'Columbine RPG' Creator Discusses the Dawson Shooting

Back in May, Brian Crecente of Kotaku and the Rocky Mountain News had a chat with the maker of the 'Columbine RPG'. Today, he talks again with game-maker Danny LeDonne about possible connections between his game and the Dawson shooting. From the article: "My very first reaction, frankly, was to head to my toilet bowl and throw up. I knew what was in the works and I knew the next week would be spent keeping my head above water while the press tried to bury me with guilt-laden questions and implications of complicity in murder. I also knew that this was no time to fold or get weak-kneed. I made a game. I believed in it. Now it was time to defend it. No one would do that except me."

Comments

The wonders of Google targeted advertising

[arivanov]

The ad on slashdot for this article shows some incoming release from the Grand Theft Auto franchise for PSP. So we may not match violence to computer games and vice versa but google ads (or whatever broker Slashdot uses today) surely do. Quite entertaining actually.

Re:Don't think So.

[Gulthek]

You don't see a WWII "extermination camp simulator" do you?

Whoa, good idea. I see that fitting right into the "Tycoon" style of gaming.

"But is it art?"

[Captain Sarcastic]

I read the interview, and the primary thrust of the questions and answers seemed to be:

Q: Do you think you'll get in trouble for your game?
A: I shouldn't - it's art, for crying out loud!

Now, I don't think tastelessness is criminal. Otherwise, the creators of the HTML "Blink" tag would've been behind bars some time back. I also think that the author's cries of "Nobody understands why I made this game" necessarily makes him an artist.

Therefore, I can only say that if anyone is trying to blame him for the Dawson shooting, they are making a very long and very awkward reach for a suitable scapegoat.

Re:Games recreating historical events

[AcidLacedPenguiN]

RUN! RUN to the patent office before ROCKSTAR takes it from you! GO GO GO!