VIOLENCE IN GAMES: CARMAGEDDON (1997)

     When the fifth generation of gaming consoles hit the market, the 1994 console release Playstation 1 promised better graphics, better game play and far greater immersion. In most cases, the Playstation proved successful, but it was soon apparent that this creative freedom could be utilized for something different that had never been done before - realistic violence.

CARMAGEDDON - VIOLENT GAMEPLAY

      I personally remember opening up a gaming magazine to read in depth about SCI's new IP, Carmageddon - what Mail Online calls; 

"The most controversial game of all time". 

It seemed fun and fresh, but at such a young age, it actually disturbed me, because Camageddon's concept and game play revolved entirely around one thing - murder by reckless driving. Instantly  this gives off all kinds of wrong messages to children, and considering it was my first look at violence in anything, It's safe to say it had a negative impact on me.

    Here's the premise - players race against other opponents whilst battling against a timer. The only way to beat the timer, is to run over pedestrians violently to earn time bonuses. The ability to commit such mindless violent acts is no surprise when you consider the Vikings and various other cultures did the exact same thing ages ago, but regardless, controversy stuck hard considering the new platform and potentially exposed audience.

  In a culture where murder is illegal, the death penalty is banished and pretty much any negative action is looked down upon, Armageddon was an in your face reminder that this type of violence isn't welcome anymore (unlike in the Roman rule). Along with this dismissal and controversy over this extremely graphic virtual violence, the platform posed issues also - children could join in on the violence (virtual violence of course). But considering I was effected greatly by it (I cried), it's easy to see how such easy exposure to violence is controversial, raising many questions as to where and what games should be and go. In fact, this game was so violent for the time, it was the first game to be refused an ERSB rating - it was too violent.

    Carmageddon was one of the first real controversies in gaming, as this experience was a more immersive than it's arcade counterparts such as Death Race (similar concept), as they were just concepts backed by 8-bit graphics, Carmageddon was a concept executed through fully 3D models of violence - violence which dominated the entire screen and game. It was seen as 'entertainment' to commit such blind acts of virtual violence. It not only spread the message that violence was entertaining and rewarding, but it glorified it and promoted reckless driving to potential innocent children. The latter point is the key point in this controversy, and still is today.

SCI eventually re-cut the game, replacing "pedestrians with zombies" to justify the violence, but in an open statement, SCI admitted that "the violence and controversy was deliberately courted" - this says it all really.

     Now, there are many sides to this argument that exist even today. But Camrageddon was admittedly one of those games that went to far too soon. What I find interesting about this game however, is it's sheer contrast (and similarities) to the previous research I have carried out. Carmageddon was a game that used violence for no other reason than to have violence. And when children could be exposed to such things and a culture that is radically different that for example, the Roman Empire, you have a game that allowed people to commit acts of violence with no punishment, only reward. This is the difference between then and now. Back in ancient times, violence may have been more common in society as a whole, but when used for entertainment, it was mostly controlled, usually backed by cultural praxis or military conflict. Here, it's mindless and dangerous.

From this point, if you take a look at Andrew's blog, you will see that this pattern in a revised modern society continue to make itself known, bringing along many controversial stories along with it. Games such as Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto stimulate the same arguments from different angles, and I think this is entirely down to the platform, modern society, and the use of violence in this accessible media.

                It's surprising to say, that even with this controversy that still makes itself known today, Camrageddon is actually being remade as a result of a die hard community kickstarter, again, spawning further controversy. Carmageddon was a lesson to all developers when it came to violence in games, but violence in games has never held back, the way it is used however, has changed.

NEXT POST: VIOLENCE IN GAMES: SOLIDER OF FORTUNE (2000)