Dismembers of the audience: The expulsive, explosive force of bodies in games

In this paper, a conceptual framework is developed for critiquing extreme violence in computer and videogames from an aesthetic perspective. In particular focus is the common play element of `corpseplay¿ and the reduction of the physical form into `gibs¿, chunks and blood. What occurs when the player turns enemies into a screaming ballet of slow-motion meat? The mechanics underlying games suggest a release of forces and tensions, so how does it become possible, if at all, to speak in general and specific terms about extreme videogame violence?