anti-Turk Test. Inevitably, the origins of most are shrouded in a cowardly cloak of anonymity, or hiding behind developer names such as Adolf Hitler Software Ltd, and Hitler & Hess.
Horrid.
9. SHIP OF DOOM'S ROBOT RAPE
An otherwise run-of-the-mill text adventure game, 1982's Ship of Doom stoked up a minor storm of outrage in games magazines; at one point players encounter a robot, and some bright spark discovered that typing "Rape robot" lead to the response "The robot has blown a fuse".
Admittedly, there was probably no way of discovering this other than trying it out, so we can't help but feel the onus should be as much on the players and reviewers as the developer.
Admittedly, there was probably no way of discovering this other than trying it out, so we can't help but feel the onus should be as much on the players and reviewers as the developer.
8. CARMAGEDDON'S PEDESTRIAN SLAUGHTER
Depending on which country you lived in, Carmageddon either had you mowing down red-blooded pedestrians, or green-blooded zombies.
The UK was - along with Germany - one of the latter, after the BBFC refused to release the original version of the game. The publishers spent the best part of a year appealing and pleading, before the BBFC relented. Other countries were less lucky - it never even got released in Brazil.
The UK was - along with Germany - one of the latter, after the BBFC refused to release the original version of the game. The publishers spent the best part of a year appealing and pleading, before the BBFC relented. Other countries were less lucky - it never even got released in Brazil.
7. MODERN WARFARE 2'S AIRPORT MASSACRE
You likely remember this one; while operating undercover, the player ended up participating in the slaughter of scores of innocent civilians in an airport.
Developer Infinity Ward went to great pains to give the player the option of skipping the "disturbing content", but nevertheless caused something of an outcry - and kicked off a bit of a verbal scuffle in Parliament, amid accusations that it was glorifying terrorism.
A spokesman for the British Muslim Forum even likened it to the Nazi propaganda films of Joseph Goebbels, while Alex Goldberg, chief executive of the London Jewish forum, stated: "Let’s face it – it’s children playing this game. In the Holy scriptures, when Cain kills Abel, God asks him one question: Are you your brother’s keeper? The rest of the bible is an answer to that – and it’s a big yes. When I play this game I don’t get that answer – I get upset.”
Don't play it then, you big baby.
Developer Infinity Ward went to great pains to give the player the option of skipping the "disturbing content", but nevertheless caused something of an outcry - and kicked off a bit of a verbal scuffle in Parliament, amid accusations that it was glorifying terrorism.
A spokesman for the British Muslim Forum even likened it to the Nazi propaganda films of Joseph Goebbels, while Alex Goldberg, chief executive of the London Jewish forum, stated: "Let’s face it – it’s children playing this game. In the Holy scriptures, when Cain kills Abel, God asks him one question: Are you your brother’s keeper? The rest of the bible is an answer to that – and it’s a big yes. When I play this game I don’t get that answer – I get upset.”
Don't play it then, you big baby.
6. RESIDENT EVIL 5'S RACISM
Setting Resident Evil 5 (a game about zombies) in Africa (a continent populated, by and large, by Africans) was a red rag to accusations of racism. Many critics were outraged that it perpetuated a stereotype of Africa being a dangerous and backward "dark continent", and - as the hysteria bubbled up - mistakenly alleged that it featured the implied rape of a blonde white woman by black men (it didn't).
At the time, Glen Bowman, senior lecturer at the Department of Anthroplogy at the University of Kent, gave his opinion to Videogamer: "I think the knee jerk reaction that says if you use black people as bad characters you're being racist is actually itself a kind of inverted racism which says that you can't have scary people who are black."
The BBFC were to have the final word on the issue, stating: "We do take racism very seriously, but in this case there is no issue around racism".
At the time, Glen Bowman, senior lecturer at the Department of Anthroplogy at the University of Kent, gave his opinion to Videogamer: "I think the knee jerk reaction that says if you use black people as bad characters you're being racist is actually itself a kind of inverted racism which says that you can't have scary people who are black."
The BBFC were to have the final word on the issue, stating: "We do take racism very seriously, but in this case there is no issue around racism".
