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New Video Game Recreates Kennedy Assassination

theodp writes "Lee Harvey Oswald-wannabes will be able to simulate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy when Traffic Games releases the $9.99 JFK Reloaded on Monday to coincide with the 41st anniversary of Kennedy's murder in Dallas. 'It is despicable,' said a spokesman for Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the late president's brother."

120 of 832 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by mfh · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This doesn't sound like a fun game to me. I'll have to try it out anyway, but it seems kinda off. I can gun down a million monsters in most enjoyable FPS games. How is putting four bullets in JFK going to bring me *any* satisfaction? Magic bullet, indeed.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
    1. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by ceeam · · Score: 4, Funny

      Huh! Imagine when on higher levels there are HUNDREDS! of limos with Kennedies rushing at you! Like in old arcades.

    2. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 4, Funny

      And finally, a gigantic limo drives up, with a humongous Kennedy.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    3. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by rleibman · · Score: 4, Funny

      There's already a humongous Kennedy. He senates for Massachussets.

    4. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by bpd1069 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The DC sniper shottings were not that impressive interms of distance, most were less than 100 yards. The only thing that is interesting is the modified backseat that allowed the shooter to fire from a prone position under complete cover out of a hole in the trunk. Never heard of anything like that before.

      --
      --
    5. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by Idarubicin · · Score: 5, Informative
      He senates for Massachussets.

      Verbing weirds language....

      --
      ~Idarubicin
    6. Re:Doesn't Sound Fun to Me by Amiga+Trombone · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't think it's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be educational. BTW, I wrote a JE a while back with this very idea: Prior Art.

      That's nothing. Back in the 80's a buddy and me wrote a game based on the Kennedy assassination for the Commodore 64.

      It was kinda cool. It played a cheesy version of "Hail to the Chief" while you shot at the president. If you remember the kind of sounds that came out of a Commodore, you know what I mean.

      Naturaly, not everybody thought it was as funny as we did. My girlfriend came home from work, took a look at our game and the collection of beer bottles around the apartment, and made a face like she'd bit into a lemon. She asked us, "Don't you two shingle-heads have anything better to do?"

      I gave a copy of it to friend to take to work with him at the water department. He showed it to some old man who worked there. I understand the old geezer flipped out, and threatened to call the FBI on us.

      We uploaded it up to some bulletin board, and promptly got banned after some of the other customers complained.

      I guess we should have stuck with it, since it looks like there's a buck to made.

      But we didn't exactly get a lot of encouragement at the time. Didn't look very promising. I wonder if there's still a copy of our version floating around on the net some where?

  2. Sequel ideas? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one am looking forward to "Chappaquiddick II: The Game"

    1. Re:Sequel ideas? by earthforce_1 · · Score: 5, Funny

      To be followed by the JFK Junior Flight Simulator game.

      --
      My rights don't need management.
    2. Re:Sequel ideas? by Class+Act+Dynamo · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about a Grover Cleveland related game in which you try to see how many activities you can do twice on non-consecutive occasions?

      --
      My other computer is a Jacquard loom.
    3. Re:Sequel ideas? by roseblood · · Score: 3, Funny

      To be followed by the JFK Junior Flight Simulator game

      Or perhaps a Senator Kennedy Driving game. Extra points awarded the further you can distance yourself from the body of the woman you just killed [politicaly as well as physicaly.]

      --
      There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    4. Re:Sequel ideas? by Bishop923 · · Score: 2, Informative

      For those that don't get the reference...
      Grover Cleveland was the only president to be elected into office(1885-1889, fail at his first re-election* then run again 4 years later and win a second term(1893-1897), making him both the 22nd and 24th president.

      *Interestingly enough he lost under the same scenario that Al Gore fell victim to in 2000, namely that he got more popular votes, but lost in the Electoral votes.

    5. Re:Sequel ideas? by Ben+Hutchings · · Score: 2, Informative

      Uh, yeah, that's what "Chappaquiddick" refers to.

  3. Whats wrong? by ericdano · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What is wrong with it? I see re-creations all the time on the History Channel, Discovery, etc, etc, etc. Why not create a game that lets you do it? It is something that happened. Where is the upcry when you have WWII games happening??

    --
    It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
    I moderate therefore I rule!
    --
    1. Re:Whats wrong? by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Let's see... It's:

      1) disrespectful to the family of the victim.
      2) morbid
      3) a cheap ploy to get attention for a mediocre effort.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    2. Re:Whats wrong? by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Where is the upcry when you have WWII games happening??

      Games about WWII: OK.

      Games about shoveling the dead naked bodies of Jews into ovens: Not OK.

      I guess the point is that some things just go beyond what most people think is appropriate/acceptable/good taste.

      --
      .: Max Romantschuk :: http://max.romantschuk.fi/
    3. Re:Whats wrong? by Erwos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Shooting Nazis is generally considered good form, because they're universally regarded as evil personified and with damn good reason. You'll notice that this is the objective of 99.9% of FPS WWII games. Not too many games where you start off as an SS soldier out to kill FDR, some famous Jewish rabbi, etc.

      More to the point, you get _points_ for drilling JFK just so with your rifle. That's pretty tasteless, and for a president who was liked pretty well (so I'm told) by most of the world, you'd think they could stay away from that...

      -Erwos

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    4. Re:Whats wrong? by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Good point.

      I notice that games like Battlefield 1942 never include scenarios like being one of the Soviet troops who murdered the Polish officers in the Katyn forest massacre, or playing one of the SS thugs at Treblinka.

      They all seem to be based on scenarios where the people you're trying to shoot can shoot back.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    5. Re:Whats wrong? by Boronx · · Score: 5, Funny

      And yet a large minority of the players devote their time to knifing hapless newbs.

    6. Re:Whats wrong? by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Interesting
      I don't play enough video games to know what it is called but I recall a WWII video game where at least part of the time you were an assassin, and you had to kill specific people. You still got shot at by guards and so forth so it wasn't just a massacre, but there were rooms where everyone was unarmed and you could just pick them off.

      I agree that a game portraying Jews thrown in graves would be more offensive but it's also not that far removed from a visit to the Holocaust Museum or the Museum of Tolerance, where the conditions of Jews are recreated in rather direct ways. The difference there of course is that in the museum you play the role of the victim.

      It's an interesting question and I'm not sure where I fall on it but I can't say I'm too offended by this, especially given the explanation someone else posted that the videogamemakers want to prove that the Warren Commission hypothesis is not possible. If that's the case, then there is little question that this is a form of political speech and even historical research, poor taste or no.

    7. Re:Whats wrong? by Spyffe · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Shooting Nazis is generally considered good form
      The people who got drafted to go fight in Russia or France aren't people I'd be proud of killing. We're not talking about Himmler's Totenkopfeinheiten here; these are humans, many of whom would probably much rather be safe at home than in some foreign country getting shot at.

