Did you see the last two episodes of the current season of Luther? If you're a gamer and haven't watched them yet then set aside some time to catch these episodes. Other than the referencing to the use of dice to make judgment calls - à la The Dice Man - their are scenes of mass murder of unarmed civilians in both those episodes. The assailant, in both cases, uses a hammer to plow-down his victims indiscriminately. These cold-bloodied scenes made me reflect on the 'No Russian' controversy that MW2 invoked. In both cases, MW2 and Luther, we have no way of effecting the outcome. The most we can do is watch the carnage, impotent to do nothing but gain an emotional reaction.
What I believe is shown, to a better degree of satisfaction, is the level of deindividuation the two killers have in those episodes of Luther. My feelings were managed better than they were in the 'No Russian' scene in MW2. That scene allowed me to observe without taking action or to join in an open fire - neither action bore any consequence on the outcome or to the character you are playing.
For me, this is where TV still trumps videogames for emotional connection to characters and events within their frameworks. Courting controversy is inherent in both formats but alas videogaming has much more to learn at how to do it gracefully and with conviction.
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