The new Mortal Kombat game just recently came out, and the fatalities are more gorier and funner then ever. I recently watched a video when older people compared the game the Saw series. It got me thinking if Mortal Kombat should be considered torture porn because of the intense violence. While we obviously get enjoyment form these fatalities, is the same enjoyment we get form torture porn; if your in to that kind of thing?
What exactly is torture porn? Because that has different connotations in my head than I think you mean. I think maybe instead of using that particular phrasing it could be useful to examine fascination with violence/escalation of violence in games as sort of a cultural look over the Mortal Kombat franchise even. I'm not familiar with it at all, to be honest, but from my outside perspective it feels like you might be limiting yourself. – Helen Parshall9 years ago
Could it be considered a new version of torture entertainment? If we take porn to mean something aesthetic (as controversial as that is) , meaning that it is a passive activity of watching as compared to mortal kombat which is active and engaging it may come out that MKX is "the next step" in defining torture entertainment of which torture porn would be a part. It is a broad subject and one deserving of attention – DClarke9 years ago
With all video games hooked into the internet and social media, what is more enjoyable: the story of the game and the personal experience of the gamer, or the pressure to achieve trophies and on-line notoriety. How is this trend impacting games and gamers?
For Story is for non-competitive gamers, while Trophies are for competitive gamers, I feel – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
To whoever picks this one up: the two don't have to be in opposition. Both are parts of a gaming experience that are designed to keep you playing the game. The feeling of annihilating an immortal being in God of War and getting a coveted badge in Call of Duty both make you feel -- for the lack of a better word -- like a badass. Or take a look at some other story driven games. In Portal 2, there's are achievements for completing alternate tasks that lead to a new "ending". It's a trophy given for your actions in completing the story. The two should always be viewed synchronously. – Austin9 years ago
Wizards of the Coast have not been pumping out officially licensed 5e campaign content fast enough to satiate hungry tabletop gamers. D&D fans have been flexing their creative muscles and have been Kickstarting their own micro campaigns and one-off encounters on the cheap. Not only are these campaigns meeting goals, they are being rapidly released in digital formats – and they've come with WotC's unofficial blessing (well, as long as no copyright is infringed upon).
Months on from the firestorm, has the video game system changed for the better or worse? Can it be changed over the next few months?
It would be good to also inspect whether GG had any ACTUAL impact on the industry. Whether there is any truth behind "Ethics", the conduct of those working under the GG banner was criminal. So has the industry changed? Is there now greater attention on the hate directed at women, not just in games, but in Technology in general? – carboncopyben9 years ago
Why can people be hooked and drawn into a game to the point at which the lines between reality and virtual reality blur? What causes some people to lose themselves inside of a virtual universe?
There are some documentary about players who are addicted to World of Warcraft. You would broadly be able to look for some of them on Youtube. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer series has been a sure-fire hit, but does the segment talk down to gamers? Is the mix of gameplay or comedy a blessing or curse for the industry's pop-cultural impact?
What are some of the best video game franchises of all time? How have/do Call of Duty, Halo, Super Mario etc. jump between consoles to keep up with demand? Have said major franchises grown or shriveled over time?
This topic is hugely broad. I think this would be an interesting article to have as a sort of mini-series type thing, one in which the author might take a series per article and release an article per week, or something of the short. It'd definitely an interesting sort of thing that hasn't had too much attention on the platform. In the case whoever picks this up doesn't want to do it as a mini-series, that's cool too. I think going beyond just stating facts that can be researched, something analytical should be included as well (common trends, philosophy behind adjustments of lack thereof, etc.) Should be an interesting read. – Austin9 years ago
I think this could be narrowed to talk only about games ported to different consoles throughout the years. Chrono Trigger is a huge one. – Kristian Wilson9 years ago
You could discuss different strategies and techniques on how to conquer the world in the game of risk, all the different ways the game could be played, and even share some rules and regulations most people may not know about the game.
Thought I'd mention that if the author has any experience on other strategy games of the sort (Civ, Diplomacy, Axis an Allies, etc.), I think it'd be interesting to mention those as well and maybe discuss the history, appeal, and development of these kinds of games as a whole. – Austin9 years ago
Would be interesting to also discuss the game cultural impact in relation to fanbase and genre compared to some of the biggest games of its type. – Thomas Munday9 years ago
