[...] to withdraw controversial game Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the roster of finalists. A number of finalists have seized the opportunity to voluntarily pull out from the competition citing concerns [...]

[...] Of recent news is the 2007 Slamdance Guerrilla Gamemaker Competition currently suffering from the aftermath of a decision to withdraw controversial game Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the roster of finalists. A number of finalists have seized the opportunity to voluntarily pull out from the competition citing concerns about artistic merit… [...]

“I’d like to err on the side of right, but I can’t find it.”

I’ll admittedly say I dont understand all thats going on except the surface issues

I feel the same way. On one hand I have a lot of friends who are artists. I even do some painting myself (not good AT ALL btw). And I can appriciate the moral stance of many designers, what they do is art and censorship is flat out wrong in any medium.

I can also see the point of the event organizers, you want to promote gaming and development and design as an artform in a responsible light, you want to promote your event and organization, because thats your bread and butter. You want people not associated with the industry to see the press surrounding the event in a positive way. A game that can be viewed as trivializing columbine is not going to be viewed positively by non-gaming media, or public, thats just reality and no amount of arguement about “artistic license” and “the underlying meaning” of the game is going to get people past that, the public does not have the attention span for it, period.

As far as the game itself. On a personal level, and as a parent, I’m sorry having worked in the medical field, and even in the ER in a major metropolitan hospital for a time, I cant support anything that trivializes kids shooting other kids. Even if there is an underlying point. Allowing people to re-enact mass murder from the POV of the perpetrator at any level is tasteless, tacky and insensative to every family whos ever had to seen thier kid rolled away to the morgue on a stretcher….but thats just my opinion. However, because one does not agree with something one finds objectionable, it does not mean it should be banned, it just means one can choose to avoid it.

As far as this issue and how its handled, I’m gald I only have to deal with data and not artistic license and censorship issues

I support people sticking to thier moral compass and not allowing bad precedents and censorship to happen.

This is a difficult spot for Indie Developers and Industry to sort out