Somebody Made an Online Video Game of the Newton Shootings, so That’s Not Great
This is why we can't have nice things.
Today in no-good-horrible-very-bad news, a developer made a video game inspired by the Sandy Hook shootings, and the entire Internet is mad at him. Aw, geez. Really, dude? A video game about murdering a bunch of children who actually died? Great. That's just wonderful.
Read MoreNewtown Opens Sandy Hook Arcade Center to Help Town Heal
After the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut last December, many wondered how a town could begin to heal after such a loss. Two Newtown residents think they have the answer, and that answer turns out to be games. This weekend was the opening of the Sandy Hook Arcade Center, a new not-for-profit arcade named for the elementary school where the shootings occurred.
Connecticut Town Hosts What Amounts to a Book Burning for Violent Video Games
Sure, it's well and good to host a thorough discussion on the pros and cons of violent media, and that includes video games. That's not a bad idea at all, and it's certainly not one I oppose. Unfortunately, thoughtful and thorough responses are not often the ones made immediately following a tragedy on the level of the Newtown massacre. The Violent Video Games Return Program being held by Southington, CT -- a town just 30 miles from Newtown -- is more like the kind of way people usually respond. In a lot of ways, it's not all that different from a book burning.
Electronic Arts Drops Links to Gun Retailers on Medal of Honor Site
When it was announced that Electronic Arts would be partnering with gun companies for the latest outing of their Medal of Honor franchise, the vast majority of those following along let out a collective sigh. "Great," people said to each other, "Another reason to blame video games for gun violence." EA has finally agreed in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre and pulled the links to gun retailers from the Medal of Honor: Warfighter site. All it took was a national tragedy for them to realize their mistake.
National Rifle Association Basically Blames Violent Video Games for Sandy Hook, Insists We Just Need More Guns
Sigh. Okay, here it is, people. We pretty much all saw it coming. As soon as it was made known that the National Rifle Association would be holding a press conference today, palms were applied to faces with mutterings of, "Oh jeez, maybe the world really will end." It had been making the rounds that the NRA would likely blame violent video games for the Sandy Hook tragedy, because of course, so everyone prepared for the worst when Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the organization, began speaking. Let's just say, things went about like folks expected it would.
No, Let’s Talk About Talking About Video Game Violence
It was inevitable that people would somehow assign blame to video games for the horrific shooting in Connecticut last week. When the news started coming in, I looked at a fellow editor and said, "Ten minutes until someone points the finger at video games." Bad taste, perhaps, but the cycle is almost like a mathematical equation: Devastating shooting plus media equals violent video games are to blame. It certainly didn't take long, either.
That Didn’t Take Long: Angry Mob Mistakenly Blames Mass Effect for School Shooting
The horrifying event that went down yesterday morning in Connecticut was accidentally blamed on Ryan Lanza for a period of time. Turns out, the suspected shooter is actually Adam Lanza, Ryan's younger brother. Oops. Unfortunately, a Facebook profile for one Ryan Lanza was widely circulated when he was still considered the shooter, and he just so happened to like the video game Mass Effect. You can probably see where this is going. Folks seeking a scapegoat flooded the game's Facebook page, blaming it for the shooting.
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