Controversies surrounding Mortal Kombat

Last updated
Noob Saibot performing his notorious "Make-A-Wish" Fatality on Jade in Mortal Kombat (2011). This installment's more realistic 3D graphics, and Mortal Kombat's renewed popularity, brought the series back into the center of the controversy spotlight after years of relative obscurity and being overshadowed by other violent games, such as Grand Theft Auto. Mortal Kombat violence 2011.png
Noob Saibot performing his notorious "Make-A-Wish" Fatality on Jade in Mortal Kombat (2011). This installment's more realistic 3D graphics, and Mortal Kombat's renewed popularity, brought the series back into the center of the controversy spotlight after years of relative obscurity and being overshadowed by other violent games, such as Grand Theft Auto .

The Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, has been the subject of various controversies since its creation in 1992. In particular, Mortal Kombat has often been criticised from a broad spectrum of politicians and other critics for its unrestrained use of graphic and bloody violence, both in the game's regular combat scenes and its Fatalities—finishing moves which allow the player to kill or otherwise maim the defeated opponents.

Contents

The violent nature of the series, one of the earliest of its kind, has led to the creation and continued presence of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994, and other ratings boards for video games. Various Mortal Kombat games have been censored or banned in several countries, and the franchise was the subject of several court cases. In Germany, many Mortal Kombat games were indexed or banned. Mortal Kombat (2011) is also banned in South Korea, and was banned in Australia until February 2013, while Mortal Kombat 11 is banned in Indonesia, Japan, Mainland China, and Ukraine. [6] [7]

Controversies and censorship

In the past year, some very violent and offensive games have reached the mark, and of course I'm speaking about Mortal Kombat and Night Trap .

Nintendo of America vice president Howard Lincoln, testifying before the U.S. Congress on the video game violence controversy in 1993 [8]

The Mortal Kombat series, particularly its "Fatalities", was a source of major controversy in at the time of its release. [note 1] A moral panic over the series, fueled by outrage from the mass media, [10] resulted in a Congressional hearing and helped to pave the way for the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) game rating system. [11] [12] [13] In 2010, Mortal Kombat co-creator and long-time producer Ed Boon revealed that he had actually sympathized with much of the outrage and admitted, "I wouldn't want my ten-year-old kid playing a game like that." [14]

1993 congressional hearing and response

On a couple of occasions there have been cheats which opened up taboo content and caused concern amongst the devout followers of Mary Whitehouse. Mortal Kombat had bloody violence as a standard feature in the arcades, but when it came home the ketchup needed to be activated with a code. Every version had this feature, with the exception of the versions on Nintendo's consoles due to content guidelines. Mortal Kombat became one of the key games leading to the 1993 US Senate hearings on videogame violence, which led to the creation of the ESRB. While Nintendo had proudly trumpeted its less violent Mortal Kombat, the lure of the dollar was too much and Mortal Kombat II was released with blood on all formats.

"Sex and violence", Retro Gamer [15]

During the U.S. Congressional hearing on video game violence, Democratic Party Senator Herb Kohl, working with Senator Joe Lieberman, attempted to illustrate why government regulation of video games was needed by showing clips from 1992's Mortal Kombat and Night Trap (another game featuring digitized actors). [8] Brought in as an expert, Professor Eugene F. Provenzo commented that such games "have almost TV-quality graphics [but] are overwhelmingly violent, sexist and racist." [16] Nintendo, which had a policy of screening games for content like blood, had refused to allow gore in Mortal Kombat's release for their home system. [17] Meanwhile, their rival, Sega, released the game with their MA-13 rating, resulting in a great commercial success for them when millions of consumers chose their version over Nintendo's. [18] Nintendo's representatives attempted to use that fact to attack Sega during the hearings. [note 2]

In response to these developments, Sega's Spanish division cancelled the release of their version of Mortal Kombat in Spain, fearing the game would stir up as much controversy there as it had in the United States and the United Kingdom. [19] Lieberman had been one of the first politicians to voice concerns over Mortal Kombat in 1993, and continued to be one of the most avid critics of violent video games. He later referenced the series and DOOM in a 1996 statement, when he joined Kohl and the psychologist David Walsh in a campaign to inform Congress about the new wave of violent games such as Resident Evil . [20] Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias recalled having been "pretty pissed off" about that because of how he felt "the folks like Lieberman" have been "trivializing real problems with their video game nonsense." [21]

During the 2000s, however, the controversy surrounding the series had wound down significantly. In 2006, AP writer Lou Kesten wrote that while Lieberman had remained "one of the video game industry's most persistent critic[s,] Mortal Kombat is no longer the flashpoint of the game violence debate. Its brand of mano-a-mano brawling is seen as kind of old-fashioned today, now that the likes of Grand Theft Auto are serving up the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent civilians." [22] Time commented in 2012 that "the reason the 1992 classic remains seminal is because it broke an implicit taboo about what was okay to put in a game." [23]

Game ratings, bans and censorship

I think a lot of the attention the game got in regards to its violence came from people who never played the game and weren't really aware of the subject matter. They weren't looking at it as a player. They were looking at it as an outside observer who doesn't play the product. Even with games today, if someone who doesn't play a game is shown snippets of a game, their reaction is going to be different than actually sitting down and experiencing the game. If you look at it out of context, it's worse than it actually is.

Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias [24]

As with the first Mortal Kombat game, the extremely bloody content of Mortal Kombat II became the subject of a great deal of controversy regarding violent video games. Mortal Kombat II has been censored in its original release in Japan, where Nintendo insisted on changing the blood shown in the game from red to green, as well as making the screen turn black-and-white for all character-specific lethal Fatality moves. [25] [26] The backlash that Nintendo of America had received for their own similar censorship of the first Mortal Kombat, however, informed the company's future business practices, [note 3] and so the sequel and following games in the series were released by them uncensored.

In 2009, Mortal Kombat developer and publisher Midway Games was forced to tone down the Joker's finishing move to secure the ESRB T-rating for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe . [28] In 2010, Swiss Social Democrat politician Evi Allemann unsuccessfully campaigned to outlaw Mortal Kombat, Manhunt , and video games displaying interactive "cruel acts of violence" in Switzerland. [29]

The series' 2011 reboot game Mortal Kombat has been banned by law in a number of countries, including entirely in Australia [30] and South Korea, [31] The Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O'Connor, asked to be briefed on the decision, citing "public disquiet on the issue", [32] and the game was eventually allowed in the country in 2013 when the R18+ rating came into effect. [33]

Due to stated reason of the inconsistency of the game with the local legislations, [34] [35] the previously planned regional releases of 2019's Mortal Kombat 11 have been canceled in Indonesia, Japan, and Ukraine (in Ukraine because of laws banning Nazi and communist symbols, [36] in Indonesia because of laws regarding communist symbols, not including Axis symbols during World War II [37] ). [38] The game is also unavailable in Mainland China. [39]

Germany

In Germany, numerous titles in the series were added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People by the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors between 1994 and 2013 and some titles were even confiscated by the courts.

Games on this list may no longer be offered or sold to minors, and such titles may no longer be publicly advertised. [40] Games that have been confiscated may also no longer be sold to adults. [41]

  • Mortal Kombat (1992) was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in March 1994 and was confiscated in November 1994. It was removed from the list in March 2020. [42] [43]
  • Mortal Kombat II was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in September 1994 and was confiscated in February 1995. It was removed from the list in March 2020. [42] [43]
  • Mortal Kombat 3 was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in November 1995 and was confiscated in June 1997. It was removed from the list in August 2020. [44] [45]
  • Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in August 2000. It was removed from the list in September 2024. [44] [46]
  • Mortal Kombat Trilogy was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in February 1997. It was removed from the list in February 2022. [47]
  • Mortal Kombat 4 was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in July 1998. It was removed from the list in June 2023. [48] [49]
  • Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in July 1998. It was removed from the list in June 2023. [48] [49]
  • Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in April 2007. It was removed from the list in May 2023. [50] [51]
  • Mortal Kombat: Armageddon was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in January 2007. It was removed from the list in May 2023. [52] [53]
  • Mortal Kombat (2011) was added to the List of Media Harmful to Young People in May 2011 and was confiscated in January 2013. It was removed from the list in July 2024. [54] [55]

Mortal Kombat X was the first part of the series to receive an 18+ rating from the USK and was therefore allowed to be sold freely. [56]

Since 2020, several titles have been gradually removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People and the confiscations have been lifted.

On September 27, 2024, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, the last remaining title in the Mortal Kombat series, was removed from the List of Media Harmful to Young People. [57] [58]

Legislation

The Australian Senate had set up an inquiry in response to the original Mortal Kombat, Time Killers , and Night Trap, and the surrounding media coverage; the Senate's inquiry led to the Commonwealth Classification Act, which came into force on March 1, 1995, and introduced the Australian Classification Board. Almost exactly 18 years later, the Board finally banned the 2011 Mortal Kombat game for its "explicit depictions of dismemberment, decapitation, disembowelment and other brutal forms of slaughter." [59] The game's publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive, appealed, but the appeal was rejected. [60] However, following the introduction of an adults-only rating system in 2013, the ban was overturned in Australia and the game re-rated R18+ uncensored. [61]

In 1998, the Florida House of Representatives' Barry Silver sponsored a bill to regulate video game violence, which he stated "[has] affected the moral fiber of our youth." The bill's initial proponents included Florida's Democratic Governor, Lawton Chiles (who alleged that violent video games can become "an instruction manual for murder and mayhem" [62] ) and Florida State University Professor Murray Krantz, a specialist in child development. Eventually, the bill garnered support from more than 50 lawmakers and various groups ranging from the Florida Parent-Teacher Association to the Christian Coalition of America. After seeing a videotape of gameplay from one of the Mortal Kombat games, [note 4] the House Governmental Rules and Regulation Committee passed the bill unanimously. Opponents, such as the Interactive Digital Software Association's founder and president, Doug Lowenstein, regarded the bill as unconstitutional, violating the First Amendment's freedom of speech provision with potentially far-reaching consequences. [note 5]

In 2002, U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. decided that video games are not speech at all and thus do not deserve First Amendment protection. Limbaugh based his opinion in part on his review of four games including Mortal Kombat, misnamed in court documents as "Mortal Combat". [64]

In 2005, California passed a statewide ban on selling violent video games to minors, proposed and championed by former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, the ban was eventually struck down by a 7-2 vote in the Supreme Court case Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association in 2011. The court ruled that "video games qualify for First Amendment protection", making the ban unconstitutional. The justices' majority opinion declared: "Reading Dante is unquestionably more cultured and intellectually edifying than playing Mortal Kombat. But these cultural and intellectual differences are not constitutional ones. Crudely violent video games, tawdry TV shows, and cheap novels and magazines are no less forms of speech than The Divine Comedy , and restrictions upon them must survive strict scrutiny." [65] Justice Elena Kagan was quoted as calling Mortal Kombat "an iconic game, which I am sure half of the clerks who work for us spent considerable amounts of time in their adolescence playing." [66]

