Soldier of Fortune "Non-Violent" Version
Violence in first person shooters has always been a hot-button issue for the gaming industry, especially in light of events such as Columbine.  Nevertheless, I just don't understand why a publisher such as Activision decides to put out two different SKUs of a game like Raven's gritty Soldier of Fortune – one being the "violent" version and the other a more "toned down" release.   I guess there's some merit in the fact that Activision wants the game to be playable with and without blood and gore, but a more fundamental question is on the table:  Since the game is about gunning down enemies, does it really matter if blood spurts out of the carcass?  If you're going to play a game where you walk around with a military riffle and shoot enemies, I see little appeal to a "low violence" version of the game.  The essence of the gameplay is still there, blood or not..

In reality, the violent/non-violent versions of games such as Soldier of Fortune are often produced because of a marketing concern.  First, publishers want to make sure the game in available in as many retailers as possible (stores like WalMart won't stock excessively violent games), and secondly because by producing two versions of the game, the violence is glorified.  It may seem like a counter-intuitive argument, but with two versions (in different color boxes no less), the violent content is highlighted – Just as is the case with compact discs that highlight "EXPLICIT LYRICS."  It's a draw to the excessive content just as much as it is a deterrent.    Therefore, why not let a game stand on its own void of any censorship?  An in-game censorship option might be fine, but I find it simply inane that a publisher feels the need to produce two different versions of the same game.  After all, the core game mechanic of shooting enemies is the same in both versions of the game.

  Next, I discuss multiplatform multiplayer  >>>

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