      I would be more inclined to draw the moral line at the shooting of defenseless people, if I were going to draw one.

      --
      Sigmentation fault - core dumped
  4. I'm suprised to be agreeing.. by jcr · · Score: 4, Funny

    with Teddy Kennedy on *anything*, but this is in very poor taste.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:I'm suprised to be agreeing.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nobody said anything about eating the game.

  5. Oh my god! They killed JFK! by geminidomino · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Those bastards! AGAIN!

    Seriously, tho, WTF?! Is this a way to commemorate what is reportedly (I wasn't born at the time, so I can't speak for it) a very sad day in US history?

    Or is this just a thinly vieled cover for the "Shrubya" skin that will be showing up on 0-day sites shortly after release?

    1. Re:Oh my god! They killed JFK! by DAldredge · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Read about the 10,000 - 100,000 USD contest they are running, it appears that they think that no one will be able to make the shots match the Warren Commission Report.

      That may be why they are doing it.

    2. Re:Oh my god! They killed JFK! by Elkboy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Whoo! I'm one aimbot away from ten grand!

  6. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hopefully it isn't this company and a Kennedy impersonator.

  7. Awww.... by empee · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was hoping for a game that would let me recreate the beers that were thrown at Ron Artest on Friday night.

  8. Warren Commision. by krymsin01 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I was look around on their site earlier. Seems to me that the point of this game is to get people to question the findings of the Warren commision by showing how impossible it is to pull off.

    If you can, they offer a $100,000 reward. Sounds like it's bot time to me...

    --
    stuff
    1. Re:Warren Commision. by ericdano · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There was a new show, either on Discovery Channel or the History Channel, where they recreated the shot. The bullet pretty much did what the "magic bullet" did. Check it out.

      --
      It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
      I moderate therefore I rule!
      --
    2. Re:Warren Commision. by krymsin01 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You know, I've never really cared who killed Kennedy. Did the gov't lie about? Don't really care. If they did, add another mark on the "Lies told to me by the gov't" score board. If not, doesn't matter. It isn't going to bring JFK back to life.

      If it did, then THAT'D be a news story.

      --
      stuff
    3. Re:Warren Commision. by ericdano · · Score: 2, Interesting
      JFK got hit with, I believe, two bullets. The last one blew off like the back of his head. Some people say it was fired from the front, others say from the back.

      The shot that baffles people is the one before, where it enters JFK's back, then travels into the Governor, and ends up in the Governor's leg. A path a lot of experts say is impossible. Yet, on this new Discovery Channel re-enactment, they pretty much recreated the shot, and got pretty much the same results.......

      --
      It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
      I moderate therefore I rule!
      --
  9. how about a simulation of by taxman_10m · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Chappaquiddick on July 18, 1969.

  10. Heh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If Mr. Kennedy thinks this one is despicable, just wait until he sees the sequel. You know, the one that simulates getting blitzed and driving off a bridge with your mistress, then leaving her to drown while you crawl home and sleep it off

  11. Re:If it were a different president by DrMrLordX · · Score: 3, Informative

    While I might or might not agree with your assessment of the Slashdot editors' political opinions, we would all do well to be careful when making remarks regarding violence towards current or former presidents, as well as presidential candidates and other high-level federal officials(elected or appointed). There are laws regarding this sort of thing. If I recall, some late-night talkshow host got into some serious trouble years ago by showing a picture of W at a podium with the words "Snipers Wanted" underneath. Or, something like that. Quite a stir arose from the incident.

  12. Oswald. by TrevorB · · Score: 4, Funny

    Campers. Bastards. The lot of them.

  13. My question is... by SnprBoB86 · · Score: 4, Funny

    How can this possibly be $10 worth of entertainment? How can this be worth anything?

    I get to shoot one guy, four times? If that costs $10 bucks, I owe Bungie about 180 billion dollars.

    --
    http://brandonbloom.name
  14. 'It is despicable,' by DAldredge · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yes, as so was your boses behavior when he, while driving drunk, killed a woman.

    But thats in the past and doesn't matter.

    1. Re:'It is despicable,' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
      You mean exactly like Laura Bush killed her childhood boyfriend during a late night party where the police report has the speed of her vehicle blurred out and she says that it was just an unfortunate accident?

      Just like Teddy.

    2. Re:'It is despicable,' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      " In the fall of 1963, Laura narrowly averted a life of pointless obscurity, when she ran a stop sign and collided with another vehicle, inflicting a fatal neck fracture on Mike Douglas, a then-serious boyfriend"

      In-depth Snopes info (TRUE)

      (not same AC)

    3. Re:'It is despicable,' by IvyMike · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, as so was your boses behavior when he, while driving drunk, killed a woman.

      Well, that's pretty much off the topic--so what? That doesn't change the fact that what he's saying is correct.

      But if we're merely trading partisan barbs, it is fascinating how many prominent politicians are guilty of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.

  15. weeeee by kaje103 · · Score: 5, Funny

    oh boy oh boy.. I can't wait until they make a simulation of Clinton in the Oval Office. Mission: Hit the mouth Fire torpedo one! The dress was hit, I repeat the dress was hit! Game Over

  16. Nintendo Power Classified Information by Gary+Yogurt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Press "back and to the left, back and to the left" on the controller after the Traffic Games logo for an extra shooter!

  17. even tasteless chuckleheads deserve entertainment by EllynGeek · · Score: 2, Informative

    I guess. Or maybe not. But it's not like the cretins who play this game would be doing something useful otherwise.

    --

    we will end no whine before its time

  18. see if you too have the skills to beat the rap! by taxman_10m · · Score: 5, Funny

    or drive Mary Jo home... which is less fun.

  19. Turnabout is fair play... by wrinkledshirt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just my two cents, of course, but with videogames like this, maybe the outrage at the lack of decency should be directed a little more broadly...

    --

    --------
    Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...

  20. The last I checked... by laughingcoyote · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I live in a free country. Namely, America. (Yes, I realize a significant number of /. readers do not, sometimes I wish I was among that number...) We have freedom of speech and expression the last I heard. If you think the game is in poor taste, by all means, do not buy or play it. To me, it just doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but I could care less about the subject matter.

    Why is there not this outcry against Call of Duty, when it recreates the tragic deaths of millions during WWII? Is a historical simulation only wrong if someone FAMOUS gets hurt?

    --
    To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.
    1. Re:The last I checked... by Atzanteol · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We have freedom of speech and expression the last I heard.

      Those freedoms apply to the brothers of assassinated presidents too, yes?