Mortal Kombat's advertisements received criticism as well. In 1993, Senator Lieberman, referencing one of Sega's television commercials for the game, [note 6] argued that the ad itself too promoted violence. [67] Some advertisements were subjected to censorship. The 2011 edition of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition awarded the Mortal Kombat series the world record for the earliest video game poster to be censored: "On April 22, 2003, Britain's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) took the then unprecedented step of condemning the poster campaign promoting Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance ." The ASA claimed that the poster, showing a hoodie with a bloodstained hand, was "irresponsible" and "condoned violence"; the poster was removed. [68] Blood on the Carpet , a TV commercial for 2005's Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks created by London-based company Maverick Media, [note 7] was also targeted by the ASA as "condoning and glorifying violence". [70]

Studies on video game violence

Real-life violence

In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, the subjects of DOOM and Mortal Kombat returned to Congressional hearings about the alleged impact on children. [79] United States President Bill Clinton stated that "video games like Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct , and DOOM, the very game played obsessively by the two young men who ended so many lives in Littleton, make our children more active participants in simulated violence." [80] Attorney Jack Thompson, a Christian conservative activist against sexual themes and violence in video games and other entertainment media, represented the families of three of the Columbine victims in unsuccessfully trying to sue the producers of DOOM and Mortal Kombat. [81] [note 8]

Some critics have alleged that the Mortal Kombat series influenced particular cases of real-life lethal violence other than the Columbine massacre:

Feminist and racial perspectives

Some critics have condemned the Mortal Kombat series as sexist and/or racist, especially regarding its many Asian characters. [108] Guy Aoki, the president of the advocacy group Media Action Network for Asian Americans, rebuked Mortal Kombat II in 1994 for allegedly perpetuating existing stereotypes of Asians as martial arts experts, with the game's portrayal of characters such as Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, and Sub-Zero. Allyne Mills, publicist for the game's publisher Acclaim Entertainment, answered: "This is a fantasy game, with all different characters. This is a martial arts game which comes from Asia. The game was not created to foster stereotypes." [109] [110] The characters' racial diversity and the inclusion of female characters were also criticized by the psychologists Patricia Marks Greenfield and Rodney R. Cocking in their 1996 book Interacting with Video, writing they "cannot assume that this greater diversity represents a more progressive identity politics, for one could argue that it merely increases the racist and sexist potential of the individual fights." [111] In 1995, critical studies professor Marsha Kinder denounced Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3 for allegedly allowing players to have what she termed "a misogynist aspect to the combat." [note 10] In a 1999 book titled From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, written by media scholars Justine Cassell and Henry Jenkins, the series was used to represent "the basic boy cyberworld of aggression, action and dead bodies." [113] Critics alleging the Mortal Kombat series being sexist and incompatible with women included liberal journalist Ellen Goodman, [note 11] among others. [note 12]

On the other hand, U.S. Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner considered Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to be "a feminist violent video game". Finding that Indianapolis' attempt to ban Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 violated the First Amendment, Judge Posner wrote "the game is feminist in depicting a woman as fully capable of holding her own in violent combat with heavily armed men. It thus has a message, even an 'ideology' just as books and movies do." Judge Posner further marveled that "the woman wins all the duels. She is as strong as the men, she is more skillful, more determined, and she does not flinch at the sight of blood." [117]

Harm to game developers

In 2019, a developer of Mortal Kombat 11 was rumored to have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after spending a long time working with the violent visuals used in the video game, with a worker avoiding sleeping due to having violent dreams during sleeps. The development company was also criticized for lacking formal process, standard procedure, or guidance available for workers who needed to step back from the violent content, or felt such work had begun to negatively affect them. [118]

The studio was also accused of instituting "crunch culture", with employees regularly working 80 to 100 hours a week to meet submission deadlines. [119]

Court cases

Daniel Pesina v. Midway Manufacturing Co.

In 1996, actor Daniel Pesina (who had portrayed Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Smoke and Noob Saibot in the first two games) sued Midway Games, Williams Electronics Games, Acclaim Entertainment, Nintendo, and Sega. He alleged "that all defendants used his persona, name, and likeness without authorization in the home version of Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II and the related products." The case was tried in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois with Judge Elaine E. Bucklo presiding. The court concluded that "alleged use of martial artist's name, likeness or persona in a martial arts video game did not violate his common-law right of publicity." [120]

Philip Ahn, Elizabeth Malecki, and Katalin Zamiar v. Midway Manufacturing, et al.

In 1997, Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II actors Philip Ahn (Shang Tsung), Elizabeth Malecki (Sonya Blade), and Katalin Zamiar (Kitana, Mileena, and Jade) jointly sued Midway Games, Williams Electronics Games, Acclaim, Nintendo and Sega for using their likenesses in an unauthorized way. They sought "a constructive trust on all monies defendants received and continued to receive from their alleged breach of their duties to [the] plaintiffs." [121] Ahn, Zamiar, and Malecki alleged "that they were only modeling for the coin-operated video game, not the subsequent home video, home computer, and hand-held versions of the game." With Judge Robert William Gettleman presiding in the Northern District of Illinois court "the plaintiffs lost on all counts because they had all consented to the videotaping and because the choreography and choice of movements used in the game were not jointly 'authored' by the individuals." [122]

Wilson v. Midway Games, Inc.

