One thing that has stood out on the Xbox 360 games shown here at E3 is how realistic the faces of characters are getting. And while this is great for realism, it does throw up the thorny old subject of gaming violence.
One 360 game - the ludicrously titled Condemned Criminal Origins - is likely to get the Daily Mail and their ilk up in arms. Not for the right reasons - namely that it looks pretty tedious - but because this is a violent game that looks unnervingly realistic.
The action I watched saw the player hitting opposing gang members with nailed planks and generally spilling copious amounts of blood - all in 360 clarity-o-vision. I'm sure CCO will be an 18 when released, but that won't deter the headlines.
However, it would be nice to see the next-gen consoles using their graphical prowess to show us more than just better-looking ways to kill a computer character. In the meantime expect more calls to ban violent video games over the coming year.
