There are still some fairly violent games out there. Been doing a run through of Conan for the 360 and I get to cut people to shreds, blood spattering everywhere. Borderlands has some great graphic images like when you electrocute a man and his skull explodes with the eyeball popping out. And if ye pay attention Left 4 Dead 2 is quite violent, with zombies running after you trailing their intestines behind them after you gut shoot them. And in Red Dead Redemption the back of a man's skull will burst open if you shoot them in the head.
But yeah, developers are making even the majority of M (R I guess where you are?) rated games without intense gore to make it more acceptable for younger viewers. Which really shouldn't be happening. There is a rating system in place for a reason, and developers shouldn't be having to think of a 13 year old when making a game for players 17/18+. We have bad parenting to blame for this.
FRAYDO
When their kids are learning bad things from games it's the parents fault. The ratings are there for a reason.
TheDeathlessPrince
To piss off the kiddies.