Detroit prosecutor updates (makes relevant) violent games list
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Dec 16th 2008 at 9:10AM }
As GamePolitcs points out, Worthy updating her list is a little bit more than local news, since it was used by the Thai government to eventually ban several old games in the wake of a cab driver's murder just a few months ago.
[Via GamePolitics]
- Blitz the League II
- Dead Space
- Fallout 3
- Far Cry 2
- Gears of War 2
- Left 4 Dead
- Legendary
- Resistance 2
- Saints Row 2
- Silent Hill: Homecoming
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rhinosaur @ Dec 16th 2008 9:20AM
Funny how war games are not mentioned...apparently any representation of government-controlled killing is acceptable.
COD5 is kinda gory for a WWII shooter...bloody stumps, limbs blowing off, etc.
Mighty Ponygirl @ Dec 16th 2008 9:23AM
I get what you're saying generally, but...
Gears of War 2 isn't a war game?
Rhinosaur @ Dec 16th 2008 9:35AM
GOW2 isn't a "war" game, in the true sense of the word.
Killing monsters/zombies/mutants isn't war, even if they are opposing sides.
I'm talking about nation(s) vs. nations(s), military actions against terrorism, etc. Reality-based war games.
I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of leaving out war games such as COD4/COD5/BiA/BF:BC/etc. because that is an "acceptable" form of violence.
Alien Lord @ Dec 16th 2008 10:14AM
Rhinosaur you make a really good point
AwesomeTown @ Dec 16th 2008 11:28AM
They probably follow the example of the MPAA. Historical movies get special treatment. For example, the amount of gore in Saving Private Ryan should have yielded it an NC-17 rating based on the MPAA guidelines, but because of the historical significance it was given an R.
Anthony @ Dec 16th 2008 1:26PM
Good point. no Call of Duty? hmmmmmm...
chispito @ Dec 16th 2008 2:23PM
Are there war games that let you saw people in half, or that feature exploding heads?
Kamizar @ Dec 16th 2008 9:25AM
That's a lot of math on that list...
Boffo the $ock @ Dec 16th 2008 9:32AM
Uh...I was told there would be no math.
Malevo @ Dec 16th 2008 9:28AM
a football game is number one? Gotta be kidding me...
meatee @ Dec 16th 2008 11:36AM
not really a ranking, its just alphabetical order
Kevin949 @ Dec 16th 2008 4:54PM
Ok, even still, a football game amongst head exploding games? really?
gst @ Dec 16th 2008 5:32PM
Blitz is likely there because it is something that kids can easily act out - football...y'know, because they are kids and they can play football a hell of a lot easier than they can get their hands on a chainsaw/chainsaw-gun or a tank.
The game rewards players not so much for playing really good football, but for brutally injuring your opponents, which I can see being a very worrisome message to send to little peewee football players.
Actually, thinking more, I can see that game being misunderstood or emulated by kids much more easily than the other stuff on that list, most of which involves gun violence that most kids know, because they are told over and over, is wrong.
Football, as much as I like it, is already a form of condoned violence, and it is hard to draw the line for a 6-year-old between a good clean tackle and trying to break little Bobby Johnson's legs.
Gunstar7 @ Dec 16th 2008 9:30AM
I'll have to agree with a comment from the last time this popped up. These games already have a very handy and convenient little tag that says M for Mature, meaning children should probably not be playing these very obviously adult games. With titles like "Dead Space" and "Left Dead" one would think this would be common sense.
baby sea tuna @ Dec 16th 2008 9:32AM
Haha, Legendary the Box the Game the Box made it on there? Well, I guess that means at least 1 person out there played it!
Alien Lord @ Dec 16th 2008 10:16AM
Yeah but parents don't know anything, why do you think kids are shooting each other left, right, and center, well in the US anyway.
Nate @ Dec 16th 2008 10:49AM
What makes you think they actually played any of these games before putting them on the list? It was probably just what was on the shelf at Walmart.
ObiBen @ Dec 16th 2008 9:33AM
Take out a couple of those games and it becomes a list of games I want to own.
Squeakmaan @ Dec 16th 2008 9:39AM
The real funny part is the description there for Left 4 Dead. I'm pretty sure there's a difference between a "rabies" virus and a zombie virus.
Obie @ Dec 16th 2008 9:49AM
I think it is accurate, since the L4D devs even said that the virus is actually a version of rabies.
Since the enemies you face are not reanimated corpses, but who cares, the game is a blast!
Kizzle @ Dec 16th 2008 9:39AM
Kym Worthy is awesome for helping put the son of a bitch corrupt Detroit mayor behind bars, so I'll overlook any ignorance on her part in regards to this.
Gunndersom @ Dec 16th 2008 10:01AM
I couldn't agree more. No more Kwame.
Lists like these me laugh. They may as well make a list of 10 R-rated movies your kids shouldn't see. "well duh, I'm not letting my kid see Saw 4" a parent might say, and yet we need lists of rated mature games.
gst @ Dec 16th 2008 5:38PM
meh, maybe parents are just lazy?
Many of them only will put the effort forth to actually do some parenting if it comes with a convenient list in some denomination of 10.
Y'know, I like top 10 lists too. I should base my decisions off of them more often. And that's why my son is getting one of those nice wholesome M-rated games for Christmas.
WRE @ Dec 16th 2008 9:40AM
So...what? She looked at the new games in the GameStop catalog and wrote a list? Is she an attorney or a trained monkey? ...OR BOTH!?!?!?
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Dec 16th 2008 9:42AM
Apparently this bitch doesn't know about the spoiler warning. So much for playing Silent Hill.
baby sea tuna @ Dec 16th 2008 9:59AM
Just remember to save first so that you can get both Achievements!
Seriously though, WTH, lady?!
