I understand that games can be art and freedom of speech is necessary. What isn't necessary is this. This is not making games art; this is an immature middle finger to society's ignorance to video games.
ModDB Shuts Down School Shooter Mod
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Well, speaking as someone who's REALLY into free speech and protection of it... I can't help but still agree. This isn't a game. This is trolling in the form of a video game. And just like moderating troll posts isn't a violation of free speech (imo), neither is removing this game.
"Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything."
...this is just disgusting. I completely support ModDB's choice in taking it down, the mod has no right to exist in my opinion. It's offensive just to be offensive.
...this is just disgusting. I completely support ModDB's choice in taking it down, the mod has no right to exist in my opinion. It's offensive just to be offensive.
I'm looking at this from a different angle:
It's easy to have a go at the person who made the mod for being a prick who did this for nothing more than a reaction.
It's also easy to have a go at the website and say that somehow them removing something from their website which they've been getting shit for is apparently caving in
To be honest I think we all should be questioning the gaming news sites that gave this thing the pointless publicity it doesn't even deserve
Why do I think this?
Well very simply, mods like this are a dime a dozen. Hell games like this are a dime a dozen (there's tonnes of them on the internet for fuck sake), what exactly is one more on the fire going to do?
Nothing should be the answer to that question but that's the joys of publicity for you, without the publicity it would have existed, a couple of people would have played it and that would be that, just like almost every other game of its kind that exist on the internet that are there for one thing and one thing only - to get a knee jerk reaction from people.
And anyone who's been paying attention knows now that its not just the gaming press who are now circling this corpse.
Oh joy. I guess I should have learned this by now but I cant get away from sensationalist bullshit.
It's easy to have a go at the person who made the mod for being a prick who did this for nothing more than a reaction.
It's also easy to have a go at the website and say that somehow them removing something from their website which they've been getting shit for is apparently caving in
To be honest I think we all should be questioning the gaming news sites that gave this thing the pointless publicity it doesn't even deserve
Why do I think this?
Well very simply, mods like this are a dime a dozen. Hell games like this are a dime a dozen (there's tonnes of them on the internet for fuck sake), what exactly is one more on the fire going to do?
Nothing should be the answer to that question but that's the joys of publicity for you, without the publicity it would have existed, a couple of people would have played it and that would be that, just like almost every other game of its kind that exist on the internet that are there for one thing and one thing only - to get a knee jerk reaction from people.
And anyone who's been paying attention knows now that its not just the gaming press who are now circling this corpse.
Oh joy. I guess I should have learned this by now but I cant get away from sensationalist bullshit.
http://www.moddb.com/terms-of-use
So really, this isn't so much censorship as it is "You violated our Terms of Use, so we take your content down." It's no different than if someone came here, started flaming people and posting porn, and got banned for it. Yes, you have the right to freedom of speech (and remember, most of us are hoping that the Supreme Court decides that games are protected under freedom of speech, and if they do then this mod would be free speech as well), but you give that up when you enter another person's property and agree to their rules in order to participate. This guy's mod clearly violates the ModDB terms of use, and thus they have every right to take it down. The mod creator is still free to find alternative hosting if he wishes.
I still think that the mod is in poor taste, and that the guy making it is a supreme douchebag. "Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything." Really? Joke or not, that's just the kind of thing you don't joke about and you're still a douchebag for doing it even if you weren't serious.
So really, this isn't so much censorship as it is "You violated our Terms of Use, so we take your content down." It's no different than if someone came here, started flaming people and posting porn, and got banned for it. Yes, you have the right to freedom of speech (and remember, most of us are hoping that the Supreme Court decides that games are protected under freedom of speech, and if they do then this mod would be free speech as well), but you give that up when you enter another person's property and agree to their rules in order to participate. This guy's mod clearly violates the ModDB terms of use, and thus they have every right to take it down. The mod creator is still free to find alternative hosting if he wishes.
