Wednesday 5 November, 2008

My last session in the game came several hours after playing my first two. I went back to just randomly killing people to demonstrate the game to my roomate, who found the game funny and wants to download it and play in his freetime. The hallways of the school still had the bloody remains of the dead exactly as they were left. Classrooms were empty after killing everyone in them. There's only so many times you can use the space bar to defeat the jock type male whose dodging your attacks matrix style before you begin searching for an end. I discovered the library and began searching around in there for something new. I encountered a window when the cops pulled up. Fire was exchanged several times before the window asked me if now was the time to end it all or continue my killing spree. I opted to end it all and get this game to its end. Several cut scenes led me through the "no last words" finale and an emotional picture gallery of the events and pictures of Eric and Dylan reminding us all that these were once two happy boys who had no idea that they would become heartless killers. I didn't quite understand the point of the Hell:Epilogue. More aimless killing, but now it's with lost souls and demon soldiers? These guys were much tougher villains and I was defeated for once, ending my game for good.

I definitely felt that this was a great game to demonstrate ethics in video games. Is it okay for a game of a tragedy of this magnitude to be made and played? Would this inspire a 9/11 game (which I'm sure already exists) or an Oklahoma City bombing game? Do games lead to violence? I absolutely disagree. Games serve a purpose to entertain and enlighten us and this game did both. I think anyone who still believes Marilyn Manson caused that tragic event to download this on his or her PC and lighten up and realize what they're playing is ridiculing all those who still share that same opinion.

You feel that people have the right to make any type of game they want, but do you feel that after people make games like this, the designers are ridiculing the seriousness of the event.

Yes, I do think they're ridiculing the seriousness of the event, but I've found that in our culture, things can only stay 'that' serious for so long. It seems everything tragic that is a mass popular event is made into some sort of pop culture or media-related entertainment fixture. It's something that's inevitable and it's sad and disappointing, but most people just grow desensitized to it.