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
  21. seems boring. by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Interesting

    *When the simulation starts, you are viewing Dealey Plaza through Lee Harvey Oswald's eyes: from the sixth floor of the Texas Schoolbook Depository. A cross-hair marks the position of your rifle sight. Controls available to you are left-click to shoot, and right-click to zoom in/out, and mouse-movements to adjust your aim.*

    so, you only get to aim and shoot. sounds quite boring, and doesn't really offer anything for the conspiracy heads either, as the conspiracy and plot is already played out with oswald as the shooter. now if you would be able to reconstruct the happenings in different ways, like placing the shooter at different locations or using multiple shooters.

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  22. Too Soon? by Stubtify · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While I personally don't agree with the product, I certainly hope this doesn't turn into another campaign against video game violence. It may however, since that this comes out during a time when people still lived through the event in question, yet the audience is clearly a newer generation. Shameless, yes. Outlaw it? nope.

  23. Couple thoughts. by BrookHarty · · Score: 3, Insightful

    One, You realize that at least we have the freedom to create this recreation. Many countries could ban this, or even worse put you in jail.

    Second, Could this be to prove that the 3 bullets didnt come from the same gun? No matter what you do, you can't recreate the assignation since the bullets come from different directions?

    I thought it was proved when the home movie was finally released showing the driver getting hit, that there was a 2nd gunman.

    Or is that damn Magic bullet bullshit true? Bounces around like ping pong ball. Hey, even snopes.com doesnt explain that urban legend.

    1. Re:Couple thoughts. by phillymjs · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Or is that damn Magic bullet bullshit true?

      The History Channel (IIRC) just ran a special about that last week. A team set out to prove or disprove the single bullet theory. They constructed two very realistic torsos, placed them the way Kennedy and Connally were seated and oriented in the car, and fired a bullet exactly like Oswald used from a rifle just like Oswald's from Oswald's relative position to the limo.

      The result? They almost got a single bullet to produce all the wounds. The only difference was they broke an extra rib in "Connally's" torso-- that deformed the bullet more than apparently happened in the real assassination, and took away the energy it needed to penetrate a block of gel meant to represent Connally's thigh-- it just bounced off, instead. I thought the single bullet theory was a bunch of shit, but after seeing their recreation it certainly seems plausible.

      The show was fascinating, and I'm sure it will see another airing or two this week for anybody who's interested. I think it was "Investigating History," and if so then it's on tonight (Monday night 11/22) at 10PM ET.

      ~Philly

    2. Re:Couple thoughts. by Saeger · · Score: 3, Insightful
      But just between you and me, if you were dictator, you would ban it, wouldn't you?

      (I wouldn't. In fact, I'm going to go burn a U.S. flag now, because the flag symbolizes the freedom to do just that. :)

      --

      --
      Power to the Peaceful
    3. Re:Couple thoughts. by dave420 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Don't be so arrogant. Most countries in the world wouldn't ban you for depicting the assassination of a former leader. America isn't special in that regard - in fact, it's less free than a lot of countries.

  24. other shooters by syynnapse · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I suppose its somewhat in poor taste, but im all about free speech.

    I don't like that it only allows you to be oswald though. It would be much more intresting if you could also try it in the multiple shooter scenario. if this were an option, the game would be much more likely to "undermine the theory there was some shadowy plot behind the assassination" as the developer claims its purpose is.

    --

    System.out.println(syynnapse.getSig());

  25. Change history... by MrDyrden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start JFK now has 30 lives!

  26. Re:Let's see...It's not: by jcr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Are reenactments of historical events disrespectful to those involved?

    They certainly can be, and this game is one such example.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  27. Re:Let's see...It's not: by Ieshan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You're missing the point.

    While this is recreation of a historical detail for points, it's also recreation of a murder.

    I imagine you would be extremely upset if someone created a videogame reenacting the murder of your sister or brother, asking players to try and mimic as perfectly as possible the trajectory of the bullets that exited your loved one's skull.

    This isn't a history role-playing game, this is recreation of an actual murder.

    There's definately more wrong than right in this. You should be able to see that.

  28. Multiplayer Sequel by LeiGong · · Score: 4, Funny

    The hear the multiplayer sequel lets your friends play as the shooters on the grassy knoll!

  29. For a more tasteful take, try XIII by majid · · Score: 3, Informative

    XIII is a FPS based on a hit French illustrated series of the same name, and loosely inspired by the JFK assassination. You play the role of an amnesiac who finds out he is somehow implicated in the assassination of a US President, and must clear your name and recover your past. The twist at the end is stunning. Interestingly, the 3D is rendered to resemble cel animation, very cool.

  30. that's not really responsive by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The parent comment asked why it was any different from a WWII reenactment game. All three conditions would certainly apply. And there are hordes of WWII games, and there is no uproar.

    This is a historical event, and while all three things are probably true for many recountings of such historical events, I'm not convinced that video games should be treated differently from any other historical account. Certainly the game is there for entertainment, which makes it different from a documentary (for example), but not so different that it isn't still (at least implicitly) a narrative about an important historical event.

    1. Re:that's not really responsive by k98sven · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In my opinion there *is* a significant difference.

      1) Tens of millions of people were killed in WWII. The sheer number of deaths depersonalizes the victims. (Unfair as that may be) So you can't compare it. AFAIK most WWII games do not center on specific named individuals either.

      2) Time, WWII was two generations ago, the Kennedy murder was one.

      3) Morality. All but the strongest pacificts would agree that killing another armed man in war is one thing and murdering an unarmed civilian is another. WWII reenactment games usually center on warfare, not the Holocaust, for example.

      I don't see that being a 'historical event' is much of a mitigating factor. So was 9/11, and I think most people would be quite offended if someone were to make a 'hit the twin towers flight simulator'-type game out of it.

      And that would be because of the reasons stated above.

    2. Re:that's not really responsive by k98sven · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And which of these was a victim of WWII?

      Out of those, only Rommel died during the war, and that was after being ordered to commit suicide. He was a victim of the Nazis, not the war.

    3. Re:that's not really responsive by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Interesting
      I've got mixed feelings about all this but let me play devil's advocate for a sec:

      1) Tens of millions of people were killed in WWII. The sheer number of deaths depersonalizes the victims. (Unfair as that may be)

      Arguably, a game that desensitizes participants to the slaughter of thousands of faceless combatants is worse from a moral perspective than one that targets a particular individual. In any case, I have seen games that focus on individuals -- Hitler, for example. And again, the Kennedy assassination is an important piece of history -- I think it would be different with say a game that focused on the murder of Joe Blow from Indiana or whatever.

      Time, WWII was two generations ago, the Kennedy murder was one.

      I see the point, but who decides when enough time has passed? There are WWII vets alive today who are probably offended by WWII games. Besides, what about games that depict (and even celebrate) the slaughter of vaguely defined swarthy terrorist-types from the middle east? We have wars going on right now that some games portray (with varying degrees of specificity). I think the real difference is that American culture recognizes one as an "enemy" and it's ok to slaughter enemies.

