Valve: Condemn the Glorification of School Shootings
It seems like video games are everywhere these days; even people who don't play themselves almost certainly know someone who does. But as video games' popularity grows, so does their effect on our society and culture. And now a few people have used the medium to create a disturbing and dangerous game that allows the player to play a digital version of a school shooting.
The game in question is an unofficial modification of the game Half Life 2, originally created by the game company Valve. That means people unconnected to the original game have made their own version to play and distribute online which glorifies violence and school shootings.
In the wake of tragedies like the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings, this modification, complete with disturbingly realistic details and the ability to kill yourself at the end of a level, is incredibly insensitive and potentially dangerous.
Valve Software and its games are incredibly popular. But with that popularity comes the responsibility to stand up against people using these games to glorify real-world violence. Tell Valve to speak out against this disturbing use of its game and to take a stand in the fight against school violence.
Valve,
Video game fans have tremendous creativity and energy, that leads to a wide spectrum of game modifications. Unfortunately, people with bad intentions can and have hijacked this community. Recently, news came out of several people had created a version of your game, Half Life 2, that allowed players to play as a student opening fire in a school.
In the wake of tragedies like the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings, this modification, complete with disturbingly realistic details and the ability to kill yourself at the end of a level, is incredibly insensitive and potentially dangerous.
[Your comments will be added here]These days people are already far too willing to say video games inspire violence, and blame video game fans for any number of the world's problems. If this irresponsible game modification is allowed to be used unchecked, it will only reenforce those damaging stereotypes.
Please, speak out against this callous and dangerous modification. Put Valve and Half-Life 2's good reputation behind the fight against school violence.