In 1997, thirteen-year-old Noah Wilson was killed by Yancy Salazar, also thirteen. Salazar stabbed Wilson in the chest with a kitchen knife and severed his aorta, leaving Wilson to die after an hour of massive blood loss. The victim's mother, Andrea Wilson, alleged that her son was killed due to Salazar's strong interest in Mortal Kombat. She claimed that Salazar was so "obsessed" with the game that he thought he was actually the Mortal Kombat character Cyrax, who she claimed used a Fatality in which he grabs the opponent in a headlock and stabs his opponent in the chest. In fact, this Fatality did not exist and was never performed by the character Cyrax. With Judge Janet Bond Arterton presiding, the case was tried in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. The court ruled that "Wilson's complaint fail[ed] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." [123]

In 2009, Lawrence Kasanoff, producer of the Mortal Kombat films, TV series, soundtracks, and live tour, and his company, Threshold Entertainment, sued Midway in bankruptcy court over what he claimed were his own intellectual property (IP) parts of the franchise. [note 13] Trying to preserve copyrights to certain Mortal Kombat characters and to retain the right to create derivative film and television projects based on the franchise, Kasanoff attempted to block a $33-million bid for Mortal Kombat assets by Time Warner, whose New Line Cinema developed the 1990s film adaptations of the games. [124] [125] Two other lawsuits related to millions of dollars of unpaid royalties were filed during the periods of 2000-2004 and 2005-2008. In 2011, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald M. Sohigian awarded Kasanoff only $14,981 and dismissed his other claims. He also ordered Threshold to pay Time Warner, Inc. $25,412 in legal fees after determining that Time Warner, Inc. was the "prevailing party". Kasanoff appealed the ruling and the denial of a jury trial. [126] [127] [128]

Notes

  1. ↑ According to The Realm of Mortal Kombat editor-in-chief and site manager, Jeff Greeson, "everything was over the top. From the pools of blood spewing from your character, to the outrageous gruesomeness of the game's fatalities. Mortal Kombat not only shocked anyone who had ever played the game, but those who simply walked by the game were mesmerized by its gore. Mortal Kombat was generally quiet in the arcades, at least as far as lawmakers were concerned. Once Acclaim received the rights to bring the game to the home console markets, they brought [it] into the spotlight of the general public. The media picked up on the fears that the public had of bringing such violent imagery into their homes through a device that children played with. ... When you pinpoint and highlight the game's violence and nothing else, it was hard to be a defender of the game during that time." [9]
  2. ↑ As narrated by Greeson, "in the hearing, a Nintendo representative attacked Sega for its release of violent games and said his own company had tried to mitigate the industry's worst excesses. In response, the Sega representative pulled out a prop - a bazooka-style gun accessory used by some Nintendo games - and asked if that was the appropriate means to teach nonviolence to children." [9]
  3. ↑ As admitted by Nintendo of America's Howard Lincoln, the company "definitely used the Mortal Kombat experience as a learning experience. Instead of getting a lot of letters back from parents raising our position, we got a huge amount of criticism—not only by gamers, but even by parents saying that we had set ourselves up to be censors. [They claimed] that wasn't our job, and that they were offended by that." [27]
  4. ↑ An AP reporter described the tape's content as follows: "After a male warrior repeatedly pummels a female opponent, the game urges him to 'finish her'. He then punches his hand into her chest and rips out her heart as blood gushes to the floor. At other times, the winning warrior instead pulls out the entire spine." [62]
  5. ↑ Video game magazine Next Generation called the bill "a serious threat to video games in Florida" and expressed concern that the measure "might lead to the removal of all public video games in the state and possibly start a national trend." [63]
  6. ↑ The video, as described by Weekly Reader , "shows a boy gaining the respect of his friends after winning Mortal Kombat. At the end of the commercial, the boy angrily knocks over a tray of cookies given to him by friends now frightened by the boy's fighting ability. The boy roars, 'I said I wanted chocolate chip!'" [67]
  7. ↑ The video, as described by The Register , "features a boardroom scene in which a Mr Linn, the mysterious trouble-shooter at a sales meeting, instructs two men to fight. Punches lead to a pen being stabbed into an arm; then a water jug is smashed over an executive's head – before his heart is ripped from his chest. Mr Linn concludes proceedings by decapitating another executive with his hat." [69]
  8. ↑ In 2006, Thompson also sent a cease and desist letter to Midway Games, writing: "It has today come to my attention that the newly recently[ sic ] Mortal Kombat: Armageddon contains an unauthorized commercial exploitation of my name, photograph, image, and likeness within the game." [82] [83] Midway did not respond. In fact, what Thompson thought was an official character was in fact the creation of an individual player. That player used the game's "Kreate-a-Fighter" mode to construct a likeness of Thompson and demonstrated it in a video clip posted online. [84] [85] Instructions on how to make a "Jack Thompson" character, described there as "the most violent man in America," were published two days earlier by video game website Gaming Target. [86] [87] Thompson succeeded in having the offending video removed from YouTube, [88] but the article remained online in unaltered form. [86]
  9. ↑ In his statement, LaPierre said: "Guns don't kill people. Video games, the media and Obama's budget kill people. ... And here's another dirty little truth that the media try their best to conceal: There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people. Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm , Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse ." [97]
  10. ↑ Kinder was quoted as saying that in Mortal Kombat II, "some of the most violent possibilities are against women. Also, their fatality moves are highly eroticised. One of the women characters kills her opponent by inflating him until he explodes, another by sucking him in and spitting out his bones. Talk about Spider Woman!" [112]
  11. ↑ While reporting on Cassell and Jenkins' book, Goodman commented: "Much as we want little girls in the computer circle, it's hard to lament the fact that our daughters are not drawn to Kombat bootstraps." [114] In another 1999 article, Goodman also mentioned the game negatively by writing that while "you're worrying about violence and gratitious sex" and "may want to get Mortal Kombat off your computer," the "folks on your right" are "worrying about [issues such as] keeping the sexes in their designated roles," when arguing that left-wingers should not join up with conservatives into a common "anti-entertainment, anti-Hollywood brigade and assume that we are all singing the same key." [115]
  12. ↑ For example, in a 2011 review of Mortal Kombat 9 , Maddy Myers of The Boston Phoenix wrote "Mortal Kombat represents everything that's awful about video games. It's trashy, it's corny, it's gory, it's sexist, it's racist ... The entire game is an alienating reminder that if you're not a white, heterosexual male, it's not 'for' you. Or perhaps the intended message is, 'Violence is sexy'?" [116]
  13. ↑ Kasanoff's complaint stated: "The Mortal Kombat series, as it stands today, is far more a creation of Threshold and Kasanoff than of Midway. Midway's creative input was almost entirely limited to the videogames. On their own, the video games provided only minimal backstory and mythology, and only flat, 'stock' characters. ... Kasanoff and Threshold were responsible for virtually all of the creative input that went into turning the videogame concept into a multimedia enterprise."