      3) Morality. All but the strongest pacificts would agree that killing another armed man in war is one thing and murdering an unarmed civilian is another.

      Political assassination, however, is a third case. I think you're right that we shouldn't see games reenacting the gas chambers or Columbine or whatever, but I'm not so sure about an event that involves heads of state (especially when the past 40 years of popular culture have been obsessed with the details of this particular head of state's assassination).

      I don't see that being a 'historical event' is much of a mitigating factor.

      The problem is actually that you do see being a "video game" as a mitigating factor in the other direction. The fact that this is a historical event is important for the same reason that it is OK to write a biography exposing the sexual escapades of a President while it is not OK to write one exposing those of your next door neighbor. As a public official, his death is a matter of public interest and insofar as there has been intense public speculation about the circumstances of it, well, this is just another form of expression for that speculation. I agree with many that this is in poor taste, but I don't think it's beyond the pale, at least no more so than a documentary about the Kennedy assassination.

      So was 9/11, and I think most people would be quite offended if someone were to make a 'hit the twin towers flight simulator'-type game out of it.

      They already did -- some company called Microsoft made it - in 2000. As far as a post-911 game like that being offensive -- I think the bigger problem for many people would be the game's use as a training tool. There is no way this game could be used to train for assassination unless you're planning something in Dealy Plaza. But I don't think there would be as much objection to a post-911 game that simulated the collapse of the WTC or the Pentagon in order to cast doubt on the official story -- some sort of physics simulation of the buildings coming down or the Pentagon collapsing that implies that there is no plane or whatever. That's a more apt analogy.

      Such a simulation would be too "serious" though; I think the real problem people have with this is that it is billed as "entertainment" rather than "education" or "advocacy," but we've got to recognize that many things are both.

    4. Re:that's not really responsive by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Interesting
      People often watch things to be informed or to experience a wide range of motions. It's absurd to pretend that a game where you play the sniper killing Kennedy is about anything more than entertainment

      What about a game like I described above about 911? Or the kinds of games used by the armed forces for training? What about a movie like "Team America," which is obviously meant to be "just entertainment," yet portrays in what some would say is a very offensive way the current US war on terrorism as an ignorant and murderous enterprise?

      I think almost the opposite of what you say above -- it's absurd to think a video game, or a movie, is ever only about entertainment. There is always something else going on -- information is conveyed, ideas are presented, arguments are implicitly and explicitly made. In fact, I don't think you would be offended at all if you didn't agree with me at some level - the reason this bothers people is they object to what the video game implicitly is arguing for -- some kind of implicit support (perhaps) for the Kennedy assassination. I think it's a little different - it's support for a particular conspiracy theory about the assassination -- but either way, the point is, it is more than just "entertainment."

    5. Re:that's not really responsive by Jane_the_Great · · Score: 2, Interesting
      "which is obviously meant to be "just entertainment," yet portrays in what some would say is a very offensive way the current US war on terrorism as an ignorant and murderous enterprise?"
      So it is just entertainment?

      "Needless to say, whatever the point of the film, it supports my contention that the film cannot be seen as "merely" entertainment."
      Aren't you contradicting yourself? First you said that Team America was just entertainment and then had some thought that sort of trailed off. Did you instead mean to say that while to a casual observer, Team America would be viewed as casual entertainment - the truth of the matter is that it is not just entertainment? If that is what you meant in the original post, your ability to share your thoughts with others needs quite a bit of work.

      Now - if you don't think Team America offers support from the middle, think about this: In the movie, you see the destruction of the Eiffel Tower, etc. This obviously portrays certain ultra-militaristic views in a negative light. On the other hand, the Film Actors Guild parody obviously portrays the extreme left in a negative light. Now, where can it be found that there is support for a balance in between? As I said, the pussies, dicks, assholes monologue.

      "We're dicks! We're reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks. And the Film Actors Guild are pussies. And Kim Jong Il is an asshole. Pussies don't like dicks because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes - assholes that just want to shit on everything. Pussies may think they can deal with assholes their way but the only thing that can fuck an asshole is a dick, with some balls. The problem with dicks is they fuck too much or fuck when it isn't appropriate. And it takes a pussy to show them that. But sometimes pussies can be so full of shit that they become assholes themselves. Because pussies are an inch and a half away from assholes. I don't know much about this crazy world, but I do know this; If you don't let us fuck this asshole we're going to have our dicks and pussies all covered in shit."
      Now, you see that the underlying point of that monologue is that certain behaviors supported by the right must be taken while the temperance offered by some on the left can be a good thing. I'll appreciate it if you can be a bit more clear and concise with any future posts you make. Thank you.
      --
      THIS ACCOUNT IS OFFICIALLY RETIRED/RETARDED.
  31. Coming soon from the same developer... by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 5, Funny
    Die, Liberal, Die!

    You'll throw the switch on an electric chair holding a convicted baby-butchering doctor in this educational look at both sides of the abortion debate. Learn all about electric current, too.

    Take Dat, Bitch!

    Use a crowbar on a conniving hooker before the jury rejects her opportunistic criminal complaint against you. The game has been designed to debunk phony assault charges; after all, she's a hooker.

    Voterator

    Install and, with the help of a bottle of Windex and a micro-fiber cloth, debug the latest U.S. touchscreen polling machines. Can a vote here or there go awry? Find out when your candidate enjoys late surges in the opposition's key districts!

  32. Re:If it were a different president by Socrates+Demise · · Score: 2, Informative

    Ya, They had the secrete service at Boulder High School in Boulder Colorado after a talent show where a group of students planned to use a Bob Dylan song to say they wished for the death of President Bush.

    Here's the story on Reuters.

    --
    I hate stupid rules... Rules that make sense I don't mind... But the stupid ones just really bug me!
  33. Firefox RSS feed Live Bookmark misleading by robotoverflow · · Score: 5, Funny

    "New Video Game Recreates Kennedy Ass..."

    --
    % mkdir :
    % ls -dF :
    :/
  34. Maybe they don't get the cultural signifigance by kwn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm sure they would balk at a simulation of the death of William Wallace. Which by the way would be more fun than just three bullets:

    "At that time (and for the next 550 years), the punishment for the crime of treason was that the convicted traitor was dragged to the place of execution, hanged by the neck (but not until he was dead), and disembowelled (or drawn) while still alive. His entrails were burned before his eyes, he was decapitated and his body was divided into four parts (or quartered).

    Accordingly, this was Wallace's fate. His head was impaled on a spike and displayed at London Bridge, his right arm on the bridge at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, his left arm at Berwick, his right leg at Perth, and the left leg at Aberdeen."

    from

    Point for historically acurate body part placement.

