School Shooting Simulator - If only it was as simple as condemning a video game

Professor Yardley and Professor Wilson discuss the release of a ‘school-shooting simulator’ video game and question whether we should be surprised by it.

BBC News reported yesterday that a school-shooting video game was being promoted ahead of its release on the Steam video game store.

[RainOfTerror]

that's wrong in so many ways .. I'm all for violent games, blood & gore, but this is just pointless & distasteful.

[Omnisonne]

Yeah.. distasteful is the right word for it. Despite people being free to create whatever they want, some things are just messed up and cross the line.
IMO Steam shouldn't allow it on their platform as they were cracking down on nudity and sexual content a while ago, it would be ridiculous for them to allow a game about murdering children and teens.

[demonicale]

It's a simulator to educate and increase people's preparation for this type of event. How is that pointless and distasteful?.

[CorndogBurglar]

No. If that was what it was for it would not allow you to play as the shooter and try to kill as many students as possible. Which is what this "game" does.

If it was to raise preparation, you would play as the students and find safe ways to deal with the situation.

There is a big difference.

[jaidek]

The author of this article mistakenly showed pictures/video of an actual DHS trainer that prepares teachers and first responders for an active shooter event. So that part isn't pointless, as you said, it helps prepare.

Now, the game that the BBC article shows, that is distasteful.

[subtenko]

Oh please you dont complain when its anything else in videos games. Now you wanna make videos games real all of a sudden. No, dont do this BS. We have ratings for a reason. You wanna complain go complain about shootings in movies and TV shows...

[XentaJones]

disgusting

[subtenko]

Where are you at complaining about this type of stuff in movies and tv shows or other games? I bet I can point out some stuff I find 'disgusting' in a game you have

[XentaJones]

you might just be able to but thats your opinion and this is mine...

[obidanshinobi]

This should be used to shame the USA and it's ridiculous gun laws where the rights of owning an assault rifle are more important than the lives of children.

[meka2611]

You do realize most shootings take place in gun free zones?

[warriorcase]

Gun free zones? Not an American here, what stops someone with a gun from entering a gun free zone?

[chrono1205]

If it has a sign "not to do it", some idiot did it.
Never underestimate an idiot. They think that signs work like magic force fields, for the stupid.

Sorry.

[Sunny_D]

So explain Good ol' Texas? Explain the 4 cops including the resource officer who had guns and didn't do anything in Parkland, Florida?

[Cobra951]

Pandora's box is open. The genie is out of the bottle. Guns are here in big numbers. If God almighty himself appears to make all guns vanish the moment they get outlawed, I'd support that legislation. But gun laws don't do that. All gun laws do is make law-abiding people even more defenseless against armed thugs. You know criminals won't give up their guns just because of some new law, right?

How many schools didn't have a shooting, multiplied by how long since the previous shooting? How many millions of guns in private hands were not used to harm anyone in that period of time? As tragic and infuriating as these senseless acts are, they are still very rare. This is a huge country, with hundreds of millions of people, and yes, many of them own guns. But only the odd lethal insanity ever gets any air time, or mind share. How many people were assaulted with a bat, club, or hammer in the same period? Do we ban those tools too? Would that make the lunatic fringe any less vicious? (In case the answer isn't obvious, no, it would not.)

[Imalwaysright]

Very rare? https://www.theguardian.com... If this is what you consider very rare then in my country it is a fairy tail

[nitus10]

Oh please, the "straw man" of saying that "All gun laws do is make law-abiding people even more defenseless against armed thugs." is just plain stupid.

I live in Australia and while it is more difficult to get a gun it is not impossible to get one legally if you can provide reasonable grounds to purchase one. Protection against armed thugs is not reasonable grounds although joining a gun club is. You also have to provide a place in your home that will allow you the gun owner to secure your weapon. Having a loaded unsecured weapon is asking for trouble,

Also if the cops are called to a confrontation where guns are involved (same in the USA) anyone with a weapon is considered dangerous and treated accordingly such as shoot first and ask questions (It has happened) later.

