As gamers, we are not strangers to violence in our favourite forms of entertainment; as a matter of fact, it's present in almost every video game today and a main selling point for the hottest titles. Video game violence has always generated a tonne of controversy, but more often than not, it was discounted as just part of the experience. We saw Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics take the Tomb Raider franchise to new heights with content that provoked an M/18+ rating for the first time in the series that's been around since 1996. However, like most games, the violence was not senseless nor excessive; it was necessary to survive.
Violence in video games is rarely senseless; it typically exists to serve the plot and supplement the gameplay. Rockstar Games' award winning franchise, Grand Theft Auto, is a top contender for open-world violence and the occasional bouts of controversy; the controversy, however, seemed to dull down once Jack Thompson, a self-made famous once-lawyer hell-bent on bringing down the franchise and its company, was barred from practising law. The controversy behind Grand Theft Auto sparked a historical argument in the video game industry: do video games make us commit violent acts? The answer has always been no, despite numerous protests.
In 1997, an American video game development company, Running with Scissors, released a highly controversial and infamous IP aptly titled 'Postal.' In the game, players assume a protagonist that goes in a senseless killing spree who ultimately suffers a mental breakdown and ends up getting captured by the government and incarcerated in an asylum. The game managed to avoid prosecution and secured itself two sequels. Postal is easily identified within the gaming community as "that game," one of senseless violence and mass-murder on a phenomenal level.
Today, 16 October 2014, Polish developer Destructive Creations, has released an announcement gameplay trailer for Hatred, an isometric shooter, quite similar to Postal in size and scope, where you step into the shoes of a cold-blooded psychopath on a mass-murdering spree. Upon witnessing the video, I was immediately reminded of the Postal games, but Hatred takes the violence to new levels. I witnessed innocent civilians crying and begging for their lives as the killer ignored their pleas and stabbed, maimed, executed and machine-gunned his way through different environments. One scene in particular stood out, aside from the introductory scene where the protagonist seems to magically fit several ammunition magazines, grenades and a combat knife into one pocket. Later, as the killer grabbed a woman by the shirt and raised her close to him and shot her in the mouth as she begged for her life. Needless to say, it made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Controversy aside, the game has a unique artistic element to it. The visuals are dark and opaque, illustrating the negative energy and violence in abundance within the game world. The only colour within the game seems to stem from explosions and blood, which has an odd artistic appeal. The graphics, while seemingly dated, are actually mildly impressive. Providing that the entire trailer of Hatred was in fact gameplay, to see simulated clothing behave the way it should when grabbed or manipulated is quite striking. However, compliments aside, allow me to move onward with the point of the blog.
Hatred is inarguably an unnecessary creation derived from developers with no taste for censorship, the politically correct, or even general consideration for the public. Developing a game like Hatred takes balls, but in the end, it's also a stupid move. While the game is virtually a copy-and-paste job from Postal, that does not excuse its presence. It promotes unnecessary and senseless violence in the most extreme methodologies I've ever witnessed in a video game and hides behind the "it's just a game" argument.
Grand Theft Auto is just a game. Hatred is a true-to-form murder simulator and Lord knows that Jack Thompson must be seizing in his office chair as he learns about this upcoming development. In an article released by GameSpot today, the developer behind Hatred has an almost cavalier and nonchalant attitude about their creation.
To quote, "These days, when a lot of games are heading to be polite, colourful, politically correct, and trying to be some kind of higher art, rather than just an entertainment--we wanted to create something against trends," the studio said.
Hatred aims to be "something different," and a game that gives players "pure, gaming pleasure," Destructive Creations said. The game "takes no prisoners and makes no excuses," the studio explains, adding that it doesn't plan to shy away from the fact that this is a game about killing people.
( http://www.gamespot.com/art... )
There's an argument pending that I haven't addressed yet. Grand Theft Auto is another [popular] game on the market that, with its open-world elements, allows you to basically do the same thing as in Hatred. You can stock up on weaponry and execute every Peter, Paul and Mary in Los Santos, blow up the streets and cause absolute mayhem. The difference is, the game isn't centred around that and it does not encourage you to do so. Hatred is a game that is centred around senseless and excessive violence and there is nothing to do in the game other than kill, kill, kill.
The difference here is that Hatred goes out of its way to be excessively brutal with its killings and executions and the explicit purpose of the game is to kill innocent civilians and law enforcement, rather than being a diversion or an activity that's actively punishable.
The game has already received a mixed reaction online, with a 50/50 divide between likes and dislikes on the trailer, with a heap of comments both condoning and abhorring the content. Obviously, like anything, the game has a right to exist under freedom of speech. But the question is whether or not it'll do more harm than good to both the gaming industry and its reception as well as society itself. I think the answer is rather obvious.
