Thursday, February 15, 2007
New Video Game
My son received his Game Informer magazine the other day. In it, there is an article about a new video game about Columbine. The game player can be "the shooters" at the high school. I am outraged and disgusted that someone would even think that this would be a good idea and that someone else would even distribute such garbage. I would like to know what you think about this and other violent video games.
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19 comments:
Mrs. Hannon,
I think that this game is absolutely ridiculous. Who ever created this game should be ashamed of themselves. To portray such a horrific event as a violent video game is an absolute disgrace. If anything the person should have worked on something like a movie to make people more aware of this terrible day. The violence in video games has totally gone to the next level. What ever happened to normal games like Mrs. Pac Man and Sonic The Hedge Hog? Didn't they think it was enough violence in Mortal Combat? Who ever is considering putting this game on the market needs to seriously reconsider it. They obviously have no remorse for the people or the families of the people who were affected in Columbine.
Sincerely,
Tiera
I think that is horrible. What's next? A game where you can be the terrorists on 9-11? Columbine was just as much of a tragedy as 9-11 was. I'm suprised I didn't hear about this until now.. You would think they would be talking about it on the news and stuff.
I really don't have problems with games like Grand Theft Auto, but I just think making a game with REAL people who were really killed is just horrible.
However, I do agree with Molly that Super Nintendo was like, the greatest thing since sliced bread! I still play it sometimes! There was this really cool Tiny Toons Adventures game which was amazingly awesome and non-violent. There was also this Olympics game where you had this mat that you ran on, and jumped on like you were doing hurdles! It was pretty snazzy. This really makes me want to hook that game up to my TV and play it. :)
Personally, I really would not purchase such games, but its a sign of the times. There was recently an outrage against a game that recreate the assasination of JFK, where the player can be Lee Harvey Oswald. However the arguement was made that the game posseses historical elements, putting everyday people in the mindset of killers, projecting thier side of the story. Nowadays violence, sex and drugs have a certian tolerance in society. Games that recreate wars, assasinations, and tragedies are a bit taboo, but they make the gaming industry billions of dollars each year. As long as games like these make money, they will continue to prevail in the War of Morals.
Columbine was an event that effected many people. So to have people relive this occurrence in the form of a video game is horrible. Hopefully this game never gets to the market because if it does the distributors and players are just as bad as the person who thought of this. Are country already has problems and video games like these are not the solutions.
So, I was wondering if the "gamers" ever responded to our well worded response??
While I pondered this for hours I did a few things.
1.) I sent our lil buddy a friend request. I will tell you how that goes as soon as I know. hehehe...
2.) I also got the pleasure of seeing Mr. Rod Stewart in concert. Tease me if you will, but he was AWESOME!! :) My mom even said she was going to leave my dad for him... I had to break the news to my dad. I just don't know how Rod is going to take it... Poor guy!!
I was pondering some more things at this late hour, where I should be either sleeping or at least building my social skills :-D. Alas, I can't get off of my Rod Stewart high! I was wondering if you were going to post the address to the forum... I want to see what they reply, but to wait until Tuesday? I don't think I have the power in me!
So, I was also wondering if we should report our PB Wiki's for having Salmonella? If anyone has the number 2111 on their wiki, we should really be careful. In a small school like ours, I think it could spread pretty fast!!
Eeek!
See ya Tuesday
-Kelly
I am not suprised that someone would come out with a game like this.There are some psycho people out there that would like to be "the shooters" in the Columbine shootings. Violence in video games is nothing new and I think that as time goes on the violence in these video games will get worse.
I understand where you are coming from Mrs. Hannon and if any gamer out there has a problem with my opinon then feel free to email me at AORANGEPRINCESS@aol.com. I think it is wrong to recreate an event that affected so many people's lives. If your son or daughter died at columbine would you want to go back and be the player that killed them? Then there are the survivors to think about, they may be just starting to live a normal life when they see this game and go back to the horrible place they have already risen above. I stand by my opinon and refuse to sink to the levels of some morons who think recreating a mass murder is fun. I will respond to anyone willing to critize what I have said but knowing the type of people they are they may be to scared to respond to me personally and would rather try and be tough on a website, im sorry you did not succeed.
I hate to think that somebody even created this game. It was such a traumatic day for those individuals at that high school, and this game, in a way, seems to make a joke out of it. It's just uncalled for.
What did happen to those days where kids sat in front of the tv and played Pokemon and Mario Bros? Those were fun and enjoyable. Why create a game of a traumatic event and have the player be the enemy? That's like creating a game about 9/11 and having the player be the person flying the plane. It's just sickening.
But violence seems to have a way with entertainment because individuals are purchasing these games.
It's scary that children are playing these games.
I think that video games have become this generations, "The Devil made me do it". There is nothing in video games that is not present in every other media out there that children are exposed to right now. If parent do not want thier children playing a certain game, then they need to actually parent their children and monitor what they do instead of expecting other people to parent their children for them.
While I do think that the premise for this game is disgusting and disrespectful to the victims of Columbine, honestly, there IS a market for it. I'm not condoning such a game, but I can understand where the gamers are coming from making it. I don't think that video games particularly cause kids to become violent; however, if a child is unable to distinguish between what is real and imaginary, they may not understand why behavior like those who pulled off the Columbine shooting is wrong.
