Controversial Games in Recent Times

Controversies and video games go hand in hand. Over the years video games have constantly been blamed for a multitude of things some of which are as drastic as murder. A while back we had spoken about the Most Controversial Games ever made but that list was made way back in 2006. Today a new crop of so called controversial games has emerged and here’s a look at some of them.

Mad World

In Mad World you’re a contestant taking part in an extremely violent reality show where your aim is to finish off your opponents in highly gruesome ways. Had the game released on the Xbox360 or the PS3, it wouldn’t have been an issue but the controversy arose from the fact that it was being released on Nintendo’s family friendly console, the Wii. Being hailed as the “Most Violent Wii Game ever”, Britain’s local newspaper the Daily Mail claimed Mad World’s concept had “horrified” parents who associated Nintendo’s console with Wii sports, Wii fit and other such mellow stuff. At the end of the day the game released in all its violent glory but didn’t end up selling too well.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Ok where do I begin? For starters the game irked the PC community no end when Activision announced axing of Dedicated Servers and then people across all platforms got irritated by its high pricing. But I think the final (and the more mainstream blow) came when people realized that within the game lay a mission that allowed you to play as a terrorist in an airport. The net imploded in an outcry but that didn’t really make any difference to Activision’s life who’ve made enough money to buy out certain countries.

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2’s controversy stemmed from the fact that the game was basically announced barely a year after the original leaving PC gamers wondering if Valve would even support the first game. Seeing the awesome treatment Valve was dishing out for Team Fortress 2, L4D owners expected a similar treatment for their beloved game, mainly because the campaign itself was painfully short. This lead to the creation of a 'BoycottLeft 4 Dead 2 group' on Steam that now sits at around 35,000 members. This movement did work in their favor at the end of the day with Valve releasing a bunch of free, stand-alone maps for L4D.