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Virginia Tech: the video game


CroScorpion

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<h1 class="articleheader">Virginia Tech: the video game</h1> May 14, 2007

Following 2005's notorious Super Columbine Massacre RPG, the Virginia Tech shootings have been turned into a flash video game.

V-Tech Rampage, which promises "three levels of stealth and murder", was uploaded to the flash website Newgrounds.com at the weekend by a user known by the alias 'Pigpen'. It puts the player in the role of Seung-Hui Cho, who slew 32 of his fellow students at Virginia Tech university on 16 April, and controversially recreates the tragedy in the style of a simple shoot-'em-up game.

virginia_tech2.jpg The opening sequence of V-Tech Rampage

Reaction to the game has been mixed, with most reviewers on the website critical of what they see as an exercise in bad taste, but a handful reluctantly praising Pigpen's "balls". Several more admitted that they enjoyed the game itself despite having serious reservations about the subject matter.

One reviewer commented: "I'm a student at Virginia Tech and when I saw this, V-Tech Rampage, I thought maybe you killed Cho so it wouldn't be QUITE as bad. But after actually playing, it is awful. You are a very, very sick person. You are barely any better than Cho."

virginia_tech3.jpg When Super Columbine Massacre RPG came out two years ago, the general response from the gaming community (such as it is) was to defend what was seen as an important principle: the right of games as a medium to portray whatever they choose, and not be seen automatically as toys and by extension a means of corrupting children with inappropriate content.

Many felt that SCMRPG was a childish and tasteless stunt, but when the game was dropped from the Slamdance festival line-up several other games makers pulled out in protest at a perceived threat to freedom of speech.

But V-Tech Rampage is a different kettle of fish. Firstly, the timing is far less sensitive - SCMRPG waited six years after the tragedy it portrayed (longer, let's remember, than United 93, the first cinematic treatment of the World Trade Center attacks), V-Tech less than a month. Which suggests that Pigpen is motivated primarily by getting his name in the limelight and The Daily Mail's letters page (or whatever the US equivalent is).

Second, V-Tech isn't original. SCMRPG had a few important if somewhat trite things to say about desensitisation and the portrayal of violence; V-Tech is just a childish swipe at right-wing commentators who claimed the shootings were caused by excessive video game consumption.

Finally, V-Tech isn't terribly good. As Kotaku puts it: "Free speech and free expression are great. Just make sure you've got something to say."

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That thing's so idiotic; tragedies such as this is NO laughing matter; perhaps even the most hardcore GTA gamer would disagree to the V-Tech joke - See, Jack Thompson, even we Grand Theft Auto players care about the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy - it's just you who wants to show off on TV, make bad stereotypes and be famous...

Edited by Huckleberry Pie
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Yes it is a stupid looking game ... but in all honesty I also found it humorous. The things people will make a game out of is just retarded ... making it somewhat humorous in this case. The person who made it does not deserve to be put in jail or punished in any sort of way, after all the creater is probably just some bored loser with too much time on their hands.

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God. Tell me you're kidding, they're making a GAME out of it? :o

That's disgusting.

I lol'd.... And I just lol'd again. I find it humorous. Looks a little retarded, though. Probably won't ever waste my time with it.

I lol'd as well. It may not be right, but it's still funny.

No, but lacking a sense of humor can kill you.

There was an RPG-style game based on Columbine if I'm not mistaken.

You aren't forced to play it. You weren't forced into this topic((which you already knew the contents of before reading it)), and you aren't even forced to acknowledge it's existence. Get over it.

Agreed, I came cause it sounded funny, it was.

Yes it is a stupid looking game ... but in all honesty I also found it humorous. The things people will make a game out of is just retarded ... making it somewhat humorous in this case. The person who made it does not deserve to be put in jail or punished in any sort of way, after all the creater is probably just some bored loser with too much time on their hands.

Agree again...whoever made it must not have a girlfriend.

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Whoever made the game is a retarded cu*t and deserves to put in Jail.

Ok. Free speech (Where the creator of the game lives)

No, but lacking a sense of humor can kill you.

There was an RPG-style game based on Columbine if I'm not mistaken.

You aren't forced to play it. You weren't forced into this topic((which you already knew the contents of before reading it)), and you aren't even forced to acknowledge it's existence. Get over it.

I agree. People can say whatever they want and offend the shit out of you, and you can't stop them. But you don't HAVE to listen to them.

BTW Columbine game

I can't believe this, reminds me of that sting ray game made after Steve Irwin was killed. There are some really stupid people in this world, things like this are disrespectful and just discusting.

So? Steve Irwin fucked with animals. What happens when you fuck with animals? You get killed. Steve Irwin may have suffered a tragedy, but he took that risk.

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Whoever made the game is a retarded cu*t and deserves to put in Jail.

Ok. Free speech (Where the creator of the game lives)

Ah yes, the old 'freedom of speech', that's why there are so many maniacs in America, right? :rolleyes: Point is, it's disrespectful and quite insulting to the families of those affected. I'm sorry, but I don't laugh at something as utterly pointless as this.

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I've got an idea. Lets wait until someone YOU (creator of the game) love dies, then i'll make a game out of it...

What? The same rule applies to him. You have the right to make a game like that. The problem is that nobody cares.

The point i'm trying to make is that the creator of that game is an insensitive tosser.

And, in case you didn't notice... I care.

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The problem is in todays world, unless you are very sheltered, it is hard not get insensitive. There is just simply to much going on that should worry us. Most of us eventually end up picking and choosing, unknowingly, what bothers us and what we could care less about. Personally, I believe that humans are the biggest screw ups in the world and I no longer care what they do to each other out of anger unless I have a personal connection to them or of course if an innocent young child is involved.

Even if one of my friends were shot in the Virginia Tech shooting, yes I would be upset with the game and want to punch the person who made it in the face, but after the first five minutes of finding out, I would not care anymore. Its his problem that he has no respect for the lost of others.

People die, other people have sick humor. Its something we need to learn to live with whether we like it or not.

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The problem is in todays world, unless you are very sheltered, it is hard not get insensitive. There is just simply to much going on that should worry us. Most of us eventually end up picking and choosing, unknowingly, what bothers us and what we could care less about. Personally, I believe that humans are the biggest screw ups in the world and I no longer care what they do to each other out of anger unless I have a personal connection to them or of course if an innocent young child is involved.

Even if one of my friends were shot in the Virginia Tech shooting, yes I would be upset with the game and want to punch the person who made it in the face, but after the first five minutes of finding out, I would not care anymore. Its his problem that he has no respect for the lost of others.

People die, other people have sick humor. Its something we need to learn to live with whether we like it or not.

Amen to Keruri for the only TRULY thought out post in this thread.

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