  35. The latest Flash ad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Kill JFK and win a FREEEE iPod!

  36. How would that be at all valid? by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm quite an excellent sniper in video games. It would be fair to say that any SWAT team and most special forces units would be interested in e if I could shoot like that in real life. Alas one is not the other and my skill with a real gun does not equal my skill with a virual one, it doens't even come close.

    However all in all it's not relivant since a desktop computer can't accurately simulate reality. However they designed this game, they are making shortcut assumptions, simplified physics, and so on. It will not be an accurate simulation of what happened.

    I can't see any realistic point to this.

  37. My monitor stopped working after first shot by jayveekay · · Score: 2, Funny

    Was I doing it wrong? I put my monitor 10 feet outside my window (as far as the cable would reach), ran the sim, then started shooting with my .22 from the windowsill. Was I supposed to use a special bulletproof monitor? Darn these realistic sims can be expensive!

  38. Off Topic by killerface · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, But does it run linux?

  39. UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT A B SECLECT START by roseblood · · Score: 5, Funny

    incase you want to get an extra shooter on the grassy knoll.

    --
    There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    1. Re:UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT A B SECLECT START by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wrong game. For this, the code is:

      back, and to the left.

  40. Question by ceeam · · Score: 3, Funny

    When the GWB mod is due out?

  41. Re:"They Hate Us For Our Freedom!" by Aceto3for5 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Um, Dude.
    When does freedom of speech = freedom to threaten another human life? Do you think someone has the right to make a video game about killing you personally? What about someone you love?

    Would you suggest that a society where threats on life are accepted and protected, would in fact be more free? That sort of system of intimidation would only sacrafice our freedom to those who have the greatest ability to end our lives.

    Lets say some very rich and powerful person were to threaten the life of the president, and for the sake of argument, there is nothing illegal about making that threat. What you would be left with is a weakened presidency, perhaps more likely to act along the idealogical lines of the man who has threatened to take his life.

    The intimidation that comes with a threat makes it just as serious as the actual act of murder. It is control based on whoever is strongest. A society free to threaten its leaders is not free, but merely bound to the will of the entity best equipped to make good on its word.

  42. Re:So, what about... by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thats a great idea. Concentration Camp Tycoon, from the makers of rollercoaster tycoon and railroad tycoon. I can see it selling just about as well as lemonade tycoon...

    No, silly. It's called Sim-Camp. Getting started is easy- just follow the steps below and you'll have your concentration camp up and running in no time.

    Step 1 -- Build an Incinerator
    Every camp needs an incinerator to dispose of the bodies of its victims. To build an incinerator, click on the Incinerator tool, then click on an empty area of the map. (Note: If the smoke from your incinerator is not animating, the game is probably paused. Choose a game speed to start the smoke animating.)

    Step 2 -- Add Zones
    Zones are areas that you designate for different kinds of buildings in your compound. The people who will be enslaved in your camp need to live in Residential Zones, work in Industrial Zones, and die in Disposal Zones. Place each zone type on the city map near the incinerator.

    Step 3 -- Build Railways
    The residents will need some way to arrive in your camp from the rest of the Reich. Place some Railways along the sides of your zones. Now that the zones in your camp have transportation, you should see your death camp slowly come to life. Congratulations! You've created your first concentration camp -- you may now call yourself "Kamp Kommandant!"

  43. If you RTFWS by Shihar · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you bothered to read the fucking web site you would quickly realize that this game is hardly distasteful. It isn't a shooter where you try and whack hordes of secret service guards to kill JFK. It sounds like a project to try and show that the shot was impossible. It is a simulation. Just spend thirty seconds reading the website and it becomes pretty clear that the motive for the game is pretty pure. Hell, just skim the FAQ and you should get an idea what these people are about. If it was some KKK website letting you shoot that liberal panzy, I would agree, but it sounds more like a historian with too much time on his hands.

  44. Why stop there? by Jeremi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How many years until we have "September 11th, the video game"?

    --


    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    1. Re:Why stop there? by Thwomp · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not as long as you think, 911 Survivor anybody?

      Here are some screenshots

  45. I agree.. sorta by poptones · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I don't know that I'd call it "a cheap ploy", or even "mediocre". Personally, I wish there were more "games" that let people recreate historical events for themselves, and scored them on how accurately they recreated the event. Imagine that...learning history while playing a game. Personally I like the idea of using games for something more than just passing the time.

    I agree completely. And this game could be more than just exploitation if only they allow some depth...

    Allow the player to be one of the bodyguards. See if you can prevent jfk from being shot dead and still live yourself.

    Allow the player to be the driver. See what the driver might have seen, see if you can do anything differently.

    Allow the player to be on the grassy knoll, in the crowd, or looking over Lee harvey's shoulder

    Allow the player to be the gunman from ANY position overlooking the scene. Basically, if it's just about being the trigger man in the same position as the official version and seeing how many holes you can dump into JFK, I don't see any redeeming value in it at all - not even from a gameplay perspective. Letting the player be the gunman from only the perspective of official history does nothing at all to rebuke conspiracy theories - it's just cheap (and a ripoff even at ten dollars) exploitation.

  46. This is a shocking game. by ttroutma · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The replays and ballistics through bodies stuff is creepy. First time it showed the replay of JFK losing a chunk of brain I was actually horrified. This is different than blasting monsters a bazillion times with unrealistic weapons. It actually friggin makes you see, hear, BE the killer. On the other hand it answers a lot of questions I'd always had about the distance and angle of the shots. The sim idicates that JFK was in an exposed position, much more so than I'd ever noticed before. Randomly blasting into the car seems to take out JFK more often than the other characters.

  47. Enjoy by Anenga · · Score: 4, Funny

    The SS at your door.

  48. Guys, read the site before you jump to conclusions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The game is intended as an "interactive reconstruction." The idea is to see how plausible the findings of the Warren Commission are. There's even a contest with a $100,000 prize if you can pull off the shots that Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to have taken. The simulation is an attempt to be so accurate that you must miss with your first shot in accordance with the assumptions they have made in recreating the events. Read all about it on the FAQ page.

    Historians are always reconstructing the assassination. The Discovery Channel once ran a special where they ran a dummy by in a car and had an expert marksmen sharpshoot at its head as it drove by. It wasn't horrifying; it was supposed to be educational. This game is clearly an attempt to show just how implausible the official explanation for the JFK assassination is. I would love to see if any player actually achieves a high passing score.

    Personal, I find the idea of this fascinating. The angle of "play as assassin and shoot JFK!" was given by Slashdot; that's not the intent. It's more of an academic exercise, and it will be very interesting to take part in this and see if the government's explanation for what happened actually plays out when you try it yourself. There's a reason they have the assassin's floor blocked off in the Assassination Museum--as Bill Hicks said, they didn't want thousands of American tourists going up there each year, pointing out the window, and realizing "There's no fucking way!"

