Poll: Half Life 2: School Shooter Mod... Your thoughts?

[OniaPL]

You might have already seen the news bit about the school shooter mod that is currently in the making. The mod designer states, that it isn't meant to be educative, but entertaining in the form of killing civilians. I just generally want to hear what everyone thinks about this...

I personally otherwise wouldn't care, but I know it is going to hurt the industry, sooner or later. What if someone actually commits another school shooting and reveals the game helped him to reach that decision?

Edit: Gameplay video link http://www.moddb.com/mods/school-shooter-north-american-tour-2012
Escapist article http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108065-Inside-the-Sick-Mind-of-a-School-Shooter-Mod/videos

 

[antidonkey]

They can do what they want. Yes, it's in very poor taste and I have no desire to get it but if it's what they want to create, then more power to them. They'd best be prepared for the backlash though.

 

[lee1287]

People shoot up there schools because of the other kids. Not a game. Gawdness. It doesnt effect me in any way so birng it on i say.

 

[Tsaba]

they made a call of juarez and a border crossing game, I just have to say, I'm surprised they didn't come out with this sooner.

 

[MrGalactus]

Absolutely tasteless and insensitive.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Nothing against the game being made(despite it being wrong), but I hate how the creator seems to be doing it just because he can. Reading the interview the man seems to have no feelings towards those who actually suffered from theses tragic events and those who are trying their best to defend gaming against the media who use games like this as ammo.

He has a right to make it, but his overall intention is wrong.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. My cousin was in Columbine (she survived), but this project does have (or hopefully will have) the First Amendment right to be made. Despite what people are saying in the News Room thread, this isn't going to kill the video games industry, but getting it banned would be.

I can see the reason why people are getting offended by this, but seriously, if we want this medium to be protected by the First Amendment, we can't just start arbitrarily banning things because we don't morally agree with them.

 

[Tyrant T100]

I see nothing wrong with it really, sure it's a subject people avoid but everyone has simulated killing sprees in games before so it's silly to say this particular game is different.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's in poor taste, but there is no reason they shouldn't be allowed to make it.

I just wish that the non-gamer community understood what the term "mod" meant.

 

[Jim Grim]

He's got the right to make it, but I hate the concept with a passion. It demonstrates a lack of basic empathy to make a game you know will offend people, just because it doesn't really have a great effect on you personally.

 

[teh_Canape]

to be honest

it's pretty much GTA, in a "school", in first person

and by "GTA" I mean "what people get GTA, Saints Row and Just Cause for"

aka, shoot people just for doing it

 

[Sexbad]

It's not that different in my opinion from GTA or Just Cause or Saints Row. That said, the context is different (school instead of big islands) but it's been done before. I don't give a damn.

That said, it'll probably do the same thing that Extra Credits has been saying about EA's ad campaigns of late.

 

[sheah1]

I have to vote for legal action, I don't think any should be taken but that's the only option where I was allowed to call it an abomination.

 

[Wing Dairu]

I think it should be allowed to fall by the wayside and be forgotten. The only thing I disapprove of is how confrontational the dev is. He simply doesn't seem to be interested in the medium at all.

 

[Disgruntled_peasant]

Its distasteful, but hell, some of my favorate games and damned distasteful. I'd say it would have been better if it hadnt been made though, if only to not give the morons ammunition to use against gamers, however there should be no effort made to shut it down or ban in- firstly because its just impossible to do that unless the owner takes it down (in which case, someone else with a copy could easily upload it again) and secondly because it will give it publicity and it will reach the attention of the kind of idiots who would use it as 'proof' that video games are going to end the world.

 

[Stoic raptor]

Well, if it has educational value, not just mindless killing, why not?
It could be made into a thought provoking, deep game.

I severely doubt it though.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I've seen some gameplay on their Moddb page and the mod strikes me as tasteless, obtuse and above all, pointless and boring, despite the developers claims to the contrary.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I have to ask the people who are freaking out about this what they thought about the various World War II shooters from a while back. My grandfather served in the Pacific theater, and I definitely feel uncomfortable every time I wind up playing on the Japanese side in a multiplayer game. It's easy to go "games are a form of art and shouldn't be censored" when the controversial topic is removed from what you care about. What separates the people who truly believe in freedom of speech from those who only pay it lip service -- or worse, only want it for their cause -- is when they will defend the right of someone to say something they find utterly distasteful.

A little bit off topic here, but why on earth are gamers so ridiculously thin-skinned? What happened to the old nerd credo of "I don't care what you think, I enjoy it"?