London Gamers Shoot It Out In The Streets

ChocLinux writes "Gamers that take part in the Streetwars watergun assassination tournament in London could face arrest if they stalk their target in the tube. CNET has spoken to one gamer who has taken part in the tournament and disagreed that waterguns could be mistaken for firearms, as all contestants are using brightly-coloured super-soakers. He admitted that he narrowly missed being eliminated. 'Some guy tried to get me outside work, but he missed and fell off his bike,' he said. If the game isn't over by midnight on August 15, the remaining contestants will take part in a one week sudden death tournament." From the article: "You can hunt your target down any way you see fit; you can pose as a delivery person and jack them when they open the door, disguise yourself and take them out on the street, etc. If you are successful in your assassination attempt, the person you killed will give you their envelope and the person they were supposed to kill becomes your new target."

Comments

The tube?

[neonprimetime]

For those non-englanders, here is what the tube is. I had to look it up myself.

the tube ... could face punishment for acting suspiciously or inciting panic in Underground stations, which last year were the targeted by suicide bombers.

Gotcha!

[Mursk]

Anybody see the movie 'Gotcha!'?

Oh, um... me neither.

Not sure this is a good idea.

[silasthehobbit]

Well, I'm sure the game might be, but doing it on London streets probably isn't.

The British Police have managed to shoot & kill someone for carrying a table leg (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3974461.stm); an unarmed man who they suspected of being a terrorist (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4713753.stm); and a man who was "armed" with a lighter (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1444009.stm).

There is no way on Earth that I would carry something that looked even remotely like a gun - regardless of it being highly coloured and plastic - and chase after people.

Re:Not sure this is a good idea.

[Bogtha]

The table leg was wrapped in a bag and police had been told he had a shotgun. If you're suspected of being a terrorist, having a flourescent water gun isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference. And you fail to mention that the guy "armed with a lighter" was holding a lighter that was an imitation gun. It's a bit dishonest not to mention this crucial fact and fail to link the article properly so most Slashdotters won't bother reading the article, don't you think?

Yes, all of these were regrettable mistakes. But brightly-coloured water guns aren't going to make the slightest bit of difference, you're just scaremongering.

sock assassination

[AcidLacedPenguiN]

some of the residences at my university hold sock assassinations, basically the same thing except with bundled up pairs of socks. You're only safe in class and your own room (if you locked the door). It's a fun orientation activity, it is sad that you can't have fun like that in today's world of terrorisim and all that bollocks.

though from the blurb I thought they were talking about not being allowed to take someone out on the internet!

As a player in the London Streetwars...

[Nursie]

I'd like to comment once again how behind the news slasdot is. We've been playing for two weeks and it's moving into its final phase now!

It's been great fun, have done my fair share of stalking. My teammate managed to get inside our first target's apartment block and flush him out onto the street, right into my range of fire. Great fun. We did put in about 7 hours of stakeout over the course of a week to get him though!

Alas we haven't made a second kill inside two weeks and will be disqualified at midnight tonight unless we can pull something out of the bag in the next few hours. Haven't seen hide nor hair of anyone hunting us though, which has been a bit of a disappointment.

So far I don't think the cops have shot or even arrested anyone either, which is good.

Re:You make the fear.

[Shaper_pmp]

So what happened to all your firearms, privacy (video monitoring), and pocket knives then? Couple people get hurt and suddenly you all roll over on your back as easily and enthusiastically as the family pet.

Actually, most people are uncomfortable or opposed to increased CCTV monitoring, firearms were never commonly available[1] and you can still carry a knife[2]. Oh, and most of the important legislation that actually restricts our freedoms was pushed through my Tony Blair (et al) in defiance of the public's wishes, and often even the wishes of their own party members, and he's now copping all hell for it in the public opinion stakes.

Just look at the kerfuffle around ID cards and I think you'll find the Blitz-inspired backbone is hale and hearty as ever - the government's trying to frighten people into accepting Id cards, but people just aren't scared.

I've been living in Suffolk for about a month and a half now, but it seems to me any back bone left over from the Blitz departed the scene years ago. There are posters and giant metal collection bins here and there. They are scaring people to turn in their cooking knives because they might be used in a crime someday.

Erm, that's a knife amnesty. It's kind of a voluntary request you turn in any pointed knives you might have to reduce the number in general circulation. It's not a heavy-handed pressure tactic from the government, just a polite request. The big secure box was to make sure nobody nicked the tens or hundreds of knives that other people handed in.

Oh, and the knife amnesty didn't go very well - most people flatly ignored it because it's blatantly ineffectual and stupid.

What was your point again?

(P.S. I grew up in Suffolk - nice area of the country, if a bit rural).

Footnotes:

[1] They're still legal, IIRC, but must be left at a gun-club or kept in a locked gun cabinet. They're also legal for farmers or anyone else with a sensible reason for needing one.

[2] As long as it's not a flick-knife, has a fold-away blade that doesn't exceed 3 inches in lenghth.