Ever see the Street Fighter II: Animated Movie?

First off, it not, do so. It kicks ass.

Secondly, it's violent as hell. Ryu tears a hole in Sagat's chest, sending blood flying everywhere, in the opening moments. Cammy then shows up in the next segment, snaps a man's neck then breaks his spine. Ryu caves in a man's skull with a headbutt then beats Fei Long to a pulpy mess (including dislocating his arm). One of Bison's assassin's is turned into swiss cheese with machine gun fire after killing a Ghandi look-a-like. Blanka and Zangief fight, with the former chomping at Zangief's neck flesh like Thanksgiving turkey.

The highlight, though, is the Chun-li vs Vega fight, which is beautiful and bloody, with Vega slicing his way through a long fight with Miss Thunder Thighs. It's pretty shocking to see Chun-li's back, face, and breasts cut up, but she's just as vicious in return, shoving her feet into his eye sockets, disfiguring him, throwing a couch into his face, and then kicking his face through the wall. The fight is brutal enough she goes into a coma for the rest of the film.

.... everything in that film is significantly more violent than the entirety of MK vs DC. And it got the full-on support from series creators, Capcom.

Also, there's this:

^ lol that movie was so cheesy and awesome. Loved it

Killer Instinct died ten years ago. Let it go.

I still don't get why people act like Mortal Kombat isn't cartoonish. The only difference between Mortal Kombat and Marvel Comics is that MK characters enjoy killing.

You have cod damn robot ninjas fighting lizard people and mutant stripper assassins...all under the watchful eye of a barbarian who may or may not be a Chippendale's reject.

Even then, I can think of a ton of Marvel and DC characters, a few of them even heroes, who kill pretty gruesomely.
I don't know why DC thought they couldn't dare have an M rating in a game when their biggest books of the year always have arms being ripped off on-panel in them. I guess it's only because they know only adults buy comics these days, but kids do buy games, so they wanted to sell as many copies to as many minors as possible.
I bet it didn't even work. MKvsDCU sold more than the past few MK games sure, but it wasn't children who bought it up, and most people's biggest complaint with the game was the lack of gore.

Now, everyone wants a sf vs mk, what about darkstalkers vs mk. Wouldn't that make more sense in a violent way.

i don't think theres any other violent title that would do a Vs game justice.

Forbid the thought of time killers vs mk ha.

I say DC was just shook of seeing their biggest names get chopped up by a bunch of colored ninjas.

Sure minor characters get fucked up, like all those nobody Green Lanters in Sinestro Corp War, but NEVER their huge draws, like Big Blue, Batman, and the Green Lanterns that actually matter like Hal, Kyle, John, etc...

In other words it wasn't the violence, it was who the violence was gonna be done to

Not to dispute the widespread accuracy of that, but y'know... most of those characters have died at one time or another. Batman spent twelve issues getting beat 'up until his back was snapped. Superman spent four or five issues getting bloodied and pulped, with little reply, leading up to his so-assumed death, at the time. All during the early nineties, when the comics were still being approved by the Comics Code!

I think MKvsDC had a lot more to do with the mainstream maintance of the brand and the fact that comics as an industry still aren't what they used to be. They have a bit more freedom for going somewhat unsupervised when there's only 200k sales of an issue, while video games and cartoons are typically pitched at a broader mainstream audience. We saw how perceptions differ between audiences when even a lot of MKO users approached the game with the assumptions of the cartoon show. It's just good business. Bigger market, bigger demographics, different approach to the brand. (Not that there isn't the occasional exception to prove the rule; MKvsDC still had fatalities in it, The Dark Knight pushed the PG envelope, Arkham City is shaping up well...).

RE: http://kotaku.com/5618460/mortal-kombats-post+launch-balancing-add+on-character--pc-plans

On a Gamescon MK2011 note; I don't know how far back (or if) this Kotaku article was mentioned. (Lazy, I know).

Interesting that there'd be any thought to even mention original characters for DLC. When it's second-hand accounts it can be a bit tough to gauge what's a general off-the-cuff remark, and what's a legitimate promise for the game. I'm sure MK4+ characters are a shot, but I suspect new characters might be the former (just chewing possibilities).

Still... sounds like good news for anyone whose favourite misses out.
PC players might have some hope down the line, too. If there are any of those around still.

I'm really looking forward to the new game after this reveal. Seems that the team are doing well with character models etc. Really liking the differences betweek Cyrax and Sektor at the moment, aesthetics look great. Let's hope they play differently.

Hopefully it is as violent as it's fun. For me, that's what does it.

I couldn't help but think of this conversation after seeing this (via tabmok99): http://www.geocities.jp/midwood2004/special_forces.htm
Word to the squeamish: it's fan-art that might give you epilepsy.