Kotaku: Violence

Police Say Christmas Gaming Drove Woman to Attack Children with Butcher Knife

Mike Fahey — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Allegedly enraged over her five-year-old son's playing of a video game he received as a Christmas gift, Jutrina Tillman of Phoenix, Arizona, dragged the young boy into his bedroom and began to strangle him before threatening to kill him and his 13-year-old sister with a butcher knife. More »

Activision Uninvites Celebrity from Modern Warfare 3 Party After Learning She's a Porn Star

Brian Crecente — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT

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Dutch porn star Kim Holland was invited and then quickly uninvited from a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 VIP party in Amsterdam later this month after the game's publisher discovered what she did for a living, Eigenwereld reports. More »

Study on Effects of Violent Games: Blame the Player, Not the Game

Matthew Buzzi — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EDT

A study by Villanova University psychologist Patrick Markey suggests that the personality of the person playing a video game is more likely the cause of violent behavior than the actual content of the game. More »

It's Video Game Competition, Not Violence, That Sparks Aggression

Mike Fahey — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:20:00 EDT

Do violent video games cause aggressive behavior? According to a recent report published in the journal Psychology of Violence, the competitive aspect of gaming is more likely to generate aggro than mere violence. All this from a bunch of university students, some video games, and some hot sauce. Science is an amazing thing. More »

The Archbishop of Denver Tells You about Violent Video Games and the Rights of Parents

Charles J. Chaput — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EDT

In this essay originally penned for First Things, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput discusses the recent Supreme Court decision that granted video games First Amendment protection. Opening with his memories of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, Chaput is clearly against the decision. More »

Know Your Rights

Sam Winstrom — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT

Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia defends the Supreme Court's decision to keep violent video games in the hands of California gamers based on the First Amendment. More »

Does This Experiment Prove That Violent Games Increase Aggressive Behavior?

Mike Fahey — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:40:00 EDT

In a University of Missouri study sure to be cited by anti-gaming pundits for years to come, researchers provide what could be considered solid proof of the link between violent video games, aggression, and wearing funny hats. More »

The Android Dogfighting Sim That Even Michael Vick Disagrees With

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EDT

A recently released video game for Google's Android platform has drawn the ire of the Humane Society for its violent content that includes the ability to train, electrocute and fight virtual dogs. Kage Games' Dog Wars (not pictured) has even been frowned upon by former dogfighting enthusiast Michael Vick. More »

Wikileaks Reveals Al Qaeda Used Sega Cartridges For Explosives

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:40:00 EDT

Newly released documents from Wikileaks related to Guantánamo Bay prisoners have an unusual video game connection. According to the Department of Defense's assessment records for Guantánamo detainees Hassan Mohammed Ali Bin Attash and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed—who confessed to masterminding the 9/11 terrorist attacks—Al Qaeda once used Sega cartridges as explosives devices. More »

Hyper Violent School Shooter Mod Yanked From Mod Hosting Site

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:00:33 EDT

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The intentionally, unabashedly offensive School Shooter: North American Tour 2012, designed to be "the most realistic student slaughtering modification ever made," has lost support from its former host. ModDB, original host of the Half-Life 2 mod—and hundreds of other mods—has pulled School Shooter from its site. More »

A Video Game, Violence, And Depression Study That Looks At The Big Picture

Mike Fahey — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST

Over the past decade countless studies have arisen supposedly proving a causal link between video games, violent behavior, and depression. A new study conducted by Christopher J. Ferguson pinpoints why all of the others may have gotten it wrong. More »

No Regrets From The School Shooter Game That Aims For Columbine Massacre Simulation

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST

What kind of video game would proudly promote the option to wield Columbine shooter Eric Harris' TEC-9 and Virgina Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho's akimbo pistols while embarking on a murderous rampage? The unashamed School Shooter: North American Tour 2012, a new game mod "dedicated to being the best school shooting experience an angsty little shit could ever experience." More »

The Fatalities That Got Mortal Kombat 'Banned' In Australia

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:30:00 EST

The new Mortal Kombat won't be making the trip down under, now that Australia's governing body has effectively banned the gory fighter. Why does Australia object? And what new details on the game did it just reveal? More »

Games Might Not Desensitize Us To Violence After All

Mike Fahey — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:20:00 EST

The "video games desensitize children to violence" argument is a popular weapon in the arsenal of the anti-violent video game crowd. A new study finds violent games to have no effect on long-term emotional memory at all. More »

Lovers' Quarrel Ends With A Face Full Of Wii

Mike Fahey — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:20:00 EST

An Oregon couple discovered an unexpected benefit of being a Wii gamer earlier this week: When your drunken girlfriend hurls the console in your face, it does less damage than an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. More »

Arizona Shooter Pegged As 'Big Video Gamer' By Classmates

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:00:00 EST

Here we go. Jared Lee Loughner, the Tucson man accused of attempting to kill Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has been identified as a "big video gamer" by former classmates. Oh, and he really enjoyed reading Mein Kampf. More »

Dealing With Sex And Violence In Video Games

Mike Fahey — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST

In today's installment of Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Dracosummoner explores the controversial role of sex and violence in our video games. More »

Halo, A Backstreet Boy, A Naked Woman, And A Madman

Mike Fahey — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

Artist Tyler Shields brings together the Backstreet Boys' Aj McLean, Madmen's Michael Gladis, an attractive naked woman, and Halo in a twisted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and murder. Check out Shield's website for some NSFW stills from the shoot. More »

