Mainstream Media Notices Virginia Tech Rampage Game

The Roanoke Times ran a story today about a video game based on the recent Virginia Tech shooter rampage called V-Tech Rampage. While there have been few if any real links to the aberrant behavior of the shooter and gaming, this is not the first time a video game has been created after a horrible incident. Those interviewed by the Times were understandably upset and outraged at the amateur video game title.

The interesting twist reported both in the Times article and one of the originating sources – Dennis McCauley’s Gamepolitics.com – reports that the game’s creator is in effect blackmailing those who are upset by asking for donations to comply with taking the game off of its hosted website Newgrounds. Despite a response from creator Ryan Lambourn of Australia that indicated the request for donations was a joke this incident adds another stain to the public debate surrounding freedom of speech and video games.

The ESA and other video game groups have yet to issue a public statement condemning this game and identifying that it is not a commercial product or endorsed by reasonable people anywhere.