Cliff Bleszinski says "GoW violence is Slapstick"

Lead Designer Cliff Bleszinski recently spoke with BBC on video game violence. During the interview he basically stated that gamers should laugh when they blow the heads off enemies, it's not supposed to be taken seriously and create an uproar, it's being completely misunderstood and is causing more drama than necessary.

“When we create our games we use a slapstick type of violence, we poke each other in the eyes and hit each other with frying pans like the old Warner Brothers cartoons. It’s funny because the industry sometimes comes under fire from watchdog groups with regard to this sort of violence," he continued. "But we always believe that when we first see this muscular space marine beating down a lizard man and heads explode with water melon guts spewing out of them, you’re morally inclined to smile and giggle rather than be revolted." He said.

Later when asked how much was too much, he stated that when it doesn't follow the games or your 'moral compass'. In other words, when your doing more blood than necessary, keep in mind; is it too much?

“We have an internal moral compass where we will decide, ‘No that’s a little bit too much,’ or we need to cut the violence back a little bit," he said. "So there [are] still ways of showing violence to an affecting user without showing too much. The majority of what we implement into the game we do for feedback and interactivity, not because we’re strange sadistic people who want to see how much blood we can put on the screen when you shoot one of the lizard creatures."

Hot off the heels of the Supreme Court case he also added, "We do it to let the player know you did in fact succeed, that you are hitting a target and you need that kind of feedback in order to create what is a successful interactive experience.”

Sounds like a realistic hit marker to me. The media and parents need to stop getting worried about kids thinking this is reality, and by seeing virtual blood; their not going to become blood thirsty... besides if they did it'd only help them grow a stronger stomach, which means a better chance at being a doctor. (That's a joke) But seriously, the gaming industry is a fun industry, not a realistic, soldier training one.

Uhhhh.......really?

I kinda do... I mean, look at some of the deaths? Watermelon like exploding heads, chainsaws ripping someone in half in almost a second spraying blood everywhere and on the screen.

Yeah but the setting and tone make the whole game seem dark and gritty, you dont expect to find comedy in it, so you wont think its meant to be comedy!

I think what they meant by slap stick, is you couldn't do it in real life, which is funny. IE, slap stick humor usually consists of ridiculous pranks upon someone that would, in reality, hospitalize them; see "The Three Stooges". So in Gears, I'd imagine Cliff means some of the deaths, like sawing through someone is more of like something to go "Wow, like that'll ever happen!" Rather than, "...Is that possible?"

So its like a pie fight in the middle of a war zone, but the pies are filled with blood and pure liquid manliness?

Exactly. Except the pies look like Chainsaw bayonets and stuff...

Mmmm...Chainsaw Pies....Those are my favorites!