I can't say either way, but I can think of numerous interesting examples. I think the example of manhunt 2 is interesting (I consider games art).

I've never played it but it seems essentially a murder simulator. Some quotes fron the developers

"It may sound surprising, but there was almost a mutiny at the company over that game. It was Rockstar North's pet project - most of us at Rockstar Games wanted no part of it. We'd already weathered plenty of controversy over GTA3 and Vice City - we were no strangers to it - but Manhuntfelt different. With GTA, we always had the excuse that the gameplay was untethered - you never had to hurt anybody that wasn't a "bad guy" in one of the missions. You could play completely ethically if you wanted, and the game was parody anyway, so lighten up," Williams writes.

"Manhunt, though, just made us all feel icky. It was all about the violence, and it was realistic violence. We all knew there was no way we could explain away that game. There was no way to rationalize it. We were crossing a line"

So is it ethical to put out mass market snuff film for a buck?

I also like ice cubes lyric "I'm bad for your health."

The mass shooting of that mentally ill person who was impressed by the dark knight.

I'd say if I was broaching a very dark subject nowadays it would be difficult for me to do so without some concern over it being taken too literally and impressing upon someone too much.

I don't think there are the same boundaries to push anymore. This is the post internet age. We're all so exposed to everything at this point. I think that's why the cultural shift has actually starting dialing some in terms of expression; that and the lack of privacy (perhaps more so the latter).