School Shooter: North American Tour 2012 Pulled From Host Site

A video game designed to allow users to emulate school shooting sprees has been pulled from its host site's databas, reports GamePolitics.

The object of School Shooter: North American Tour 2012, a Source modification of Half-Life 2, is to murder as many defenseless students, teachers and members of staff as possible. To do so, the player uses weapons based on those used by the likes of Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. After completing the spree, the player is encouraged to commit suicide before being captured by law enforcement officials.

Game developer Jaime Lombe (aka Pawnstick) told Escapist Magazine that he created the game because other school shooting games just weren't that much fun. "Nobody has ever tried create a proper game about a school shooting," he said, adding that he was not particularly moved by the tragedy at Columbine. "The way the news victimized the victims and overplayed the evil of the shooters disgusted me more than the actual shootings themselves."

In response to the game, the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors released a statement (PDF) decrying "the development and marketing of video games that present such video activities as 'fun'." The statement continued: "As campus mental health professionals who first hand experience the tragedy and devastation that occurs in the aftermath of campus violence, AUCCCD believes the production of such products is most deplorable and unfortunate."

In a statement, Scott Reismanis, founder of the game's source site ModDB, said that he removed the game due to pressure from critics.

Lombe said that the game will be released despite the setback.

Below, check out WPSD 6's coverage of the game, and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Comments

[LuLou Murder]

11:21 AM on 03/30/2011

And now that the news has made a big deal out of it, people who otherwise wouldn't be interested will rush to download the game.

[Douva]

12:00 AM on 03/30/2011

I wonder if this could be reworked as some sort of training tool for law enforcement, along the lines of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrdQCfgt00Q

[pattio66]

05:10 PM on 03/29/2011

How sick. No wonder we're in such a state, ith such blatant disregard for the lives of our fellow human beings in general and disrespect for those killed or injured. Perhaps my sister, whose only child was k i l l e d at NIU, has grounds for an emotional distress lawsuit against this "game" manufacturer.

[BuckyJamesDio]

05:03 PM on 03/29/2011

I'm sure that if you wait a bit, you can get this bundled with other fun and healthy games such as Small Animal Torture, Gang R@pe and Infant Kick. Fun for everyone!

[BobVADemHawk]

04:47 PM on 03/29/2011

While I can understand the kneejerk negative reaction to this videogame as I share the sentiment, it begs the following question. Would we rather have kids shooting other kids in the virtual world or the real world? I'd say carry this venture a step further. Make the characters able to have faces imported and you could vent a whole lot of frustration and not hurt anyone in the process. Also, psychiatrists should consider using this type of game as a training or diagnostic aid. Think about it.

[aphextwin07]

04:37 PM on 03/29/2011

lol... i wanna play it

[satanlite]

04:34 PM on 03/29/2011

Not much in the category of socially redeeming, methinks.

[hagagaga]

02:04 PM on 03/29/2011

The only thing that should not be allowed in games are actual people being murdered and actual children being sexually abused.

[thoughtsandshots]

01:45 PM on 03/29/2011

the guy who made this game is sick!

[NJProgressiveIndie]

01:27 PM on 03/29/2011

More ammunition for anti-game politicians on both sides of the aisle who have blamed the entire human history of violence on DOOM, Quake and other first-person shooters...

[Machinistscott]

01:27 PM on 03/29/2011

Did this guy serve in Afghanistan by any chance?

[Machinistscott]

01:25 PM on 03/29/2011

Complete garbage. Jaime"fuckstick"Lombe is a sick individual. What a waste of time.
How do you "overplay" the evil of the Columbine shooters or down play the horror visited upon the victims in a school shooting?

[pattio66]

05:11 PM on 03/29/2011

Good question. A close family member of mine was killed in a classroom shooting, I don't find this amusing at all.

[kintarius]

01:15 PM on 03/29/2011

People like this just make it harder for gamers to enjoy a well crafted video game without critics complaining about the material. There's a fine line between being controversial and obscene; artful versus exploitive.

I don't know much more about this specific game than what I've read here, but this isn't a game. This is more like pulling off wings of a fly. Somebody's sick facination with pain and suffering from their sociopathic point of view. A true game is built in collaboration with a team's art, story and development. Challenges are intertwined in the game. If the game's victims do not fight back, there is no challenge and you're just acting as G0d - willfullly doing as you please. This guy just modded another game to put himself in that place... probably out of lack of control in his own life.

I'm a gamer. This "product" isn't a game and I'm insulted that I have to be associated with this filth.

[D-blings]

01:15 PM on 03/29/2011

yeah and snuff porn turns you into a rapist. I've heard this argument before, that kids can't tell the difference between real life and fantasy.

I for one would love to play this game.

[satanlite]

04:34 PM on 03/29/2011

I for one would like to see you in snuff porn. Maybe you'd have a different POV.

[Spikemus]

04:46 PM on 03/29/2011

You realize you just made a death threat towards D-blings? You pretty much made his point for him, nicely done. Maybe think a little harder next time.

[D-blings]

04:56 PM on 03/29/2011

If it was a simulated snuff porn that might not be that bad. Thankfully I've actually never seen a snuff porn before so I'm not sure what the details are. I would hate to see a human suffering though if that's what's it's about.

[ellawensmom]

01:01 PM on 03/29/2011

"Pawnstick"...you're a class act, dude. Way to make your corner of the world a better place.
Thanks from a teacher and a mom with kids in schools.