Erluti @ Dec 16th 2008 9:43AM
It feels kinda arbitrary to limit the list to 10. Just because they are the MOST violent doesn't make #11 any more kid friendly.
soviet chick @ Dec 16th 2008 9:45AM
She totally spoiled the end of Silent Hill: Homecoming.
Comet @ Dec 16th 2008 9:51AM
Wheres GTA 4?
soviet chick @ Dec 16th 2008 9:58AM
In GTA IV you have to work for your violence, just like in real life. You have to want to keep tappity-tap-tapping that run button and calling up blokes on your mobile, and chatting their heads of for endless minutes before you see any action. It teaches children the fundamentals.
baby sea tuna @ Dec 16th 2008 10:07AM
I bet R* is devastated. It used to be that a new GTA game was released and instantly God's warriors and the "what about our children?!" crew would damn it straight to hell. Now they can't even get arrested in this town...so to speak.
The times, they are a changin.
butaneko @ Dec 16th 2008 9:58AM
After playing Fallout 3 shooters without destructible limbs and bloody splotches feel tame and unrealistic.
Same way first person games where I can't see my body seem dumb after playing Mirror's Edge.
Justin @ Dec 16th 2008 10:02AM
Well I agree with everyone about the fact that all of those games are M rated. I think this woman should of just had one entry, M-rated games. Maybe she should be working on helping the ESRB with laws to enforce sales to minors being limited by the ratings and maybe even getting them some government funding
CyberKnight @ Dec 16th 2008 10:37AM
Ugh, because time and time again, those laws are struck down as UNCONSTITUTIONAL, and the time and effort spent in pushing those laws through despite their REPEATED failures in the courts is nothing but a WASTE of taxpayer money.
Sorry, that one strikes a nerve. >:(
It's just like movies. Theaters may not sell R-rated tickets to minors as a policy, and the MPAA may "encourage" those policies with their own sanctions (i.e. "if you don't have this policy, we won't give you the next big blockbuster movie to show on your screens"), but it never has been ILLEGAL to do so.
Obie @ Dec 16th 2008 10:02AM
What a waste of time! What is she trying to achieve? The games are already properly rated, and should not be played by under 17 players without parental consent.
Vidikron @ Dec 16th 2008 10:08AM
Has anyone here played "Blitz the League II"? I have a hard time believing that its actually more violent than Dead Space... or almost any of the other 9 for that matter.
Nixorbo @ Dec 16th 2008 10:10AM
Less chat, more making fun of the fact that Blitz: The League 2 is more violent than Dead Space.
Aaron @ Dec 16th 2008 1:20PM
Less chat, more making fun of the fact that you don't realize it's an alphabetical list and not an actual ranking.
Nixorbo @ Dec 16th 2008 1:37PM
If I don't perceive it then it doesn't exist.
::covers eyes::
Ian @ Dec 16th 2008 11:16AM
Shopping list.
butaneko @ Dec 16th 2008 10:23AM
Yay another Jack Thompson
To stop those monsters, one-two-three, Here’s a fresh new way that’s trouble-free, It’s got Paul Anka’s guarantee:
Just don’t look. Just don’t look.
ZeroCorpse @ Dec 16th 2008 1:38PM
Actually, Kym Worthy's a good prosecutor. She got the corrupt mayor of Detroit out of office, and she doesn't use this list to intimidate anyone. She merely makes the list to inform parents and other organizations what games to watch for when trying to avoid violent content. She's in no way like Jack. She's not batshite crazy, for starters.
She's not lying on the list. These games ARE violent, and a lot of parents ignore the M-rating because they think it's no big deal, or it's just swearing or something they do at home anyway. The list just lets them know that these games might not be good for young children, despite what the parents might think of the games' ratings.
Worthy doesn't attack game publishers, or go into histrionics in court, or insult judges like Mr. Thompson did. She merely does a little research, makes a list, and lets people know about it.
There's a HUGE gap between this behavior, and the behavior of Jack Thompson. What she's doing is somewhat intelligent and responsible. What he did was an ambulance-chasing scheme to further his religious convictions and earn some money on the side while indulging his apparent insanity.
Brian Fantana @ Dec 16th 2008 10:31AM
I'm 81% through Far Cry 2 and I have yet to "blow someones head off". Now Fallout, that's a different story.
And I've seen a couple of movies WAY more violent than any of these games this year. Funny Games and The Hills Have Eyes 2 are a couple of them.
Matthew @ Dec 16th 2008 11:42AM
Right on - even though Far Cry 2 may have you killing a lot, all you see them puff out some red and fall over. Even with all that pretty fire, nobody ever gets burned.
LaughingTarget @ Dec 16th 2008 10:32AM
Maybe she should spend more time working on a way to make Detroit not a piss hole or ways to unshacke GM from retard regulations rather than waste time at the mall.
meist3r @ Dec 16th 2008 10:43AM
Awww man ... your government releases a christmas shoppingd list? That's so awesome. Getting a little jealous here.
Kinda ironic, I'll dub this the "Worty-List 2008" from now on.
Stuka @ Dec 16th 2008 10:51AM
I'm kind of proud to own 7 of the 10 games on that list now. Does someone dare challenge my title of 'most depraved' by having more?
liquidmark @ Dec 16th 2008 11:09AM
Aww, I only own four of them...
But they are the four top ones if you remove blitz
Rhinosaur @ Dec 16th 2008 10:52AM
"Thanks for the free advertising!"
Signed,
Top 10 Violent Games List
MatsJn @ Dec 16th 2008 11:29AM
Haha, have you seen the paper that is cited as source? They have rated how games are beign marked due to their content.
ESRB gets straight A's in both marking in the ducation about the marking. Game shops get a B+, game console manufactures gets another A.'
The category Parental Involvement simply stands at "Incomplete". lol.