Related Research Articles

<i>Mortal Kombat Annihilation</i> 1997 martial arts fantasy film

Mortal Kombat Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts fantasy film directed by John R. Leonetti in his directorial debut. Based on the Mortal Kombat video game franchise, it is the second installment in the Mortal Kombat film series and a sequel to the original 1995 film, on which Leonetti served as cinematographer. Largely adapted from the 1995 video game Mortal Kombat 3, Annihilation follows Liu Kang and his allies as they attempt to prevent the malevolent Shao Kahn from conquering Earthrealm. It stars Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Talisa Soto as Kitana, James Remar as Raiden, Sandra Hess as Sonya Blade, Lynn “Red” Williams as Jax and Brian Thompson as Shao Kahn. Only Shou and Soto reprised their roles, with the other characters from the previous film being recast.

<i>Mortal Kombat 4</i> 1997 video game

Mortal Kombat 4 is the fourth main installment in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games developed by Midway Games. Released to arcades in 1997, Mortal Kombat 4 is the first title from the series, and one of the first made by Midway overall, to use 3D computer graphics. It is also the last game of the series to have an arcade release. It was later ported to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, PC, and Game Boy Color the following year, as well as an updated version titled Mortal Kombat Gold released exclusively for the Dreamcast.

Sub-Zero (<i>Mortal Kombat</i>) Mortal Kombat character

Sub-Zero is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. A warrior from the fictional Lin Kuei clan, he possesses ability to control ice in many forms. He is the only fighter to appear in every main installment of the series, along with the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shao Kahn</span> Mortal Kombat character

Shao Kahn is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as emperor of the fictional realm Outworld, he is one of the franchise's primary villains. Feared for his immense strength, which he complements with a large hammer, and knowledge of black magic, Shao Kahn seeks conquest of all the realms, including Earth. He serves as the main antagonist final boss of Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) and its updates, and the 2011 reboot, as well as the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005). An amalgam of Shao Kahn and DC Comics villain Darkseid also appears as the main antagonist and final boss of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008) under the name Dark Kahn. A younger persona known as General Shao appears in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mileena</span> Mortal Kombat character

Mileena is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Introduced in Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mileena was initially depicted as a clone of the Edenian princess Kitana, created by Shang Tsung with the blood of the fictional Tarkatan species. Following the time-travelling actions of Raiden in Mortal Kombat 9 (2011), Mileena's background as a clone of Kitana remains the same. Mortal Kombat X (2015) depicts Mileena's attempts to regain the throne as the empress of Outworld, following her removal by Kotal Kahn.

Ermac Mortal Kombat character

Ermac is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Debuting as an unlockable character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), he is an amalgam of the souls of deceased warriors and possesses telekinetic abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitana</span> Mortal Kombat character

Kitana is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat media franchise originally by Midway Games and later by NetherRealm Studios. Debuting in Mortal Kombat II (1993) as a player character and as a royal from the fictional realm of Edenia. She uses steel fans as her primary weapon. In the series, Kitana is aligned with multiple characters, especially Mileena who originally served as her clone, however, as the series evolves, Mileena suddenly becomes the older sister of Kitana and takes her place being the empress of Outworld. Kitana also shares the relationship as the love interest for the series' protagonist Liu Kang.

<i>Mortal Kombat II</i> 1993 video game

Mortal Kombat II is a fighting game originally produced by Midway for the arcades in 1993. It was ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and PlayStation only in Japan, mostly in licensed versions developed by Probe Software and Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment.

<i>Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3</i> Fighting video game

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, developed and released by Midway to arcades in 1995. It is a standalone update of 1995's earlier Mortal Kombat 3 with an altered gameplay system, additional characters like the returning favorites Reptile, Kitana, Jade and Scorpion who were missing from Mortal Kombat 3, and some new features.

The Videogame Rating Council (V.R.C.) was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States and Canada on the Master System, Genesis, Game Gear, Sega CD, 32X, and Pico. The rating had to be clearly displayed on the front of the box, but their appearance in advertisements for the video game was strictly optional. It was later supplanted by the industry-wide Entertainment Software Rating Board.

<i>Mortal Kombat</i> Video game series and multimedia franchise

Mortal Kombat is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992.

<i>Mortal Kombat</i> (2011 video game) 2011 fighting video game

Mortal Kombat is a 2011 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the ninth main installment in the Mortal Kombat series and a soft reboot of the series. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems in April 2011, and a PlayStation Vita port was released in May 2012. An expanded version of the game, titled Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2012 and for Microsoft Windows in July 2013.