I still think that the mod is in poor taste, and that the guy making it is a supreme douchebag. "Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything." Really? Joke or not, that's just the kind of thing you don't joke about and you're still a douchebag for doing it even if you weren't serious.
Nice job on taking it down i think that a mod like that is just plain stupid and sets our medium back even further
Tito seems pretty biased when he wrote the report. All he said was Pawnstick's rather unintelligent parts of interviews, but he never stated how dignified and intelligent Pawnstick was about the whole deal.
Shame, I am disappoint.
Shame, I am disappoint.
till people understand the difference between games and reality and even games based on real events the gaming industry is stuck with people that aren't willing to understand and condemn it without finding the truth and removing the fiction. there will always be idiots who make things like this and we get condemn for it because some people are too damn shortsighted and slap there label on everyone without taking the time to separate the good from the bad.
So if you lived right next to a veteran's cemetery and the Phelps family wanted to use your front lawn to protest a dead soldier's funeral, you would let them, right? I mean, it's your property, but if you support free speech then anyone should be able to use your resources to make any point they want, huh?Belated said:
Or maybe it's possible to support free speech, but not want to personally financially sponsor and distribute free speech that you find reprehensible.
Everyone believes in freedom except when they are personally offended.
"ModDB owners DesuraNET, said that although he respects a creator's right to free speech, he thought that School Shooter was deliberately in bad taste and ceased hosting it"
I'll translate that. "I'm a wuss and I can't handle reading angry emails". Hypocrite. Deliberately in bad taste is EXACTLY the kind of content that needs the most protection. Because it is the kind that is easiest to get rid of with public (mob) approval.
I'll just directly quote the first comment on the MODDB page about it, that is more compelling than anything I can write.
"ModDB owners DesuraNET, said that although he respects a creator's right to free speech, he thought that School Shooter was deliberately in bad taste and ceased hosting it"
I'll translate that. "I'm a wuss and I can't handle reading angry emails". Hypocrite. Deliberately in bad taste is EXACTLY the kind of content that needs the most protection. Because it is the kind that is easiest to get rid of with public (mob) approval.
I'll just directly quote the first comment on the MODDB page about it, that is more compelling than anything I can write.
i really don't care much for the mod, but the fact that Moddb crumpled is a sad thing.
Bidding to ignorant people's wishes and threats only makes you worthless.
If moddb had been like, we disagree with the mod, bye. Thats cool, they have the right, but oh noes we're getting hate-mail, we must protect everyone! "Flee!" Is sad.
That being said, i have had issues with Moddb management in the past as a mod creator of a decently large mod, and i've looked down on that place ever since.
Bidding to ignorant people's wishes and threats only makes you worthless.
If moddb had been like, we disagree with the mod, bye. Thats cool, they have the right, but oh noes we're getting hate-mail, we must protect everyone! "Flee!" Is sad.
That being said, i have had issues with Moddb management in the past as a mod creator of a decently large mod, and i've looked down on that place ever since.
AS much as I believe in the 1st Amendment, I think I'd feel the same way about this mod as I would if someone made a KKK mod, which is that it's toxic for the greater well-being of society.
Certainly, it's within someone's rights to code it, but ultimately I think that ModDB made the correct decision, especially given the flack they received from ignorant people who wrongly assumed that ModDb was a haven for antisocial homicidal people :/
What choice did ModDb have when ignorance uses a wide stroke of stereotyping to possibly malign the creative work of other modders? If anyone's to blame, it's the decline of education and intelligence in America (IMPO), and a person's inability to do an iota of research before making an engry email or threat against an otherwise inculpable group of game modders.
Certainly, it's within someone's rights to code it, but ultimately I think that ModDB made the correct decision, especially given the flack they received from ignorant people who wrongly assumed that ModDb was a haven for antisocial homicidal people :/
What choice did ModDb have when ignorance uses a wide stroke of stereotyping to possibly malign the creative work of other modders? If anyone's to blame, it's the decline of education and intelligence in America (IMPO), and a person's inability to do an iota of research before making an engry email or threat against an otherwise inculpable group of game modders.