...and I have to ask: why?
Is there not enough senseless violence in the world today? Why must someone create a video game centred on it? I will admit, I do enjoy my bouts of chaos and mayhem in video games; getting into shootouts with the police in Grand Theft Auto and I did enjoy Manhunt for a period of time. But it wasn't because I was able to just kill people for the hell of it. It was because I enjoy action games to an extent. I wouldn't play Hatred if someone paid me to. Well, I probably would and then go to church and pray for forgiveness. The fact of the matter is, I understand that it's a free world, that people have the freedom to do what they want. If creating a game like Hatred is your desired way of exercising your rights, be my guest. Just don't release it to the public. The same children whom are allowed to play Grand Theft Auto aged well under 17 will undoubtedly have access to Hatred and what then? Columbine? Sandyhook? Boston? Any of these words ringing a bell? Video games are certainly not to blame, but games like this are most definitely influences as they're presented in such a cavalier manner.
I mainly wanted to write this blog to bring attention to the game and share my opinion on the situation, as well as read the feedback from the community.
Drop a comment below and let me know what you think about Hatred, the development team behind it and the foreseeable controversy subsequent its announcement.
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Days Gone Remastered is now available, and if you’re looking to find out how it compares with the original PS4 version, read ahead.
Huge difference i must admit, but not sure i would notice without 2 screens next to each other.
Not getting this game still, i want a new game and im tired of remasters
I spoiled myself by modding this game on my PC. Genuinely one of the best looking games I've ever seen. Whilst this remaster looks nice it just doesn't compare to that sadly. It shows the effort that these remasters could put in if they wanted
I so hope this game or DLC for those of us who own the original sells well.
Ive said it before, its an underrated game for sure & was unfairly judged upon release.
Please try this game if you haven't already.
For those who say 'i won't purchase digital only' you can pickup a hard copy for 5 bucks here in Australia, then add the DLC and you have a superb game for $20 or so.
Give it a shot, tell me I'm wrong After completing the game.
Game on gamers.
This is a really, really weird take. On one hand you claim that violent video games have their place. Then you say "I wouldn't play [it] if you paid me." Which is the perfect stance.
No one is forcing someone to play this. I remember plenty of controversial games, Manhunt, ThrillKill... but there was a time when games were never rated, and they didn't harm society then.
Unfortunately, after what is a good blog you use the slippery slope fallacy "and what then? Columbine? Sandyhook? Boston? Any of these words ringing a bell? Video games are certainly not to blame, but games like this are most definitely influences as they're presented in such a cavalier manner. "
Video games and their connection to violence has been studied for over two decades. There is no connection. We can finally say that with certainty. In fact, there is the corollary that as games have increased in sales and become even more violent, societal violence has decreased.
However, my real issue here is the idea, no matter how reprehensible you find the material, to censor it*. Mark Twain is attributed as saying, "Censorship is like telling a man he can't eat steak because a baby can't chew it." James Joyce's Ulysses was banned in the USA. No more. No more censorship. Repressing the ideas (especially in artistic realms) is reprehensible in and of itself.
And that is what it boils down to: censorship. Determining what is right for others, without ever giving them the choice to determine what is right for themselves.
I enjoy steak. I don't care if babies can't.
I honestly wish censorship was a criminal offense.
*I am in no way, shape or form, defending any material that does not have consensual participation by those depicted in said medium.
Just don't support / buy it.
I don't have a problem with it's existence but I'm not keen on rewarding humans for developing a mass murder simulator that lets you commit massacres on civilians. That's not how I want humanity to become.
"Hatred is a true-to-form murder simulator"
Only if murder now occurs in an isometric view and can be committed by waggling your thumbs in opposite directions.
Its not simulating anything, and anyone who feels encouraged to murder someone based on a game like this is just as likely to feel encouraged to animals to train for intercontinental fighting tournaments after playing pokemon - ie, a complete fruit loop.
I am going to go off base for a moment here. Alot of folks in society have been tricked by the media into thinking places are becoming more violent. I have even run into some Europeans and Australians say they will never come to the USA because they are afraid of being "gunned down" in the streets. I couldn't really tell them they were mislead because they would rather belive what they see on TV. The media is collaborating to create a mass paranoia in order to aid the governmental clamp down on the people's rights.
I am not endorsing the game rather adding in another angle that should be considered. If anything this game is bad because it aids the media's cause.
Just imagine if the government made shady propaganda game aimed at portraying games as violent serial killer training grounds, that said title would not look much different than the game at question.
This game is gonna rock.