    Of course, all of this publicity is probably more than they could have hoped for. I doubt many people would have known about this sim otherwise.

  49. Unsolved History: JFK - Beyond the Magic Bullet by calc · · Score: 4, Informative

    It was on the Discovery Channel and was called "Unsolved History: JFK - Beyond the Magic Bullet" It doesn't show to be airing again anytime soon. However, they do have the DVD for sale on their site - here

  50. Re:"They Hate Us For Our Freedom!" by Aceto3for5 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Well, I agree that the threat of violence shouldnt be taken lightly. Thats why, after 12 years of threats of violence, the US took action to carry out what the UN had tried and failed at for years. That is, of course, to insure that WMD were not in Iraq and that grevious atrocities were not committed. We carried out the threat made by the UN.

    Also, either you missed my point, or I didnt explain myself well enough. I am simply saying that the threat of violence can control people. This is good in the instance of Iraq and the middle east. Because of Iraq, Middle Eastern countries know that they cannot play the same game with the UN that Saddam did. This is why Libya surrendered thier arsenal. We are letting the international approach take its time in Iran. The only reason they are in talks with other countries is because the are afraid of the massive US army on thier doorstep. We also need to take the same course of action with North Korea.

    We have the strongest army in the world, so when dealing with rational people we should NOT have to use it. They should realize they cant win against us, and scrap the nukes. We arent asking them to raise a US flag or start eating hot dogs. We are simply assuring that those countries who openly hate us do not have the capacity to kill us. Its harder in the case of Jihadists, but I think in North Korea diplomacy could work.

    My whole point is this, a valid threat of violence can control people. If someone uses this threat to control a rouge nation that has said they want us to burn in nuclear flames, then that is good. If someone uses that to control a government via threats of assasaination, that is a bad thing.

  51. Cartoon Physics sure helps get it accurate by billstewart · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm quite skeptical of the games "re-enactment shows it's possible" contention. Sure, you can make a computer simulation where it's easy for the FPS player to shoot the President, but it's unlikely that they're doing the physics well enough to let anybody prove or disprove the Magic Bullet theory, and the news article and web site don't sound like they're giving you the choice of shooting from the Grassy Knoll either - just that you get to watch the bullet flying in Neo-like slow motion. It ain't science. (Also, of course, even if Oswald was the only gunman, that doesn't prove he was a lone assassin vs. getting support and funding from the Mafia or the Cubans or the Pentagon or whomever your favorite conspiracy theory likes to pin it on.)

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    1. Re:Cartoon Physics sure helps get it accurate by tgibbs · · Score: 4, Informative
      Hardly sounds like "cartoon physics":

      The ballistics in JFK Reloaded are significantly more advanced than those present in traditional "shooter" video games. This is in keeping with JFK Reloaded's status as a true simulation of the events in Dealey Plaza in 1963. For example:
      The bullets travel through the air at the correct speed - they don't instantly reach their target. Therefore you have to shoot in front of moving targets ("aim off") in order to hit them.

      As the bullets travel they are subject to gravity, and thus travel in a curved path - the further away the target is, the higher you have to aim. For example, if you shoot at the bridge, you will see the point of bullet impact quite far below the cross-hair point; shoot at the (closer) Stemmons Freeway sign, and you'll see the impact point has dropped less.

      When bullets hit objects, they react according to the material they hit. For instance, they will pass through glass and upholstery unhindered; pass through flesh with some deflection; and either glance off or pass through bone, depending on the angle of impact.

      Angles of ricochet and internal body deflection are highly accurate simulations, based on the laws of physics.
      The bullets have a certain amount of energy. As they penetrate and/or ricochet, they lose this energy as appropriate. So for instance a bullet that has already gone through a human head has very little energy left, and will tend to lodge in the next thing it hits.

      Bullets can travel complicated paths, bouncing around from object to object (within the limitations of their energy, see above). It is even possible to take 'bank shots', by intentionally ricocheting bullets off buildings.
    2. Re:Cartoon Physics sure helps get it accurate by DavidTC · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I'm with you. I think people concentrating on a second shooter are being silly. What on earth would it accomplish to prove someone else shot from some other direction? You still don't know who they are.

      The real important questions arise when you stop caring about that and look to why people would have shot him, and the behavior of the government after the shooting.

      I think the best theory is that Angleton thought JFK was the top Soviet mole he'd been looking for.

      --
      If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
  52. what's next, 9/11 game? by reyluv · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This game is no research. It's only goal is to make money off of one of the most tragic event in our history. Everyone alive back then can tell you where they were when JFK was shot in Dallas, Texas. Just like people today know where they were when the 9/11 tragedy happened. What's next, a "research" where you fly a plane through a simulation of WTC and the Pentagon building? This game developer's product is protected by free speech, but they should be ashamed of themselves.

  53. MS Flight Sim by Cid+Highwind · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How many years until we have "September 11th, the video game"?

    It's called "Microsoft Flight Simulator" and it's been around since the 1980s...

    --
    0 1 - just my two bits
  54. Damn Conspiracy theorists... by PsiPsiStar · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... keep trying to make this a multi-player game.

    --

    ___
    It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
  55. But that's all irrelivant/invalid by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is that when people try to recreate something like this, they want to assume that what happened was precisely as was intended, and thus you have to recreate everything just as happened for it to be possible. Well, not so much.

    Assuming that the WC's report is true and Oswald was the lone shooter he had one objective: Kill president Kennedy. So, to that end he was firing at the prsident until he was convinced he was dead. Most likely by a visual clue indicating a headshot. The first two shots were misses, as least as far as he was concerned. He wasn't trying to miss, he was trying to hit, however he failed to do so.

    It's not hard ot take two shots and miss and hit with a third one, even at a moving target if you are an experienced marksman. That doesn't mean you can recreate the happenings perfectly. It will happen one way one time, another the next.

    Also, no game can accurately model the physics of what will happen. Realtime physics engines in games are pretty primitive. They can deal with the basics like ragdoll simulation on bodies, falling objects, and simple destructable objects, but any real simulation is FAR beyond what we have.

    Well, to accurately simulate a bullet impact, it takes some serious power. Bullets do NOT act intuitively, espically high power ones. Lots of people forget that the bullets fired were high powered rounds form a Carcano military rifle. Thos act quite differently from a 9mm JHP round. Their penetration is extreme, and you can easily shoot through 3 or more unarmoured people with one. TRying to say that a game can simulate the trajectory of a bullet through a complex structure like the body is just stupid.

    Sounds to me like these people are really doing one of two things:

    1) Trying to play up the consparicy nut angle saying "See, lots of gamers couldn't do it in our (highly invalid) simulation, how could it possibly have happened in rea life?" and thus "prove" their theory.

    2) Make money off said consparicy nuts.