<i>Mortal Kombat</i> (1992 video game) 1992 fighting game

Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting game developed and published by Midway. It is the first entry in the Mortal Kombat series and was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home platform at that time. The game focuses on several characters of various intentions who enter a martial arts tournament with worldly consequences. It introduced many key aspects of the Mortal Kombat series, including the unique five-button control scheme and gory finishing moves called Fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NetherRealm Studios</span> American video game developer

NetherRealm Studios is an American video game developer based in Chicago and owned by Warner Bros. Games. Led by video game industry veteran and Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, the studio is in charge of developing the Mortal Kombat and Injustice series of fighting games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liu Kang</span> Mortal Kombat character

Liu Kang is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion, he debuted in the original 1992 game as a Shaolin monk with special moves, which were intended to be the easiest for players to perform. Since his introduction, Liu Kang has appeared as playable in every main installment except Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002). He is also one of the protagonists of the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005).

Mortal Kombat is an American series of martial arts action films based on the fighting video game series of the same name by Midway Games. The first film was produced by Lawrence Kasanoff’s Threshold Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993–94 United States Senate hearings on video games</span> US video game industry lawmaking

On December 9, 1993, and March 4, 1994, members of the combined United States Senate Committees on Governmental Affairs and the Judiciary held congressional hearings with several spokespersons for companies in the video game industry including Nintendo and Sega, involving violence in video games and the perceived impacts on children. The hearing was a result of concerns raised by members of the public on the 1993 releases of Night Trap, Mortal Kombat and later Doom which was released after the first hearing. Besides general concerns related to violence in video games, the situation had been inflamed by a moral panic over gun violence, as well as the state of the industry and an intense rivalry between Sega and Nintendo.