The opinion of blaming video games on todays violence is absurd. Violence has been around since the beginning of time, and it will always be around. If anything playing a round of Rainbow Six decreases my stress, and in no way makes me want to go out planting C4 like I do in the game.
This game in question is just a little project done by a dude who was trying to give the other side. Something that has already been done in feature films such as Gus Van Zant's "Elephant".
Now I understand many of you are not gamers and don't understand exactly what we see in this type of medium. That is alright, but I'd just like to let you know that gaming is as viable a medium to express a story or opinion as a book or movie.
There was no profit made from this game, and in the end it's not even that good of a game at all.
Gaming as a medium is only growing, and one day you may find that you to will enjoy video gaming. Until then it has to be realized that games aren't for kids anymore. They are for us adults out there that want to have either a personal or social time sitting back and interacting with a good story or just a mindless romp.
-gk128
Allgames Forum Member and Chat Operator
I will be the first to say that the game is bad, but there is a trend here that I find, hypocritical, at least. Peter brought the point up earlier, but we don't see it. BrittanyF recognises the reason for the drama surrounding this game, and has probably the most salient advice.
"I think it is wrong to recreate an event that affected so many people's lives. If your son or daughter died at columbine would you want to go back and be the player that killed them? Then there are the survivors to think about, they may be just starting to live a normal life when they see this game and go back to the horrible place they have already risen above."
There are countless world war II and D-Day invasion video games. Video games didn't exist when those events took place, but I'm certain that had those events occurred when video games existed, many similar sentiments would be shared. I think two things make WWII video games acceptable. 1) Moral certainty. There is little question that creating orphans and widows out of some soldiers families was the right thing to do. and 2) Time. enough time has passed that those directly affected have had time to grieve fully, accept the situation, and move on. 9-11, columbine, rwanda. They're all too recent for us to be able to enjoy a game where we ritualistically destroy people all in the name of fun, as we can already do with WWII.
To be fair, the game is a bit recent. The wounds are still too raw. But condemning the game because it shows something so horrible is overlooking the fact that (as I've stated earlier) countless games have done just this, affecting far larger groups of people, and with far more graphical realism than this.
Okay, I guess I should respond since I was the person who originally started the thread on AllGames.
First, I'm going to be a little lazy and just re-post what I said a couple of days ago in the forums...
http://forums.allgames.com/showpost.php?p=259390&postcount=23
Second, I would highly suggest that you get all the facts straight before forming your opinions, either about video games, are the gamers in general.
Also, I would suggest that you read Blackwolf's response to this topic as well...
http://forums.allgames.com/showpost.php?p=259338&postcount=19
A couple of facts about Super Columbine Massacre RPG.
1:This was a game made by a single 20 year old almost 3 years ago, using a pirated version of "RPG Maker". A program that lets anyone create Super Nintendo style "Final Fantasy" type games with relative ease.
2:This game is not being sold. In fact, no money has been made off of this game whatsoever.
3:The guy who created this game isn't really a "Game Programmer". He's actually a documentary filmmaker.
Not every "gamer" believes that this game is worthwhile. Personally, while I respect the intentions of the creator of this game. I also believe that he failed miserably in his execution of his stated goals of understanding the motives of the Columbine killers..
I know I'm kind of late i submitting a comment but yea...
I'm not even sure where to begin whe it comes to violent video games because there is so much other violence that more of the public is exposed to. I do agree that an idea such as a columbine video game is a disrespectful mockery of something deep, historical, and important. But if this game isn't really being distributed then at least some people have respect.
The people who rate video games give them ratings like "E" for everyone and "M" for mature for a reason. I do think that one must have a since of responsibility to know that a game is a game, not a way of life and if they do not understand that then they shouldn't be playing the game in the first place. There is violence on elevision, movies, and in the community...some things just can't be controlled.
....But there can be improvement.
After reading recent gamer's comments on this blog it really made me start thinking. I was perticularily distressed by the comment made that we need more information before we form an opinion. The whole point of an opinion is to express what WE feel, if we think this game is wrong we have the right to say it is wrong ( first ammendment). It is wrong for someone to come and tell us that we are wrong, because it is absurd to tell someone what they feel is wrong. If you felt that for example the death penalty was wrong you would be upset if someone came back and said it was right. Now I know I am not a gamer nor do I want to be because personally I think it is a waste of time and money but whatever floats your boat. I know my opinion on the subject and that is that it is just plain stupid to have made this game. If you think im wrong then so be it I really don't care. Nothing you say, whether it be that the game isn't for sell and what not, is going to change my mind. No matter how much you sugarcoat the subject it is still wrong. I also would like to say that I do not blame violence on video games, as was stated earlier violence has been around for forever and I do not think playing a video game is going to make someone go out and commit hard to others or themseleves and if that is your excuse well im sorry to say that you are just pathetic
i think that violence in video games is not the reason for our youth's growing violence isssues. Parents should monitor what their
children are doing and decide whether the game is too violent for them on an indvidual level. i am not usually the one to deny free speach but, to make a vodeo game based on such a tragic event is disgusting. but it is America and they can do what they want.
Wow it's sad to see all these people who are so horridly misinformed/ignorant to facts and just go on random bits and pieces they pick up from sensionalist news stories they see as they scroll down the channels to watch desperate housewives and american idol. People do yourself a favor and maybe do some research before making yourself and the general public sound like fools.
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