Video Game Gore: Exploring the Evolution and Cultural Impact

Video game gore has been a controversial and fascinating topic since the dawn of the industry. From the pixelated explosions of early first-person shooters to the hyper-realistic dismemberment of modern titles, gore has pushed boundaries and sparked debates about its impact on players and culture. This essay explores the evolution, cultural significance, and artistic considerations surrounding video game gore, inviting you to consider its role beyond mere shock value.

What is 'Gibbing'?

Before modern gaming's complex rendering of blood and guts, there was 'gibbing'.

Depending on your age and exposure to LAN parties, you might not even be familiar with this term. In the 1990s, 'gibbing' was ubiquitous. It referred to the act of turning an enemy into a collection of gory parts – giblets – as a result of extreme violence in a first-person shooter (FPS). Games like Doom, Quake, and Shadow Warrior made this a celebrated element.

To be 'gibbed' was to be reduced from a recognizable form to a collection of fleshy chunks and bloody remains. This became a defining characteristic of the boomer shooter genre, characterized by fast-paced action and over-the-top violence. While it might seem shocking today, this level of gore was part of the appeal, separating these games from less intense titles and establishing a distinct visual identity. The WORD, 'gib', did exist before, describing fish, metal components, and in some cases, castration. But 'gibbing' in gaming was a cultural event.

The Word's Roots: From Fish to Castration

The term 'gibbed' has a surprisingly diverse history. Before the advent of FPS games, 'gib' referred to various things. Sometimes it meant a metal piece in machinery. Other times it was a way of preparing a fish, especially a herring. In certain contexts, it even meant 'castrated', as noted in Hunter S. Thompson's book, Songs of the Doomed, with the line, 'These people have no balls… they've been gibbed – like cats'.

However, the video Game usage doesn't derive from any of those directly. Its origin can be traced back to the gizzard, heart and liver, the internal organs of a bird, often referred to as giblets, and, of Course, to Adrian Carmack, an artist and co-founder of id Software. In Doom, the original 1993 megahit, dealing high damage with powerful weapons like rockets would trigger a different, more explosive death animation, resulting in the enemy 'gibbing.' Id Software's Adrian Carmack termed this special type of gory death “Gibbing” and the term exploded in popularity from there.

The End of an Era, or a New Beginning?

The popularity of 'gibbing' and boomer shooters created a shift in gaming, normalizing graphic violence and contributing to the creation of the ESRB rating system. Though the term is less common now, its legacy lives on in modern games and continues to impact the artistic choices developers make. The 1990's were a wild ride, but the party had to end. In the late 90's and early 2000's the popularity of FPS games started to decline, and so did the term 'gibbing', but as we all know things die just to be reborn.

Mechanics and Morality

Beyond artistic value, gore mechanics have implications for gameplay. The Prototype approach makes you question the value of the game world, but what happens when you remove any moral consequence? Slitterhead does exactly that. Its world is one of the more interesting artistic creations but its moral and narrative direction remains a mystery, which leads to the interesting question: Is this what players really want? Without context, is the artistry worth it? Some players would argue 'yes', others, 'no'. It will be interesting to see the Consensus when it releases.

Redefining the Human Form: Is there true life on the other side?

The grotesque enemies and art direction in Slitterhead, though seemingly gratuitous, actually Present interesting themes when compared to Humanity and Prototype. Even though the gore can be shocking, are these more accurate reflections of our relationships to each other than Humanity's mindless trust? All of this is what makes for an engaging experience.