Game designer causes uproar with Virginia Tech game
Talk about whistling past the graveyard.
An Australian video game designer has caused a major uproar Down Under with his creation of a game based on the Virginia Tech massacre.
Called V-Tech Rampage, the game has several levels of "stealth and murder," reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
But what really is causing the kerfuffle--as if the game itself wasn't in bad enough taste--is that its designer, Ryan Lambourn, says he will take the game down from his Web site only if the public comes up with a $2,000 payoff.
For another grand, he'll apologize.
"I've done offensive things before, but they're not usually this popular," the Morning Herald quoted Lambourn as saying.
He also said that friends encouraged him to put up the cash payment demand.
"Attention angry people," Lambourn wrote on his site. "I will take this game down from Newgrounds (where the game is hosted) if the donation amount reaches $1,000. I'll take it down from (Lambourn's Web site) if it reaches $2,000 and I will apologize if it reaches $3,000."
It's hard to know how to respond to that. So I won't.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel. 
"I'm sorry" - No, somehow I doubt it.
"whole thing is hilarious" - Tell that to the families and loved ones of those who were so 'hilariously' murdered. I wonder how funny it'd be to you if a close relative or friend of yours had been killed in the senseless rampage at V-Tech...
And yes I'm aware that you probably won't come back or read any replies to your post. I just had to reply because it sickens me that there are people like this game designer who for whatever reasons make a game like this to begin with or other people like yourself who think it's all so hilarious.
the moral depravity and senselessness that can spawn from our
culture. If that did not, this video game should have. It is
tasteless and revolting, and I fear for those who are too
desensitized to see how deplorable it is. The creator of this
game has removed himself from all decent conduct, as have
those who have chosen host the game in the name of "free
speech." Liberty is the freedom to do what you ought, not the
license to act in whatever vile way you please. May you who use
your liberty as license in such a crass manner recognize your
wrongdoing and change your ways.
Friends, act with caution: a culture that lauds unrepentant fools
is doomed to destroy itself.
My sincere condolences to the loved ones of the victims the VA
Tech shooting, as your grief is renewed due to this ghastly
game.
Actually, freedom of speech IS the license to say whatever vile thing you please. Freedom of speech means nobody can enforce their own personal sense of what is / is not acceptable on what people say.
It means we get ugly things like this video game, but it's a lot better than the alternative, as practiced in Cuba, Zimbabwe and Myanmar, where a bunch of moral gentlemen in suits decide what you are and are not allowed to say.
doesn't break any laws. Is it tasteless? Yes. Is it moraly wrong?
Yes. Is it illegal? As far as I can tell without playing it, No.
The best way to handle senseless and moraly depraved people
such as this person is to ignore them and not run news stories
promoting their products (cough "cnet" cough). Now everybody
is aware of this idiot and his game, and more people will
download it because of articles like these.
Once again, the media is causing more problems than it's
solving.
The developer is a rotten individual!
How about using your talents for some good in this world?
- Hilarious?
- by jrgill4 May 29, 2007 11:28 PM PDT
- You have obviously never been humbled before and I sincerely hope someday you will experience something that will make you rethink your response to this tragedy.
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