V-Tech Rampage: Creator wants money to pull game down?

Posted May 15, 2007 at 1:07PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: News Tags: Virginia

Several hours ago, it will be remembered that independent programmer Ryan Lambourn (aka PiGPEN) created the highly controversial V-Tech Rampage flash game, which was based on the Virginia Tech shooting incident that took place last April 16, 2007.

The shooting left 33 people dead (including the shooter, Seung-Hui Cho), and an industry under fire due to early suspicions that Cho had trained on video games to prepare for his shooting spree. This allegation was promptly disproved as more evidence emerged.

V-Tech Rampage drew heavy criticism from the gaming community for its portrayal of the actual shooting incident, with many protesting its removal from the Newgrounds - its current host site. But while the game and its creator have already been drawing heavy flak, the author stated that he will pull the game down... if people payed him. Here reads the statement at his home site (Googumproduce):

ATTENTION ANGRY PEOPLE:
I will take this game down from newgrounds if the donation amount reaches $1000 US, i'll take it down from [my home site] if it reaches $2000 US, and i will apologize if it reaches $3000 US.

It goes without saying that the above statement garnered plenty of angry reactions from the community. A few hours later, PiGPEN stated that the whole money charge was a joke:

...the donation thing is there as a joke against all the people commanding me to take my game down. I didn't think anyone would donate money to it and so far my paypal account has proven me right.

If that was a joke, I'm not laughing. While controversial games like this are bound to pop up following tragedies like those at V-tech, it's saddening to see how people are quick to pounce on the opportunity to get their moments of fame on the net. What makes this minefield-of-a-topic all the more sensitive is that (and this is just me thinking out loud here) violent gaming is already under the scrutiny of the non-gaming community, and (a rather misinformed) congress.

Sure, similarly hot-button games like Super Columbine Massacre RPG were created not too long ago, but games like these at least demanded serious thought and reflection - it challenged player to take a few steps back, and try to understand the reasons for tragedies like this. Guys who've tried V-Tech Rampage generally thought it was anything but.

With that said, I ask the readers this: What is your take on the whole matter?

Via Googumproduce

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