    I see nothing here approaching valid or interesting.

    1. Re:But that's all irrelivant/invalid by ObitMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I see nothing here approaching valid or interesting.

      you sure were long-winded in replying for it to be not valid or not interesting.

      --
      Who run Barter Town?
    2. Re:But that's all irrelivant/invalid by bryanp · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Oswald was such a notoriously bad shot that his coworkers (when he worked at a factory in Russia) would shoot something for him on hunts, so he wouldn't look bad to his girlfriend.

      This is a commonly repeated falsehood. Oswald was rated "Sharpshooter" in the Marines. He was able to place repeated shots in a small target at 200 yards, rather more than the 60 yards beteween him and Kennedy.

      --
      "An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
    3. Re:But that's all irrelivant/invalid by Angafirith · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You can calculate the trajectory and path of a projectile fairly accurately until you hit something. At that point, you have to figure out how much energy the projectile has left (if the body's resistance deflects the projectile, like it would with a small and slow projectile, or how much energy is left on it after it goes through the body). At that point, you have to consider the locations of bones in the body and other factors.

      I recall hearing that one of the shots at Kennedy went through another person after it went through him. We now have to consider where the bullet goes after it leaves Kennedy's body and how much energy it has left before it goes into the next person's body.

      If my understanding of physics (and the situation) is correct, it's not as simple as you make it out to be.

      (Note: I am not a forensic scientist or anything. I am a 17 year old computer geek who enjoyed High School Physics in senior year. Take this all with a grain of salt)

      --
      "It is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one." - Voltaire
    4. Re:But that's all irrelivant/invalid by smooth+wombat · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, I think it was the History Channel which just proved that that was exactly what happened.

      Using lots of new technological goodies unavailable to the Warren Commission, they were able to show that with Kennedy sitting higher than Connally, and Connally sitting slightly to the left, the bullet would have passed through Kennedys throat and into Connallys arm then wrist then leg. Exactly as the Warren Commission said.

      They even used someone who was approximately the same height and weight as Kennedy and by putting small pieces of metal on a shirt, and then doing an x-ray, the bullet wounds were exactly as were done in real life. They even had this model sit in a position just like Kennedy had been and did the x-rays with the same result.

      They even used a nearly identical rifle and fired a round into specially made recreation of the human body. A firm in Australia does it I believe. The bullet, when examined, came out almost intact. Just like in real life.

      In the past I always poo-pooed the single bullet theory. However, after looking at the Zapruder film and comparing it to the model and the computer generated recreation, I have my doubts. It does look plausible that a single bullet could have done what was done.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
  56. The most despicable thing by Magickcat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It seems to me that the most despicable thing is the fact that the American people have never had the people who killed former Pres. Kennedy brought to justice, not had the whole facts of the assasination revealed publically and officially. Of course, such a revelation would probably reveal things still relevant today, so it stays secret.

    If I was Sen. Edward Kennedy, I'd find this game less tasteless compared to a lack of answers and justice.

    Of course, if I saw the game sold in a store, I'd reconsider ever purchasing from them again. Thourougly tasteless and disrepectful, regardless of whatever you might happen to think of JFK.

    --

    Si tacuisses philosophus mansisses. If you had kept quiet, you would have remained a philosopher.

    1. Re:The most despicable thing by HeghmoH · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For everyone who is not a member of the tin-foil hat crowd, everything is fine. Oswald was the only shooter. He got whacked by a nut, who later died in prison. Justice was served as well as was possible, and the facts are there for anybody to see.

      --
      Mod down posts with a "Free Mac Mini/iPod" sig, they're spam!
  57. Dont give this trash publicity by cliffski · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This game wouldnt sell a single copy if the media didnt splash it everywhere as some kind of scandal. Its just like the game 'manhunt' which the media got pulled from UK stores recently.
    Seriously, there are some fantastic games out at the moment, Half Life 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, maybe Pirates will be good even *cough plug* my own Starship Tycoon ;)
    Its always pretty depressing to see that you can get a million dollars worth of advertising just by ensuring your game is sick and tasteless.
    Lets treat trash like this the way it deserves, and ignore it completely. there are plenty more worthy pieces of entertainmemnt out there that could be covered instead.

    --
    DRM-free indie games for the PC and Mac: Positech Games
  58. Re:Guys, read the site before you jump to conclusi by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 4, Informative
    The game is intended as an "interactive reconstruction." The idea is to see how plausible the findings of the Warren Commission are. There's even a contest with a $100,000 prize if you can pull off the shots that Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to have taken

    Except it's already been done. It was covered on either the History Channel or the Discovery Channel a while ago. They made models out of ballistics gel with pig bones inside, and had a shooter on a crane to get the same angle and distance Oswald had, using the same model gun from the same year, firing the same model bullets. He made the shot, the "wounds" on the ballistics gel model matched the wounds on Kennedy and Connely, and the damage on the bullet was almost identical to that of the so-called "magic bullet".

  59. Re:Guys, read the site before you jump to conclusi by Phil+Karn · · Score: 4, Informative
    This game is clearly an attempt to show just how implausible the official explanation for the JFK assassination is.

    Actually, the authors are trying to show exactly the opposite, that the Warren Commission made perfectly reasonable conclusions. Perhaps you should actually read what the game's authors said before you spout off your tired old conspiracy theories.

    ...they didn't want thousands of American tourists going up there each year, pointing out the window, and realizing "There's no fucking way!"

    Funny, when I visited Dealey Plaza, it seemed so... small. Then I visited the Sixth Floor museum and stood next to that window. That shot was easy! The only mystery is how he actually managed to miss one shot out of three.

    By the way, I've actually read the Warren Commission report. Have you?

  60. What!!!!????? by JollyFinn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh no they killed Kennyde.

    --
    Emacs is good operating system, but it has one flaw: Its text editor could be better.
  61. Re:If it were a different president by aero2600-5 · · Score: 2, Informative

    "The US Constitution contains in it the 2nd Amendment, which promises the right of an armed citizenry."

    I will most certainly set you straight. The National Rifle Association is very fond of the second half of the second amendment. They deliberately choose not to mention the first half of the second amendment. The second amendment states "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Are you a member of your state's militia? No, you're probably not. As such, you have no constitutional right to own a firearm and 'bear arms'. The constitution was written 200 years ago. Had they been psychic, they would have written it better so that we don't need to have this discussion, but like us, they were human. Do I think we should make it illegal to own a weapon? No, because then only criminals would have weapons. Fight for your right to defend yourself, don't use the constitution as an excuse.

    As for this video game, it may be in poor taste, but it's perfectly legal. There are many people that don't want be reminded of JFK's death, and they'll shy away from it. That's their choice. You have the right to free speech, but I don't have to listen to you. That's how free speech works. If you don't like what someone is saying, don't listen to them.

