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    The business of blood: 11 violent video games

    Airport massacres, button-mashing fatalities and gratuitous reenactments: Business is booming for violent video games. Here are 11 that offer violence as entertainment.

  • bulletstorm_game
    Bulletstorm (2011): Beyond it's over-the-top profanity and grisly violence, Bulletstorm had a unique "skill-shot" system which rewards "creative" kills -- like shooting your enemy in the genitals.
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    Electronic Arts
  • carmageddon
    Carmageddon (1997): Insipred by the 1975 cult classic movie Death Race 2000, this "vehicular combat" game rewarded players with bonus points for mowing down pedestrians.
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    SCi/Interplay
  • gta_vice_city
    Grand Theft Auto (series): Controversial but also critically acclaimed, GTA let gamers play the criminal, which often meant killing, stealing or even street-racing their way to the top. Pictured: GTA: Vice City (2002)
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    Rockstar Games
  • manhunt_game
    Manhunt (2003): Though well received by gaming critics, the stealth-based horror game is considered by some to be the most violent video game of all time and was banned in several countries.
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    Rockstar Games
  • modern_warfare_2
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009): First-person shooters are by definition violent, but Modern Warfare 2 upped the ante with its Russian airport massacre level.
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    Activision
  • columbine_massacre_rpg
    Super Columbine Massacre RPG! (2005): The game allows players to assume the roles of gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold during their infamous 1999 school shooting. Mired in controversy, it would inspire V-Tech Rampage which was released in 2007.
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    Danny Ledonne
  • postal_2
    Postal (series): Another title banned in multiple countries, Postal had little backstory but tons of violence. Players completed each level by slaughtering a certain number of "hostiles." Pictured: Postal 2 (2003)
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    Whiptail Interactive
  • madworld_game
    MadWorld (2009): This game proved that the Nintendo Wii wasn't just a family console. For it's gratuitous blood and over-the-top violence, the game was banned in Germany.
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    Sega
  • god_of_war_2
    God of War (series): The critically acclaimed series is known for its ruthless weapons, gory kills and violent cutscenes. Pictured: God of War II (2007)
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    Sony Computer Entertainment
  • mortal_kombat_game
    Mortal Kombat (1992): The classic fighting game known for its extreme violence, most notably, its Fatalities -- special finishing moves that were so gratuitous, they played a part in the creation of the ESRB.
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    Midway Games
  • soldier_of_fortune
    Soldier of Fortune (2000): The game's model engine, GHOUL, was the first to enable players to not just kill enemies but dismember them, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
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    Activision
  • Published
    11 Images

    The business of blood: 11 violent video games

    Airport massacres, button-mashing fatalities and gratuitous reenactments: Business is booming for violent video games. Here are 11 that offer violence as entertainment.

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  • The business of blood: 11 violent video games
  • bulletstorm_game
  • carmageddon
  • gta_vice_city
  • manhunt_game
  • modern_warfare_2
  • columbine_massacre_rpg
  • postal_2
  • madworld_game
  • god_of_war_2
  • mortal_kombat_game
  • soldier_of_fortune