To: The Game Industry
From: Gen Katz, Editor
Topic: Word Watch
Date: Feb 2011

Games4Women.com does not review violent games. Like all review sites we get notices of new games. The proportion of violent games to non-violent ones is overwhelming. We have developed an efficient way make our selection. As I read the PR releases, my eyes search for the following words to cull out the violent games. These are just from the last few months. You probably can supply many more.

alpha to omega android annihilate apocalypse armageddon armor arsenal
assault attack battle black blade blast blood
brink chaos clash combat cruel curse dark
dead demons despair devil doom dragon dungeon
duty fallout fight flames force fortress gladiators
guns hack honor horror hunt invaders iron
launch lost master mayhem metal mission mystery
nightmare pain phobia quake quest revenge scorpion
shattered shooter slash smash soldiers spider splatter
supreme survival tournament vampire vandals vanquish war
warlock warring warrior weapons

Some titles catch my eye - Harmony of Despair, a strong juxtaposition. Killing Floor brings to mind abattoir - viscerally disturbing. Peace Walker - a misnomer if there ever was one. Other words can do service in fairy tales as well as violent games - witch, cruel, dragon, vampire, dark, nightmare - brothers Grimm were often very grim. Also, remembering Charlotte's Web, why are spiders less toxic than scorpions?

These word are used to attract a certain player base but for us they serve the opposite.