The funny nuances of culture. American history glorifies violence in its own way (which isn't to say that other cultures don't do so in a disturbing way as well), but we've long shunned the cultural importance of sex

Prototype isn't even trying to be a remotely intelligent or emotional game. You're not really supposed to feel anything when you tear a civilian apart, because it's so damned easy. You walk up to them and press a button and they explode in your arms and you absorb their essence. It has all of the emotional involvement of eating a fleeing ghost in Pac-Man, just with some visuals that apparently represent gore.

And yet, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the original Prototype (I haven't played the sequel yet). There is nothing at all wrong with taking some kind of perverse, lazy pleasure out of it, much as you would when a building full of people explodes in an action film.

I agree with the OP. I am oblivious to 99% of the violence in video games. It's just as if it's not even there.

But it's the 1% I am fascinated about. I don't know exactly what buttons they push, those 1% who are able to make me react to the violence being there.
Lately it's been The last of us demo when the hero damaged one bandit's face and in the MGS Revengeance demo when Raiden cut the head off of a guy who was begging for his life. Both made me slightly uncomfortable in a good way.

last i checked the pixels in prototype or GTA all die a terrible death when I hit the power button.

Basil, that's a great case study you bring up in your points. Those poor souls, it's gone too far. Teh vedeo gamez hav made zem mentally ill.