    And, if it matters, I declined the opportunity to moderate this discussion so that I could set you straight. Feel special.

    --
    Please stop hurting America -- Jon Stewart
  62. New theories for JFK tinfoilers by tod_miller · · Score: 3, Funny

    By analysing the information gained from the release of the game, we now believe that:

    "The killer grenade jumped the parade, and bunny hopped across to a grassy knoll where it spray pained a clan logo before shouting 'j1h4d l0l rotflmao gg' and then using an aimbot to assassinate JFK.... the final words of the killer before police emptied the munitions budget of a small state into him was: k1ll4h dropped - connection reset by peer"

    Games.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
  63. An uptodate version by under_clocker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ya know, they should consider doing a more uptodate version with the current administation... then homeland security could come arrest and hold them for making a terrorist training device... I would hate to be the game manufacture when the letters start pouring if from the sheep(the santified masses who oppose everything from beer nuts to gay marridge and would gladly pick the corn out of king georges floaters) This game could seriously generate some bad press...I hope they do well but It seem to me that since King george took over...His nazi's and others like the moral mojority sh*t heads and the religeous right wingers are ready to pounce... I say buy this game and check out all the subversive library books you can find! peace out...

  64. Killing USA:s president is trivial, but... by JollyFinn · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Getting away with it these days is nearly impossible...
    [Trivial, with money and manpower inside united states, and with some time for preparitions.]
    Quicklist:
    Someone inside does it with poison or something: blackmail, bribe, personal hate towards president etc...
    Longrange rifles and explosive bullets 2 kilometers away from target...
    Mortars 8 kilometers away from target... Best would be if you could get enough firepower to take down a building, if not then in the street right in front of it.
    Bazooka trough a wall...
    Burry explosives before hand to a location you know president will be at sometime future....
    Best location would be a large bridge. Feed the sharks below the bridge before hand just to make sure...
    Navy/airforce insiders... Well get missile, zero it to a building where president is. Hit the fire button. Or better yet. Use insiders to get it from armory, deliver it withing its range to the president and then fire it at the target...

    Now none of the tricks are something you could get AWAY with actually, so there has to be something more important than persons own life for a motive to do it. Doing it isn't going to make anything better, you just get another dumb polition that does same mistakes, perhaps few additional mistakes os it won't solve a thing.

    --
    Emacs is good operating system, but it has one flaw: Its text editor could be better.
  65. Dubya character?! by b374 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where can I download a Dubya mod/character?

  66. Re:"They Hate Us For Our Freedom!" by DataCannibal · · Score: 2

    "If someone uses this threat to control a rouge nation that has said they want us to burn in nuclear flames, then that is good."

    What have you got against other countries wearing make-up ?

    --
    No but, yeah but, no but...
  67. An appropriate time for the quote: by LilMikey · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "I don't agree with what you say but I will defend with my life your right to say it."

    Besides... if both guns and games were banned, which do you think would've been more likely to save Kennedy?

    --
    LilMikey.com... I'll stop doing it when you sto
  68. Re:Guys, read the site before you jump to conclusi by Fade_to_Blah · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually there was some damage. The bullet head was flattened out some and lead was starting to come out the back of the bullet. The discovery channel show's bullet matched the photos from the magic bullet with unbelievable accuracy.

  69. Re:Guys, read the site before you jump to conclusi by CreatureComfort · · Score: 4, Informative



    As someone who lives in Dallas and has been to the six floor museum several times I can definitively say you are full of B.S.

    The entire six floor is dedicated to a museum covering the event. Until a couple years ago, you could actually crouch down at the window, in the exact position Oswald was in. They had to block that area off (about a 10'x12' area) with glass walls because idiots kept trying to "rearrange" things or "leave momentos" that they had been there. I believe that you can actually still get into the area, you just have to pre-arrange it with the curating staff.

    The six floor museum is actually the best museum on a political subject I have ever seen. I really expected it to be highly biased, one way or another, however, it turns out to be an incredibly unbiased and thorough review of all the credible work that has been done on the assasination, as well as a good, unbiased review of Kennedy's life and presidency. I was overwhelmed the first time I went through with all of the information presented. I've been back 3 times, by myself, just so that I could spend timing examining some of the displays and presentations, rather than rushing through with visiting family and friends from out of town.

    Even if you aren't really interested in museums or the assasination, I would still definate recommend a stop at Dealy Plaza and the museum if you pass through Dallas.

    --
    "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
    Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
  70. Serious simulation by tgibbs · · Score: 2, Insightful

    From the web site, it is clear that this is not some kind of cheap, quickie game to reap publicity from controversy. They have invested a lot of time and effort into serious simulation--effect of gravity on bullet trajectory, bullet deflection by bone, loss of energy of bullets passing through various materials, etc. This is a lot more work than required to simply produce an entertaining video game. At the price, I question whether the project will even repay the development effort.

    While I appreciate that this must be painful for some of the family--as, most likely, are the periodic rehashing of the event in the news and documentary media--I see this as another part of the loss of privacy that is part of the price of leadership. The assassination of President Kennedy is one of the pivotal events of modern history. It is also uniquely controversial. What really happened is still being hotly debated decades later. Nobody seriously questions, for example, whether it was possible for a beginning pilot to fly a plane into the WTC, yet there are many people who believe passionately that Oswald could not have made the shots as described.

    This project appears to be a serious attempt at interactive history, allowing people to investigate for themselves the plausibility of the "official" version of events. This is a unique way to breathe life into history; I hope we see more serious simulations of this nature

  71. networked? by jthayden · · Score: 2, Funny

    Doesn't this need to be a networked game? I mean I can't be in the book depository and the grassy knoll at the same time.

  72. Any modding support? by manifoldronin · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't wait to see some mod that switches JFK's face to you-know-who's.

    --
    Tyranny isn't the worst enemy of a democracy. Cynicism is.
  73. despicable by t_allardyce · · Score: 2, Funny

    'It is despicable,' said a spokesman for Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the late president's brother.

    Hes probably right, im gonna bet the graphics will be pretty bad and will still need decent hardware, the game play won't be up to much either, its despicable the way games are going, what happend to good gameplay?

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    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
  74. Marine = good shot by dazedNconfuzed · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Anyone in the Marines is a good shot - Marines are first and foremost riflemen.

    That Marine A calls Marine B a "lousy shot" is comparing B to the best.
    That Marine B is a Marine means he's still a far better shot than the general population.

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    Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
  75. Who are "the people"? by TFGeditor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Everyday citizens comprised militias. They were not "armies," but ordinary people who could be called up wen needed. They supplied their own weapons. Hence the phrase "the right of the people." To say the second amendment does not apply to individuals is to say likewise of the first and fourth, which contain the same language--"right of the people."

    --
    Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.