Gears of War Writer Calls Games ‘Way Too Violent’

Gears of War writer Tom Bissell says games are "way too violent" and that developers "constantly undermine" audience intelligence in a New Yorker interview.

"I've been asked a few times to weigh in on the 'violent videogames' debate, but I hestitate because I feel like the NRA set a trap by shining a spotlight on videogames," Bissell said. 

"Which isn't to say I think games are completely blameless," he added, "games, generally speaking, are probably way too violent." 

Commenting on the storytelling possibilities presented by shooters Bissell noted "the possibilities are fascinating but they're also very, very constraining. A shooter story, just by virtue of the fact that you the character, you the player, spend 99 percent of the game looking down the barrel of a gun, there's really only so much stuff you can do.

"Being completely mindful that there's this mysterious person called the player sitting out there, who you're trying to give context to, is the really addictively fun part," he said. "But it's also the really, really challenging part. I think games developers constantly underestimate the intelligence of our audience," Bissell concluded. 

Bissell's thoughts on violence within videogames come days after Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter, was earlier this week accused of being a "deranged" gamer according to a police report.