Top 10 Most Violent Games List Released

The holiday season is upon us – prime video game buying season – so that must mean it's time for the annual most violent video games list, which this year was released jointly by five groups.

It's not surprising that Doom 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, and Halo 2 made the list.

"Video game retailers must commit to keeping video games with graphic violence or strong sexual themes out of the hands of children," said Dr. Martha Burk, president of the National Council of Women's Organizations, and maybe best known for her stance against The Master's golf tournament. "The best way to do this is to not sell the games."

It's equally unsurprising that those four titles are amongst the hottest selling games out there, and that two of those games – Half-Life 2 and GTA – were named as top ten games to buy by Game Informer magazine.

As for what this says about the changing demographics of game players, it's hard to tell. I would imagine that there are some kids under 18 who are playing these mature games. However, it's also fairly likely that the majority of players are older (particularly for Doom 3, which requires a killer computer system).

The truth of the matter, though, is that it doesn't matter what the actual facts are. These games, rooted in the shooter genre, will be roundly decried by politicians and moral watchdogs, while millions of people continue to enjoy the virtual play.