You can keep him!

[Master Splinter]

Actually, the thing that is worse than a kid knocking up a simple, silly videogame is the over-reaction that people have to such things.

Making videogames based on violent historical events is nothing new.

I guess its all in what timing you consider as 'historical'. Read about the Columbine version here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011702051.html

What is more serious, though, is the knee-jerk overreactions that such events generate in people - particularly in people in authority who feel the need to be seen to 'do something'.

After the Columbine massacre, nonconformist (insert goth/geek/emo/loner or your choice of social pariah here) students across the US were instantly under suspicion of being the next potential mass murderer.

The overreactions are recorded in the piece by journalist John Katz, titled "Voices from the Hellmouth" and posted on the geek-themed website Slashdot :

An exerpt:

"From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Todd Solondz's "Welcome To The Dollhouse," and a string of comically-bitter teen movies from Hollywood, pop culture has been trying to get this message out for years. For many kids - often the best and brightest -- school is a nightmare.

"People who are different are reviled as geeks, nerds, dorks. The lucky ones are excluded, the unfortunates are harassed, humiliated, sometimes assaulted literally as well as socially. Odd values - unthinking school spirit, proms, jocks - are exalted, while the best values - free thinking, non-conformity, curiousity - are ridiculed."

Here are a few more overreactions...which - since they come from 'authority figures' - are all much worse than making a simple videogame:

The teachers who held a class 'gunman attack' drill: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05...rss_topstories

The student who was arrested for making a videogame map of his school: http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2847/chinese-community-rallies-behind-student-removed-from-clements-over-pc-game-map

Or the straight A's student arrested for writing an essay: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070425essay,1,696682.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[joe greiner]

Granted, gummint can be quite ham-handed in responding to this sort of insult (as we've seen especially since 11 Sept 2001), this little [floater] exercised his right of free speech specifically to anger decent folk. Fair enough, if you insist, but a salient distinction here is that the [floater] attempted extortion; that's already a crime in most jurisdictions.

Without some form of social disapproval, acts like this further the decline of civilization. Way back when in Merrie Olde, the outlaw concept not only declared offenders as criminals, it also deprived them of the law's protections; in other words, fair game for anyone and anything. Thank goodness those days are gone.

Joe

[reeves]

hahaa yes i saw that one, sorry but its lost on me how a society can support and promote freedom of speech then bitch about it when someone does it.

Sure that video game is probably in poor taste, insensitive and even exploitative but thats about it, if hes ignored then it wont last long...if its promoted as 'oh my god how could he' then it will become a cult classic, he may even be the next bill gates..

I'd say dont give him more credit than he probably deserves

lots of people , especially the young are blase (blazay) about the continue promotion of violence coming out of the US, is it any different to endless hollywood/TV crime and violence shows promoted as entertainment?

[Gingermick]

I just wanted to say that you can keep him, we don't want him back.

Thanks for your generosity