Lay Down Your Guns

Fraser Allison — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EDT

Writer Fraser Allison thinks a few games could be improved if they contained a little less shooting. We're reprinting the case here. Read on and see if you agree. More »

Six Flags Facebook Game Is Fun Until Someone Loses An Arm

Mike Fahey — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:20:00 EDT

With countless folk horror tales of theme park rides decapitating or removing the limbs of riders, you'd think Six Flags would have shied away from promoting over-the-top, blood-spurting violence in their new Facebook game, Six Flags Mascot Park. More »

Finally, M.I.A. Offers Her Thoughts On Video Game Violence

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EDT

Musical artist, apparent Sonic the Hedgehog aficionado and one of Time magazine's "World's Most Influential People" M.I.A. answers a long burning question—what does the woman known as M.I.A. think of video game violence? More »

Chimpanzees Take Us Beyond Good And Evil

Mike Fahey — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:20:00 EDT

Annexing territory, sending out scouting groups, beating enemies to death, and eating babies. It may sound like a plot to a particularly violent video game, but it's really just chimpanzees, giving us some serious insight into human nature. More »

Death and Ethical Violence

Daniel Carbone — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EDT

It is no secret that much of the world sees our beloved hobby as a nothing but juvenile, ultra-violent, and ultimately irresponsible. Some have gone so far as to coin the term "murder simulators" for first person shooters and titles like Grand Theft Auto. More »

U.S. Supreme Court to Review Game Ratings Law

Brian Crecente — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:47:03 EDT

The legality of a state regulating the sale and rental of violent video games to minors will be decided finally by the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices decided today. More »

The Real Consequences of War Fought Virtually

Owen Good — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EDT

The blowup this week over gun-camera footage showing an Army operation raised comparisons to "video game-like" behavior by the men pulling the triggers. NPR's "On the Media" looked at this controversy and the relationships among games, tactics and weapons systems. More »

U.S. Army Accused Of 'Video Game'-Like Behavior In Disturbing Leaked Iraq War Video

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EDT

Investigative organization WikiLeaks released classified U.S. military video today showing the killing of more than a dozen Iraqis, including two Reuters employees, with a spokesperson for the whistle-blower group slamming the soldiers involved for their "video game" like behavior. More »

This Nintendo Game Supports Decapitation, Crucifixion, Immolation

Brian Crecente — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EDT

I think we should be prepared for all sorts of evil, player-created games when WarioWare D.I.Y. hits North America this weekend. More »

Ron Jeremy: Sex, Not Violence, Is Beautiful and Natural

Ron Jeremy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

At the CES show in Las Vegas in January, I was debating Craig Gross, a pastor at the XXX Church, about the merits of porn. More »

Digital Decapitations A Primal Release, Creator Says

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:47 EST

"I've always been a non-violent person," Tim Jones told me last week as we chatted in a subterranean nightclub in Manhattan. He's a "peace and love" kind of guy and designer of a new video game featuring spine-dangling decapitations. More »

Charge: Gamers Not Honest About Their Defense Of Violent Games

Stephen Totilo — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:00:41 EST

In our continued efforts to see both sides of the argument in Australia and elsewhere about the extreme content of some games we find this letter to the editor that says that many violent game defenders are being disingenuous. More »

Italian Teen Stabs Father Over FIFA 2009

Mike Fahey — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:40:00 EST

An Italian man giving video game advice to his son Sunday evening was repaid with a 15-inch kitchen knife to the neck. More »

Heavy Rain's ESRB Rating Spoils Everything

Mike Fahey — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

The ESRB has given Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain an M for Mature rating, explaining the game's drug use, violence, horror, and sexual situations in ridiculous detail. Needless to say, spoilers ahead. More »

Sex, Drugs, But No Violence: A Porn Game With A Message?

Brian Crecente — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST

Video game developer Andrew Hall makes no bones about his lifestyle or the game he helped make that revels in it. More »

One Developer's Reaction To A Graphic Aliens Vs Predator Screenshot

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:01 EST

Yesterday Kotaku ran a graphic screenshot from the upcoming Aliens Vs. Predator game. Past the old arguments about whether gaming violence is imitated emerged a conversation about aesthetics, taste and limits. All sides made strong points. One developer e-mailed me. More »

Dad Kills Son Over Missing Video Game

AJ Glasser — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:30:00 EDT

Houstonian Ofelio Antonio Otero, 40, allegedly shot and killed his 17-year-old son yesterday morning after arguing with him about a missing video game. More »

The Awards We Don't Give

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:00:05 EDT

This is the second in a series of posts labeled "Hindsight" that discuss games you may have thought we were done writing about. Last time: Godfather II The Game. This time: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. More »

Buddhist Monk: Games Satiate My Desire for Aggression

Owen Good — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Trinley Dorje (pictured) is a pretty hip guy. Like many 24-year-olds, he's into popular music and video games. He's also the Karmapa Lama - the only senior Buddhist leader recognized by the governments of China, India and Tibet. More »

Swords & Soldiers Micro-Review: Violence Included

Stephen Totilo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:40 EDT

WiiWare had been hurting for games about killing. But the originators of de Blob have released a cartoon-violent battle between Vikings, Aztecs and ninja monkeys to more than compensate. More »

Columbine Author on Winnenden Shooting

Jeff Kass — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Almost ten years ago, I was on the grass at Clement Park adjacent Columbine High School covering what would become the world's most iconic school shooting. More »

French Boy Stabs Sister Over Nintendo DS [Update]

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:30:00 EST

A five year-old boy in the French town of Uckange has stabbed his ten year-old sister with a kitchen knife following an argument over a Nintendo DS, Le Post reports. More »