References

  1. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2011-04-29). "The New Mortal Kombat Does More Than Just Gore In Its Killer Celebration Of The Franchise". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
  2. ↑ "Top 10 Holy Shit Gaming Moments of 2011". Gameranx.com. 2011-12-25. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  3. ↑ "Top 10 Mortal Kombat Fatalities - AOL On". On.aol.com. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  4. ↑ Moral Kombat, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, June 30, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Nancy S. Lind, Erik Rankin, First Amendment Rights: An Encyclopedia, page 171.
  6. ↑ "Mortal Kombat 11 banned for its gore | ONE Esports - The Home Of Esports". ONE Esports. 24 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "China and Japan ban the video game Mortal Kombat 11". efish.tv. 4 April 2019. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  8. 1 2 Steve Kent, The Ultimate History of Video Games .
  9. 1 2 3 "When Two Tribes Go to War: A History of Video Game Controversy". GameSpot. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Rob Crossley, BBC (June 2014). "Mortal Kombat: Violent game that changed video games industry". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  11. ↑ Doug Gross, CNN. "The 10 biggest violent video-game controversies - CNN". Articles.cnn.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.{{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  12. ↑ "ESRB Talk About of the Mortal Kombat Games Series" . Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  13. ↑ "GameSpot - /Gamespot/Features/Video/15influential/P14_01.HTML". 2010-04-14. Archived from the original on 2010-04-14. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  14. ↑ Fred Dutton (19 November 2010). "MK creator agreed with gore controversy". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Retro Gamer 128.
  16. ↑ Karen J. Cohen, States News Service, "Kohl still wants video games bill". The Milwaukee Sentinel, December 10, 1993.
  17. ↑ "Gamasutra - Mortal Kombat - A Book Excerpt from Replay: The History of Video Games". 10 June 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Kevin C. Pyle, Scott Cunningham, Bad for You: Exposing the War on Fun!, page 63.
  19. ↑ "International Outlook". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 53. EGM Media, LLC. December 1993. p. 90.
  20. ↑ Claire Bond Potter, Renee Christine Romano, Doing Recent History: On Privacy, Copyright, Video Games, Institutional Review Boards, Activist Scholarship, and History that Talks Back, page 209.
  21. ↑ "John Tobias: 'If I could go back and redo Kabal and Stryker I would, I don't know if I'd design them differently or just come up with new characters'". EventHubs. 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  22. ↑ Lou Kesten, the Associated Press. "Blood and guts a video game standby". Park City Daily News, October 26, 2006.
  23. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (2012-11-15). "Mortal Kombat | All-Time 100 Video Games". Time . Archived from the original on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  24. ↑ "John Tobias, Mortal Kombat co-creator | Interview | The Gameological Society". Archived from the original on 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  25. ↑ EGM2 5 (November 1994), page 96.
  26. ↑ Gerald Wurm (2011-11-16). "Mortal Kombat II (Comparison: Japanese SNES Version - International Version)". Movie-Censorship.com. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  27. ↑ Sheff, David (1999). Game Over: Press Start To Continue. GamePress.
  28. ↑ "MK vs. DC: The Joker's Fatality Gets T-Rated". Kotaku. 25 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  29. ↑ "Swiss Game Ban May Feature Only a Little Censorship". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  30. ↑ Kozanecki, James (2011-03-15). "Aussie customs to seize Mortal Kombat imports". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  31. ↑ 성인 게임 모탈컴뱃, 심의 '거부'…역시 잔인해서?. ZDNet Korea (in Korean). 2011-04-07.
  32. ↑ Parker, Laura (2011-03-22). "O'Connor: Banned games "unlikely" to make R18+ cut". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  33. ↑ "Mortal Kombat approved for R18+ rating". NewsComAu. 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  34. ↑ "Warner Brothers canceled the release of Mortal Kombat 11 in Ukraine". AIN.UA. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  35. ↑ "'Mortal Kombat 11' won't be released in Indonesia, says publisher". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  36. ↑ "Warner Bros. cancels Mortal Kombat 11 release in Ukraine, upsetting gamers | KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice". KyivPost. 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  37. ↑ Pladidus, Santoso (18 April 2019). "Isu Kostum Komunis, Mortal Kombat 11 Batal Rilis di Indonesia? (in Indonesian)" . Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  38. ↑ "Mortal Kombat 11 Banned in Other Countries? We've Got You Covered!". Playasia Blog. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  39. ↑ Xu, Bowen (2019-04-04). "China and Japan ban the video game Mortal Kombat 11". efish.tv. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  40. ↑ "Trägermedien". Bundeszentrale für Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  41. ↑ "German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch – StGB)". www.gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  42. 1 2 Wurm, Gerald (2019-02-08). "Mortal Kombat (1992) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  43. 1 2 Wurm, Gerald (2020-03-29). "Mortal Kombat (1992) und Mortal Kombat II - Beschlagnahmen aufgehoben (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  44. 1 2 Wurm, Gerald (2020-07-21). "Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  45. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2020-08-27). "Mortal Kombat 3 - Ex-131er ist jetzt vom Index (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  46. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2024-09-27). "Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3: Nicht mehr indiziert & damit gesamte Reihe rehabilitiert (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  47. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (1997-02-07). "Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  48. 1 2 Wurm, Gerald (1998-07-21). "Mortal Kombat 4 (1997) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  49. 1 2 Wurm, Gerald (2023-06-28). "Mortal Kombat 4 und Mythologies: Sub-Zero sind nicht mehr indiziert (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  50. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2009-12-10). "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  51. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2023-05-30). "Mortal Kombat: Armageddon & Shaolin Monks vom Index gestrichen (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  52. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2023-04-25). "Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  53. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2023-05-30). "Mortal Kombat: Armageddon & Shaolin Monks vom Index gestrichen (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  54. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2024-07-04). "Mortal Kombat (2011) (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  55. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2024-07-29). "Mortal Kombat (2011): Nach §131 beschlagnahmter Teil ist nicht mehr indiziert (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  56. ↑ "USK Altersfreigabe für Mortal Kombat X". Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  57. ↑ Wurm, Gerald (2024-09-27). "Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3: Nicht mehr indiziert & damit gesamte Reihe rehabilitiert (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  58. ↑ https://www.bundesanzeiger.de/pub/publication/4fbdyUYoWLl0eUu3fSH/content/4fbdyUYoWLl0eUu3fSH/BAnz%20AT%2027.09.2024%20B11.pdf
  59. ↑ It took 18 years, but Mortal Kombat's finally banned, news.com.au, March 2, 2011.
  60. ↑ "Mortal Kombat Classification Appeal Rejected in Australia". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  61. ↑ Mark Serrels, Mortal Kombat Finally Receives An R18+ Classification In Australia, Kotaku Australia, February 14, 2012.
  62. 1 2 The Associated Press, "Chiles looks to restrict violent video games". Boca Raton News, April 3, 1998.
  63. ↑ "Florida House panel votes to regulate video-game violence - First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition". Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  64. ↑ "Playing games with free speech". Salon. 2002-05-06. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  65. ↑ "Violent Video Games - Supreme Court Ruling - Free Speech - Mediaite". 27 June 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  66. ↑ "Justices should keep video game violence from kids". The Quad-City Times. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  67. 1 2 "Critics zap video games: senators urge government action to curb video-game violence". Weekly Reader Corp. January 3, 1994. Retrieved September 8, 2009.[ dead link ]
