Gore Games: An Examination of Gibbing and Human Disposability

From pixelated blood spatters of yesteryear to photorealistic dismemberment in modern games, gore has always been a controversial but undeniable element of video game design. But what does it all mean? This essay explores the history of "gibbing", the shift from simple gore to a reflection on human disposability in games like Slitterhead and Prototype, and the unsettling question: are humans just meat?

Boomer Shooters and the Rise of Gore

The popularity of the term paralleled the popularity of what we now call “boomer shooters.”

In 1996, the term explodes onto the scene alongside the release of id's Quake, quickly gaining traction in online forums and magazines. In June of 1996, the video Game magazine Maximum explained in parentheticals that gibbed meant “exploded into bloody chunks.” The first public use the speaker could find was from the same month, when a user on a Quake forum declared that they had killed God: “Gibbed that motherfucker clean.”

While magazines dropped the phrase from their vocabulary by 2005 or so, the first-person shooter boom was far from over. The gore has become much more enhanced and realistic, and anatomical, to the point that video games are trying to disturb or disgust. A prime example is the gore in Gears of War. Instead of cartoonish blood fountains and Chunky explosions, the camera focuses on realistic, detailed depictions of dismemberment. There’s been an overall change, going from, “that was hilarious” to, “oh god I’m looking at a cross-section of his face”

Humans are Meat: A Terry Bisson Story

The Narrator makes several references to the short story by Terry Bisson, They’re Made of Meat to discuss different views on meat . This story provides the underlying message of what makes things think they way they do. Humans, with all their thinking capacity, might actually just be made out of meat. This is a huge part of the games, but to have the right perspective can help bring the viewers closer. So with all of the research done, we come to the underlying answer that many Seek: What is gib.

To all the meat that are reading this, this is what is gib, now how will you handle knowing this. Some seek to know all there is to know, so what are you going to do with this power of yours, will it push you to be your best or will it lead you down a dark path. Either way the power is in your hands and no other and that is all that matters.

The Art of Fighting

Mastering the fight mechanics is key to excelling in the game, especially when dealing with the Slitterheads. Knowing the intricacies of every mechanic can help you learn so much. This is to make you a stronger gamer and person.

• Learn to jump, this is going to be an important one
• Look to use range attacks, this way you can be the most efficient and have less of a chance of taking damage.

Surviving in the World

The game also asks of you to survive the world, but how should we do that. With these simple steps I know you will become a survivor:

• Collect new Masks (Masks are the heart of each human in the game, look to maintain them)
• Explore every part of the Map, you never know what you can find

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