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Disney wants to examine video game violence

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Mickey and Mallory

The blame thrower has been on full auto in the past couple of weeks, when it comes to the topic of how violence and guns are portrayed in the media. On one hand, you have lobbyists campaigning to remove the sale of high powered assault rifles and automatic guns from store shelves, while on hand two, you have pro-gun lobbyists arguing that the gun is good, the gun is good! Still, both sides have something to say, and someone to blame at the end of the day. And with video games once again in those cross-hairs, the industry itself is also taking a look at how it represents itself. A move that has the house of mouse wanting to clean up its own image.

While it’s pretty much the most sobering drinking game on the planet, finding violence in a Disney game is harder than finding  Wally. Speaking at a Q&A at the HRTS Newsmakers Luncheon that Games Industry picked up on, Disney chairman and chief executive officer Robert Iger said that the company would be examining future video game violence in its upcoming titles.

At Disney there’s very little [violent content], but I still want to make sure we’re asking ourselves the right questions in terms of that standard and also [ensure] we’re willing to be a part of a dialogue in today’s world that I think is pretty necessary in terms of what our role is and what our role should be.

Iger also said that Disney would "take stock in everything we’ve got that can be considered near the line or over the line", but he didn’t mention how exactly this would be achieved. While it’s easy to laugh at the idea of Disney wanting to keep such iconic properties such as Mickey Mouse and Tron blood-free, one also has to remember that they happen to own more than just cartoon characters in white gloves these days. You know, characters such as the incredible Hulk, Iron Man and an entire galaxy of Star Wars. That’s a few universes that will also be under examination in the future, ones in which light saber disarming moves and thunder-hammers have a major impact.

I’m not saying that you have to have violence in a game to make it worthwhile, but painting everything in rainbow and gumdrop colours may have a negative effect on more mature franchises at the end of the day.

Last Updated: January 28, 2013

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