  68. ↑ Guinness World Records 2011: Gamer's Edition . BradyGames. January 3, 2011. ISBN   978-0744012613.
  69. ↑ "Mortal Kombat viral ad glorified violence, says ASA". The Register. December 22, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  70. ↑ "Non-broadcast Adjudications". December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-03-26. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  71. ↑ "Study: Joysticks Lead to Mayhem". WIRED. 2000-04-24. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  72. ↑ "Violent video games are drawing fire from many lawmakers". The Southeast Missourian, July 19, 2004.
  73. ↑ Barlett, Christopher P.; Harris, Richard J.; Bruey, Callie (2008). "The effect of the amount of blood in a violent video game on aggression, hostility, and arousal". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 44 (2): 539–546. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2007.10.003.
  74. ↑ "Study Examines Effect of Ruminating over Violent Games". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  75. ↑ "UQ study confirms dangers of violent video games - UQ News Online - The University of Queensland". Uq.edu.au. 2011-10-31. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  76. ↑ "Video Violence Lowers Self-Esteem". Australasian Science . Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  77. ↑ "University of Queensland study believes violent games reduce humanity". MCV Pacific. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  78. ↑ Craig Johnson, "'Mortal Kombat' is back, but this time (some) fans cringe", HLN, July 15, 2014.
  79. ↑ "The Impact of Interactive Violence On Children". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  80. ↑ "Internet Hub Offers Both Sides of Game Violence Debate". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  81. ↑ John Shelton Lawrence, Robert Jewett, The Myth of the American Superhero, page 202.
  82. ↑ "Jack Thompson vs. Mortal Kombat". Slashdot. 2006-10-27. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  83. ↑ "Jack Thompson Orders MK "Cease and Desist"". Edge Online. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  84. ↑ "Jack Thompson in new Mortal Kombat". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 31 October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  85. ↑ "10 Things You Probably Don't Know About Mortal Kombat - Listverse". Listverse. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  86. 1 2 "Mortal Kombat Armageddon: Kreate A Fighter Kraziness" . Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  87. ↑ "Mortal Kombat's Kreate a Fighter mode used to its full potential". Ars Technica. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  88. ↑ "Halo 3 Under Fire From Activist Lawyer Jack Thompson". LawVibe. 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  89. ↑ "Brazil Bans Violent Video Games". Animation World Network. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  90. ↑ "Gamasutra - Brazil Bans Six Games". 17 December 1999. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  91. ↑ ""Video Games Made Me Do It" Defense Raised in Oregon Murder Trial". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  92. ↑ Andy Chalk (20 December 2007). "Teenagers Kill Child in 'Mortal Kombat' Murder". The Escapist . Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  93. ↑ "Is Brutal "Mortal Kombat Murder" Lacking the Mortal Kombat Part?". GamePolitics. 2008-03-09. Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  94. ↑ Owen Good (17 January 2009). ""Mortal Kombat Killer" Gets 36 Years". Kotaku. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  95. 1 2 "Mortal Kombat Murder Girl Sentenced". G4tv.com. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  96. ↑ Tori Floyd. "Mortal Kombat Murder A Misnomer". Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  97. ↑ "NRA's Wayne LaPierre blames 'Natural Born Killers,' 'Mortal Kombat' for Newtown shooting". syracuse.com. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  98. ↑ Kain, Erik (2012-12-21). "While NRA Blames Video Games During Press Conference, Another Shooting Takes Place In Pennsylvania". Forbes . Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  99. ↑ Paul Tassi, NRA Press Conference: Blame Video Games and Movies, Not Guns, Forbes.com, 12/21/2012.
  100. ↑ "Wayne LaPierre's bizarre pop culture references". 22 December 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  101. ↑ Petri, Alexandra (2012-12-21). "NRA speech visits past, takes swipe at … Mortal Kombat?". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  102. ↑ "NRA condemns games in wake of Connecticut shooting". GameSpot. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  103. ↑ "NRA Press Conference Riddled With Weirdly Outdated Cultural References". Mother Jones. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  104. ↑ Tracy, Marc (2012-12-21). "A Guide to the NRA's Crazy Press Conference on School Violence". The New Republic . Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  105. ↑ Owen Good (21 December 2012). "What Are Splatterhouse, Kindergarten Killer and the Other Games the NRA Slammed Today?". Kotaku. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  106. ↑ "CNN's Banfield Dubs the Charleston Church Shootings 'Mortal Kombat Murders'". Gameranx.com. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  107. ↑ TotalBiscuit (2015-06-24). ""Mortal Kombat murders" CNN are there any dead bodies you wont "sex up" for ratings? Just curious". @totalbiscuit. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  108. ↑ "Saga: Mortal Kombat". Video Gamer. 73. February 2019.
  109. ↑ May Lam, "Do Fighting Video Games Prolong Stereotypes of Asian Americans?" AsianWeek, September 23, 1994.
  110. ↑ "Polémica en juego (II)". Jot Down Cultural Magazine. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  111. ↑ Greenfield, Patricia Marks; Cocking, Rodney R. (1996). Interacting with Video. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN   9781567501520.
  112. ↑ Los Angeles Daily News. "Wham, Bam, Decapitate You, Ma'am: Women, of a sort, enter Mortal Kombat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 29, 1995.
  113. ↑ "Janesville Gazette Newspaper Archives, Mar 26, 1999, p. 10". newspaperarchive.com. 26 March 1999. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  114. ↑ Ellen Goodman, "Trouble in cyberspace: For girls, virtual world is more regressive than the real world". Daily News, March 26, 1999.
  115. ↑ Ellen Goodman, "Right wing can't stand Lilith, other women with uppity ideals". The Free Lance-Star, June 28, 1999.
  116. ↑ Myers, Maddy (2011-05-10). "Review: Mortal Kombat 9 - Videogames". The Boston Phoenix . Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  117. ↑ American Amusement Machine Ass'n v. Kendrick, 244 F.3d 572 (7th Cir. 2001).
  118. ↑ I'd Have These Extremely Graphic Dreams': What It's Like To Work On Ultra-Violent Games Like Mortal Kombat 11
  119. ↑ Staff, G. R. (2019-04-28). "Mortal Kombat 11 Studio Accused of Crunch Culture, 100 Hour Work Weeks". Game Rant. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  120. ↑ "Pesina V. Midway Mfg. Co. - Leagle.com" . Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  121. ↑ "Philip Ahn, Elizabeth Malecki, and Katalin Zamiar Plaintiffs, v. Midway Manufacturing Company, Williams Electronics Games, Inc. Nintendo of America, Inc. Sega of America, Inc. Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. Defendants" (PDF). May 28, 1997. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  122. ↑ Bennett, Chris (May 28, 1997). "Models for Mortal Kombat". Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  123. ↑ "Wilson v. Midway Games, Inc" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-31. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  124. ↑ "Mortal Kombat Film Producer Sues Midway Over IP Rights". GamePolitics. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  125. ↑ Andy Chalk (26 June 2009). "Midway Sued Over Mortal Kombat Rights". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  126. ↑ "Warner Bros. prevails in one 'Mortal Kombat' royalties lawsuit, two to go". Los Angeles Times . 2011-03-03. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  127. ↑ "Warner Bros. Conquers 'Mortal Kombat' Producer in Court (Exclusive) - THR, Esq". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  128. ↑ "New 'Mortal Kombat' movie coming via partnership of Warner units". Los Angeles Times. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.