Warren Spector down on ultraviolence
Warren Spector is getting very serious about ultraviolence in games.
Spector is becoming increasingly aware of how the industry has been “fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality.” This has become more noticeable in the past year.
He advises that those involved with games “have to stop loving it.”
Spector stated:
“Well, my spider-sense is sure tingling danger, danger, Peter Parker! This is the year where there were two things that stood out for me. One was: The ultraviolence has to stop. We have to stop loving it. I just don’t believe in the effects argument at all, but I do believe that we are fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality. I just think it’s in bad taste. Ultimately I think it will cause us trouble.”
After being pushed a bit further, Spector said:
“…We’ve gone too far. The slow-motion blood spurts, the impalement by deadly assassins, the knives, shoulders, elbows to the throat. You know, Deus Ex had its moments of violence, but they were designed – whether they succeeded or not I can’t say – but they were designed to make you uncomfortable, and I don’t see that happening now. I think we’re just appealing to an adolescent mindset and calling it mature. It’s time to stop. I’m just glad I work for a company like Disney, where not only is that not something that’s encouraged, you can’t even do it, and I’m fine with it.”
How do you feel about ultraviolence in games?
