Hatred is supposed appeared to be a dark and gritty game that puts players in the role of “The Antagonist” as he embarks on a personal genocide. However, all the attention was about its controversial contented while it fails at any point to offer anything worth calling it a game. The entire point of this title was just the developers need for attention by adding fuel to a controversy that has been dead since the mid 2000’s.
It could have been a unique and ground breaking experience had it been released anytime from 1999 – 2004. Back in the day; video games were either part of a niche culture or seen as child’s play. To appeal to a more adult audience; titles like Mortal Kombat, Doom and Grand Theft Auto explored more mature content while pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable. At the same time; many developers took great joy in sticking it to anti-video game activists like Jack Thompson.
As times passes and video games become part of pop-culture, the industry reforms its image to become more austere. Memorable video games are expected to either have a thought-provoking story with multi-layered characters, a multiplayer experience, or a challenging experience that stimulates the player. Meanwhile, games that once pushed the boundaries are either focused on story development or they just disappear.
Games that are known for their shock value are now less about pushing the boundaries and more of a gimmick to get attention. Last month another unknown game developer caused controversy by releasing Kill The F****t, a light-gun shooter that has players kill anyone who is LGBT. However this one hit wonder only lasted two hours on Steam before being removed.
Another game that is about shock and no content is Gynophobia, a horror-survival that feels like it was developed just to pander the #GamerGate fringe groups. Outside the Steam community there have been titles like Angry Trayvon and Bomb Gaza. Oh and how could anyone forget JFK: Reloaded, a shooter that allows players to recreate the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Destructive Creations may have gotten the attention of the gaming world but this 15 minutes of fame will come at the cost of their reputation. As with people; a gimmick like this will get them notice but people won’t have any respect for them.