Guns don't kill people, people kill people but a high powered rifle makes it very easy to kill many people very quickly. Basically, it is almost impossible to protect yourself from a gun/rifle but it is so much easier to get out of harm's way when the protagonist does not have a firearm.

I am ex-military and I have used weapons that would make the AR15 look like a pea-shooter, however, we are trained in gun safety and carrying a loaded weapon in a civilian environment without just cause is asking for trouble.

It is strange that out of all first world countries the USA ranks thirty-first in gun violence. https://www.npr.org/section...

[Smokehouse]

Shame the USA? Yeah... Good luck with that. When in American history have they ever cared about what you think?

[MadMax]

You need to stop listening to the media buddy. You've been absolutely brainwashed! Think for yourself and do your own research. Stop allowing the media to handfeed you, or you will continue to make yourself look uneducated and ignorant.

[subtenko]

These people dont wanna listen or they are too stupid by this point. There should be a 1984 simulator. Idiots still wouldnt realize whats happening to them. Makes me mad, but its their choice if they wanna be ignorant...

[PhantomS42]

Hope steam removes this immediately.

[ONESHOTV2]

why steam is an open platform for all times of rated games plz keep your console mindset to your self we don't want to treated like children but it looks like you do

[PhantomS42]

Steam has removed plenty of games. How are you defending what is clearly getting planted to make video games look bad but I suppose if you are willing to play something about school shootings then you have some disturbing mental issues.

[Scatpants]

Why, you like censorship?

[PhantomS42]

Why do you like the glorification and slaughtering of children in school? That profile pick explains everything, no need to answer.

[Scatpants]

No I just don't like censorship.

[TekoIie]

@Phantom

Unfortunately it means you need to justify why this can be banned and not MW2 where you take part in a terrorist attack. If you ban one you have to ban them all. There can be no preferential treatment.

[subtenko]

@PhantomS42 who said anything like that you insane bafoon!? Go do a protest in front of hollywood where you find this stuff in the movies and tv shows you watch.

[PhantomS42]

@Scatpants - no you clearly love watching children get slaughtered.

@tekolie - the part in MW2 should have been removed for incentivizing mass murder.

[TekoIie]

@Phantom

Then can I assume you want GTA to be banned too? Where does your standard start and end with content that shouldn't be allowed? Describing it as "Incentivising" is far too vague since this argument was made against music and has been crushed.

[subtenko]

Next remove all the tv shows and movies with violence in them, also remove all shooting games, fornite, and especially GTA and others

Quick tell me what games and moves or tv shows you have and Ill tell you the safe ones!

[demonicale]

What the idiots below me don't realise is this was made to help fight against this kind of thing happening in the future.
It's a simulation just like you'd find for army drills etc. It's to better prepare people in the event that this happens again.

[CorndogBurglar]

The people you're talking about are above you. Not below you. Up vs. Down.

[demonicale]

They were below me before making this comment.

[CorndogBurglar]

So it's to help people be prepared for this situation by letting you play as the shooter and kill as many students as possible?

No. If it was a tool for preparedness you would play as the students trying to stay safe in this situation. It wouldn't be an FPS where you walk the halls of a school with various weapons trying to kill as many kids as possible.

The creators can spin it however they want. But let's not be foolish here.

[gangsta_red]

Stop. That is the most ridiculous reasoning to have to defend this trash.

[InTheZoneAC]

Maybe this teaches people to find a safe space quickly or how to safely leave instead of the first reaction being "pull out cell phone and live stream it to your bff's"

Gotta love the impulse hate reactions here, typical representation of modern day North America.

[Goldby]

i would agree if you were only able to play as the students or teachers.

but you get to play as the shooter too.

which takes any Preparation out the window

[gangsta_red]

So you play as a shooter, to perhaps find these safe spaces eh?

