TITLE
Nintendo’s Looser Stance on Violence Means a Bloody Mortal Kombat II
AUTHOR
Denise Gellene
PUBLICATION
Los Angeles Times
YEAR
1994
ARTICLE TYPE
Article
FROM THE ARTICLE
Taking a stand against excessive violence last fall, video game maker Nintendo of America brought out a toned-down version of the popular Mortal Kombat arcade game that did not depict bloodied or dismembered characters.What a difference a year makes.
Mortal Kombat II, the sequel, arrives in stores today with “fatality moves” that allow players to slice and dice opponents. Though an industrywide rating system isn’t yet in effect, Nintendo has assigned the game the equivalent of an R movie rating: The package bears a warning that the martial arts game may not be suitable for players under 17.
Nintendo said it changed its stance toward game violence because its customers didn’t want the game maker to play Big Brother.
COMPANIES MENTIONED
Nintendo
GAMES MENTIONED
Mortal Kombat II
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Perrin Kaplan
Alfred Tobia Jr.
TOPICS MENTIONED
Violence
PRINT AVAILABILITY
September 9, 1994