5. POKEMON GIVES YOU EPILEPSY
For once, not a controversy caused by a game, but by a cartoon inspired by a game. In a 1997 episode of the Pokemon TV series - Electric Soldier Porygon - a number of repetitive, flashing, visual effects apparently induced seizures, blurred vision, headaches and nausea in almost 700 viewers. A further 12,000 children were diagnosed with milder symptoms - which some spectators dismissed as a form of psychosomatic mass hysteria. Silly children.
4. GTA'S HOT COFFEE MOD
A sex-simulating mini game that was once intended to be included in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Hot Coffee was disabled in the finished product, but clever types learned that it was possible to still access it through a mod. Consequently, a brouhaha of appalled noises broke out, and sparked a passionate debate among US lawmakers and politicians - even though Hot Coffee never made it officially to the final product.
A lawsuit - accusing Rockstar Games of deception and abuse - was even filed by an 85 year-old New York grandmother, who had bought the Mature-rated title for her 14 year-old grandson.
A lawsuit - accusing Rockstar Games of deception and abuse - was even filed by an 85 year-old New York grandmother, who had bought the Mature-rated title for her 14 year-old grandson.
3. SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN ENDORFUN
A literal fart in a teacup, Endorfun was a New Age puzzle game, which flashed up subliminal messages - "I am at peace" etc. - during the game. The intentions of the game's creators was to "uplift the hearts and minds of its users". Unfortunately, it arrived at a time when almost every game was seen as potentially evil, and got accused of trying to rewire people's brains.
Even Richard and Judy waded into this row, trying to pass off their own apathy as some sort of moral outrage on This Morning, while Digitiser's Violet Berlin stepped in to defend it.
Even Richard and Judy waded into this row, trying to pass off their own apathy as some sort of moral outrage on This Morning, while Digitiser's Violet Berlin stepped in to defend it.
2. 6 DAYS IN FALLUJAH'S DEPICTION OF WAR
6 Days In Fallujah managed to upset both soldiers and pacifists, by portraying a war that was still ongoing at the time it was slated for release. The game was set to revolve around the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah - which killed 95 US troops, 4 British, 8 Iraqi, 1,500 'insurgents'... and 800-odd civilians (but who ever counts them - right, kids?).
Tim Collins, a former lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, was asked to express his fury, saying: "It's particularly insensitive given what happened in Fallujah, and I will certainly oppose the release of this game."
Developer Atomic Games countered by insisting: "It's not about the politics of whether the U.S. should have been there or not. It is really about the stories of the Marines who were in Fallujah and the question, the debate about the politics, that is something for the politicians to worry about. We're focused now on what actually happened on the ground."
Ultimately, the game was put on indefinite hiatus and now - some six years after the waves of anger first washed over its boots - is unlikely to ever be released.
Tim Collins, a former lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, was asked to express his fury, saying: "It's particularly insensitive given what happened in Fallujah, and I will certainly oppose the release of this game."
Developer Atomic Games countered by insisting: "It's not about the politics of whether the U.S. should have been there or not. It is really about the stories of the Marines who were in Fallujah and the question, the debate about the politics, that is something for the politicians to worry about. We're focused now on what actually happened on the ground."
Ultimately, the game was put on indefinite hiatus and now - some six years after the waves of anger first washed over its boots - is unlikely to ever be released.
1. NIGHT TRAP'S VOYEURISM
Somehow lumped in with Doom, Mortal Kombat, Lethal Enforcers et al, the Mega CD's Night Trap was probably less dangerous than the average Carry On movie. This didn't stop a Congressional hearing accusing it of being "ultra-violent", "sick", and revolving around "an effort to trap and kill women" (even though the entire point of the game was to prevent a race of blood-sucking aliens from trapping and killing women).
Consequently, the storm that blew up around the game - its main crime was being, at worst, mildly sexist - resulted in Sega of America removing it from store shelves, and led directly to the formation of America's Entertainment Software Rating Board. So. That's good then.
Consequently, the storm that blew up around the game - its main crime was being, at worst, mildly sexist - resulted in Sega of America removing it from store shelves, and led directly to the formation of America's Entertainment Software Rating Board. So. That's good then.
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