10 Things You Didn't Know About Mortal Kombat

10. Mortal Kombat's Violence Lead To The ESRB Rating System

When Mortal Kombat first hit the gaming scene, it became an instant hit due to its gore, intense violence and adult themes which immediately distinguished it as an edgier and more adult orientated product. The use of blood and the fatality system caused a massive controversy, as talk of the game reached parents who were concerned about the kind of message it could bestow on their children. This pushing of the boundary caused many to discuss whether the kind of content that could appear in games needed to be regulated. In 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board was established to forewarn parents about the kind of content which was in a game, before they purchased it for their children. This primary concern grew due to Mortal Kombat's shattering of taboos with its inherently brutal and bloody persona. It triggered a side to the video gaming industry which hadn't really been explored prior, most likely due to fear of the backlash it might create, just as Mortal Kombat did. Ultimately the ESRB revolution was a positive thing, it mean't that publishers no longer had to sensor their games just as Nintendo had done with Mortal Kombat 2