Games taken off shelves after Oslo killings

J_E · 30-07-2011 12:38AM #1

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-07-29-games-taken-off-shelves-after-oslo-killings

Here's just part of the article

A major Norwegian retailer has announced it is to remove 51 games from its shelves following the tragic killings in Oslo and Utøya last week.
As reported by VG247, the titles affected by Coop Norway's decision include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and World of Warcraft – both of which gunman Anders Behring Breivik claimed to have played regularly.

,,,

Breivik killed over 70 people in a bomb attack and shooting spree last week, and injured many more. His 1500 page manifesto apparently stated that he viewed Modern Warfare 2 as a "training-simulation"

While I am not putting down the seriousness of the killings, I can't really see the point here. How are the games to blame for the murders that occured? It really goes to the nature-versus-nurture arguments. Does everyone who play Modern Warfare and Grand Theft Auto connect it with real life and re-enact events? Of course not. I almost expect Jack Thompson to be hopping all over this. I mean, if you ban the games, why not other offensive media, such as film and music?

Chuck Stone · 30-07-2011 12:39AM

Stupid imo.

Victor · 30-07-2011 12:41AM

They are being sensative to their customers emotions and those of the victims and families. I imagien they will be back in due course.

Potential-Monke · 30-07-2011 12:41AM

Hah, and good ole Smyths Toys in Waterford had the following games as the first things you see when you enter the store:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: Black Ops

I can see the headlines tomorrow:

SMYTHS TOYS IN LINK TO OSLO KILLER TRAINING!!!

UrbanSea · 30-07-2011 12:41AM

Are they going to ban all publication of information on wars aswell in the media? That's certainly more broadcast and accessible than some computer games.

Superbus · 30-07-2011 12:42AM

Could be less that the games were at fault and more that the games could cause offense to the families affected? (for whatever reason)

Either way totally unnecessary and as usual, not addressing the actual reason it happened.

amacachi · 30-07-2011 12:42AM

Why not just get rid of MMORPGs since that's what he used as a cover and then track everyone who plays FPSs?

Alternatively they could just not be complete retards.

Badgermonkey · 30-07-2011 12:42AM

Won't someone please think of the children etc.

Yakult · 30-07-2011 12:43AM

World
Of
Warcraft

amacachi · 30-07-2011 12:43AM

They could just try not being retards instead.

pablomakaveli · 30-07-2011 12:43AM

I'd be more than certain he's watched violent movies at somepoint in his life but i dont see them being taken off the shelves.

Also i know he's said that he used COD to train himself but anyone who uses that game to train themselves for war wont live very long.

Yakult · 30-07-2011 12:46AM

How can MW2 be a training simulator? Maybe by showing you how to reload a gun but that's it.

Like saying I can drive a car by just playing GTA.

Kylo Ren · 30-07-2011 12:48AM

Ban porn too. And kiwis. ****ing Kiwis.

Jesus Wept · 30-07-2011 12:49AM

Silly Norway.

J_E · 30-07-2011 12:50AM

Victor wrote: »

They are being sensative to their customers emotions and those of the victims and families. I imagien they will be back in due course.

To be fair, it would do a lot better to actually go down to the victims graves, pay tribute, and talk to the families, rather than lazily say "Okay, all these games are banned, sorted".

krudler · 30-07-2011 12:51AM

This is what caused the most uproar when MW2 was released

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvHvYZNtbQQ

rocket_108 · 30-07-2011 12:53AM

Considering Breivik explicitly names a select number of games in his manifesto, it's not an unreasonable move to withdraw these particular games from the shelves imo.

While the games themselves are not to blame, the guy undoubtedly had what he was intending to do in the back of his mind as he got his killstreaks in cod. I can't help but see bad connotations there for the masses

ejmaztec · 30-07-2011 12:53AM

They should only sell them to people wearing "I'm not a psychotic nutter intent on world domination" t-shirts.

Badgermonkey · 30-07-2011 12:56AM

After Princess Di's death, Sky bleeped the word 'Paparazzo' from a scene in The Simpsons.

A photographer leans in over Flanders' fence, snaps a shot of Mr. Burns playing with Maggie in the back yard, to which he reacts 'Damn you paparazzo'.

K-9 · 30-07-2011 12:57AM

Big over reaction to a total lunatics over reaction.

Give it a month or 2 and sense will prevail.

SuperInfinity · 30-07-2011 01:02AM

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Hah, and good ole Smyths Toys in Waterford had the following games as the first things you see when you enter the store:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: Black Ops

I can see the headlines tomorrow:

Umm... yeah, that wasn't amusing or clever in the slightest, just annoying, nothing like what Smyths would do as you know.... annoying especially due to the big font and bold you put on it.

Mr Trade In · 30-07-2011 01:03AM

He has spent years planning what he did,he bought a farm to cover up the chemicals and fertilisers he used to make the bombs,people in Norway will blame anything and everything they can to explain the actions of this madman.

Crazy Horse 6 · 30-07-2011 01:10AM

I blame it all on pac-man. Going around eating things and ****. Fecking cannibal.

Gilligan.Mark · 30-07-2011 01:14AM

Yakult wrote: »

How can MW2 be a training simulator? Maybe by showing you how to reload a gun but that's it.

MW2 doesn't show you how to reload a gun. You press the "x" button and the game does the reloading. you dont learn anything. You train yourself to press a button, wow, that doesn't help in real life. (not trying to be a mocking to you Yakult, it more for others)

It's not a training simulator in any way shape or form. In real life there's so many aspects that you dont get in a game, you dont need to worry about long shots (elevation, distance, etc), recoil of a gun, bullet drop, wind etc.

I play MW2 and BF2 and loads of other war games and watch ever war movie i can, and i'm fine, . Why? because I am of sound mental mind. i was raise properly and learned the difference between right and wrong and TOLERANCE of another race or religion or what ever.

so I would like to give a giant F U to all the morons out there who blames video games for all the worlds problems. Sit with your god damn kids and raise them right or dont have kids. and if all else fails for the good of mankind, go out and earn yourself a Darwin Award.

orourkeda · 30-07-2011 01:16AM

Computers games Joe

aperture_nuig · 30-07-2011 01:19AM

By this logic I should get my full driving licence for getting the platinum trophy in Gran turismo 5. If they're going to treat video games as training simulators and people as mindless drones that are only capable of believing what they see on their screens, I can't see why we get all of the drawbacks and none of the benefits.

aperture_nuig · 30-07-2011 01:19AM

By this logic I should get my full driving licence for getting the platinum trophy in Gran turismo 5. If they're going to treat video games as training simulators and people as mindless drones that are only capable of believing what they see on their screens, I can't see why we get all of the drawbacks and none of the benefits.

Randomer. · 30-07-2011 01:20AM

They should ban all the music tv shows and movies he listed also so, and books too if he mentioned them.

Turpentine · 30-07-2011 01:36AM

The companies that make Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and World of Warcraft must be delighted with this publicity, albiet unwitting on their part and under tragic circumstances.

Knee-jerk morons always play into the hands of those they try to ban.

o1s1n · 30-07-2011 01:44AM

Randomer. wrote: »

They should ban all the music tv shows and movies he listed also so, and books too if he mentioned them.

I'm sure he used forks too. They probably thought him how to stab. Ban forks!!!

recylingbin · 30-07-2011 01:49AM

Victor wrote: »

They are being sensative to their customers emotions and those of the victims and families. I imagien they will be back in due course.

ooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrr...
retail chain seeks to accrue some positive marketing from death of innocents.
Otherwise why not just take them off the shelves and say nothing?

Games taken off shelves after Oslo killings

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