How Mortal Kombat (and moral panic) changed the gaming world

[Xenophobic]

I'm not surprised that this old news is still getting attention . I mean, Mortal Kombat was always known for being a bit extreme, but come on, people got worked up over blood splattering from heads and whatnot? It's just a game, right? Anyway, it's interesting to see how the gaming industry shifted its focus after all this fuss. But let's be real, it's also possible that politicians were just looking for a way to get their 15 minutes of fame . And can we talk about how ridiculous Ed Boon is for saying he was inspired by martial arts films? Like, hello, you're creating a game where people rip each other's heads off...

 

[Shrunken Driving 25th]

I'm literally still surprised that games like Mortal Kombat were even an issue back in 1993 . I mean, we've come so far now where we have games like Grand Theft Auto V which are basically just interactive movies with way more violence and it's totally fine .

The whole thing just seems so overhyped to me. I get that the game was graphic and some parents were worried about kids playing it, but I don't think it was as big of a deal as people made it out to be . And can we talk about how Ed Boon's comments in 2022 totally changed my mind about Mortal Kombat? He's like the ultimate gaming historian and his insights on the game's creation are so fascinating .

Anyway, I think it's crazy that the controversy around Mortal Kombat actually helped shape the gaming industry into what it is today . More mature content, better storytelling, and just more realistic games overall. It's all good in my book .

 

[Smoggy She]

I think this whole Mortal Kombat thing is soooo blown outta proportion . Like, people were actually worried about kids playing a game that's just supposed to be fun? It was all just a bunch of noise from politicians who didn't get it . I mean, come on, it's just a fighting game! The violence in Mortal Kombat is more cartoonish than anything else. And can we talk about how ridiculous the whole congressional hearing thing was? Like, what even is the point of trying to regulate something that's just supposed to be entertainment?