I know we're all smart enough to see what these guys are making is pure shock value, let's not pretend it's anything else.

[InTheZoneAC]

I didn't read the article or know about the game, just saw "simulator" so I'd imagine it could've been using for training purposes as well, not just how to be a cold-blooded killer.

it may be tasteless, because of how much society has fallen to actually have these events take place in real life, but I don't see the fits over GTA or any game with violence in it, which is basically all a terrorist act, don't you agree? I play shooters, GTA and dozens of other games. A school shooting vs a driveby, all a terrorist act. Just because schools are getting mass coverage does't make it any less or more than other shootings.

[Omnisonne]

@InTheZone

Shooting up armed forces and gangs in GTA is the same as shooting up unarmed children/teens..? It's messed up and no amount of mental gymnastics is going to make it any less so.

[gangsta_red]

There's a difference between GTA, a game that has the option to be a degenerate and then a game where your sole purpose is being just that.

Using the excuse of "other" video games do it is just as weak as the folks who say video games cause violence.

This game is based on shock and getting as much media coverage it can before fading into obscurity.

"Just because schools are getting mass coverage does't make it any less or more than other shootings."

And it doesn't mean there should be a game made based on just shooting kids in a school. Not even sure what your point of discussion is at this point.

Maybe there should be a game where you rape little adolescent children...hey why not...maybe that will teach kids how not to get raped by complete scumbags right?

Dat logiq!

[CorndogBurglar]

Lol I'm seriously shocked that someone would defend this and then try to use GTA as an excuse.

In GTA not only is it NOT the point of the game, but you get punished if you go on random killing sprees by having the police and even military come after you.

It's hardly the same as something like this, where the entire point is walking down hallways with a machine gun shooting innocent kids.

[InTheZoneAC]

I'm sorry you feel there needs to be a "rape simulator" to make an argument.

[CorndogBurglar]

This is the Hatred argument all over again. Hatred got the same scrutiny except this may even be more egregious.

To answer your question and comments about games like GTA and other shooters. The entire point of those games is NOT to go around killing innocents. Sure, you can choose to do that. But you also get punished for it, the police come after you, and it is clearly not the point of the game.

This game's entire point is to become a school shooter and kill as many kids/children as possible.

It is absolutely not the same as something like GTA.

[nucky64]

whoever runs steam should not allow something like this to release on their platform.

[jaidek]

So to clear things up a bit. This article is using a video clip from a DHS developed simulation that trains school teachers and first responders how to deal with a active shooter situation at a school. This is legit, for officials only training. https://www.youtube.com/wat... The author of this article is using screenshots and footage from the trainer and not the actual game that is being discussed in the piece. http://www.bbc.com/news/tec...

[finite]

The article has been updated, thanks for bringing this to your attention, please understand the school shooting game section is only a small segment of the article and discusses much more.

[spektical]

the content should be permissable. I definitely dont find myself entertained in this game.. but its just a creative art anyone can place. Unless the game is directly promoting violence, im not understanding the need for removal.

Use your wallet to vote.

[narsaku]

"Shakes head"

Back in the day garbage like this and that sleazy womanizer dating sim shit were exclusive to crappy Flash websites.

...Now they've been given the keys. Are on the road, and are looking to mate.

This is the beginning of what I call the, "open market mental illness", industry.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

Sadly your not playing as a CIA clown.

[ZombieKiller]

What a stupid idea. This should be banned and so should the devs. They should also be taken in for evaluation.

Just like those idiots that made "Hatred"

[demonicale]

Wouldn't have to be offended if your country didn't sell guns like they're sweets and candy!.

[subtenko]

Another thing morons here dont realize is Law enforcement use actual simulators already, man how did you people allow yourselves to become like this?! Military also use simulators too. You know a simulator thats already out right now? Its called Grand Theft Auto and theyve made tons of them. You can role play whatever you want in that game, so if you're so mad go have GTA taken down....go on....waiting....