ModDB Shuts Down School Shooter Mod

[Hijax]

What is, IMO, a bad move from their side, is that after they did host it, thus admitting that they saw no problem with hosting the game, they buckled from pressure. This is a problem, because A: it shows that They took the game down not because they found it offensive, but because people told them to, and B: It game Jack Thompson the delusional idea that he was right and that people listened to him, which is the last thing we need.

That's not how ModDB works. As long as you fill out all of the sections and upload some images when you submit the mod, it get's approved. It's up to the users to look for copyright and TOS violations. You think INtense! actually read the synopsis of over 12,000 mods?

Whoops, my bad. In that case, ModDB has every right to take down the mod.

 

[vivster]

And ModDB crumbles under pressure.

yeah that
well some sites just don't have the balls for neutrality

 

[Ravek]

It's a pity how people get their panties in a bunch over nothing again. This mod was just harmless satire, showing the world how dumb it responds to anything 'controversial'. Everyone who had a knee-jerk reaction at it should take some time to reflect on themselves. And improve their troll-fu.

 

[Ihniwid]

You could probably argue that this is a form of hate speech, which of course is not protected under any form of criminal code.

Regardless, having played the game I can safely say it's a novelty - at best a distasteful parody - without any real intelligence. The only reason it exists is to do what it is doing.

Good job Pawnstick. You got us all to look. Now go away.

 

[moppop]

And ModDB crumbles under pressure.

yeah that
well some sites just don't have the balls for neutrality

Neutrality != not enforcing their ToS.

 

[Antari]

Another interviewer at Beefjack.com [http://beefjack.com/features/interview-checkerboarded-studios-on-school-shooter/] asked Pawnstick who the intended audience of School Shooter is and he replied, "Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything."

I think that sentiment is downright frightening and has no place in the videogame industry.

Truer words have never been spoken, Mr. Tito.

Ya I'll have to join both of ya on this one. I'll be shocked if this mod creator can keep himself out of jail over the next 10 years of his life.

 

[Jaebird]

Another interviewer at Beefjack.com [http://beefjack.com/features/interview-checkerboarded-studios-on-school-shooter/] asked Pawnstick who the intended audience of School Shooter is and he replied, "Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything."

I think that sentiment is downright frightening and has no place in the videogame industry.

Truer words have never been spoken, Mr. Tito.

Ya I'll have to join both of ya on this one. I'll be shocked if this mod creator can keep himself out of jail over the next 10 years of his life.

I'd be more shocked if the guy doesn't end up on some kind of federal watch-list, or something.

 

[twiceworn]

i wish administrators of ModDB hadnt done this however becuse it makes the industry seem like it will cave on any issue if enough people ***** about it, but in this case it is for the best

Since when is ModDB the game industry? ModDB didn't cave...they just chose to not get involved any further when they were dragged into it against their will. If ModDB wanted to stand for the game industry, they will do it on their terms and not the terms of a troll.

the point I was making was that giving in to people who ***** at you makes the industry as a whole seem weak. even if you made a flash game on your home computer and made it about causing 9/11 taking it down is good, others taking it off of a website because they don't like it is good, but taking it down or refusing to host something because people sent you hate mail is bad.

it makes everyone game related look like weak fools who will bow to terrorism (doing something out of fear IS terrorism) IS wrong. CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE BOWING TO HATE MAIL AND MEDIA PRESSURE IS BAD!!!!

but as I said in this case it is for the greater good...it isn't right but it is for the greater good...and that will have to be enough.

 

[moppop]

the point I was making was that giving in to people who ***** at you makes the industry as a whole seem weak. even if you made a flash game on your home computer and made it about causing 9/11 taking it down is good, others taking it off of a website because they don't like it is good, but taking it down or refusing to host something because people sent you hate mail is bad.

it makes everyone game related look like weak fools who will bow to terrorism (doing something out of fear IS terrorism) IS wrong. CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE BOWING TO HATE MAIL AND MEDIA PRESSURE IS BAD!!!!

but as I said in this case it is for the greater good...it isn't right but it is for the greater good...and that will have to be enough.

Media pressure? Please, cite the specific request from a media out let that demands or threatens ModDB take down the mod? I want links, page numbers...stat.

INtense! has stated that he has not been contact by Jack Thompson or specific media outlets that specifically demand he remove the mod. You're all making that bit up. He, and the rest of the staff at ModDB, are just flat-out sick of receiving all this hate mail; tired of being on the defensive, tired of even ignoring it.

It's one thing (using your terrorism example) to pronounce that you are Team America, policing the world with might to back down to terrorism. But, me, as an unarmed civilian...I'd pretty much do what a terrorist would ask if he's got a gun to my head. I don't have the means or particularly the desire to fight, personally, an armed-to-the-tooth terrorist baddie (I think most of you keyboard warriors would join me, too). It's why no law-enforcement agency promotes violent vigilantism. You're not going to call me (being an unarmed civilian) a pussy when a masked man loaded with semi-autos walks into the bank to rob it, and I take shelter in the corner, are you?

ModDB is the exact same; they got caught deer-in-headlights in the middle of this battle that they have no want, desire or capability to be in. So instead of making great fools of themselves on a larger stage, they decided to cut their ties and move on. The only people they really pissed off are the Voltaire nob-gobblers and Freedom of Speech chest-thumpers.

 

[Bwown]

If the film industry can turn out stuff like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_films and this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampage_%282009_film%29, than the video game industry can as well, and if you don't like that, don't play the game.

But does that mean I have to host it? No, it doesn't.

No you don't, but still it's kind of a wuss move. "Let's put this mod on our site. Oh people are sending us angry letters lets stop". It's the Six Days in Fallujah incident all over again just smaller.

I can't believe you're comparing this to Six Days in Fallujah. I mean, really? First of all, I can tell you actually aren't familiar with ModDB at all in how it works.

Here's a simple breakdown why they aren't the same:
Six Days in Fallujah
A) Officially sponsored and paid for by a Publisher/Producer
B) Serious effort to tell the stories of those soldiers
C) Had the support of several members of that platoon and other military advisers
D) When Konami pulled out, they left a developer that needs to be paid high and dry...a developer they PAID FOR TO DEVELOP THE GAME
E) Both members of the development team AND Konami were willing to go on camera and defend the game's aims; that is until it go too hot for Konami.

School Shooter
A) Automatically approved as long as most sections are filled out and several images are uploaded; it is up to the users to let admins know if any content is violating TOS and copyright laws
B) ModDB specifically did not ASK to host the mod; nor did they PAY Pawnstick to develop it
C) Was not a serious effort...it was a massive troll.
D) When ModDB pulled hosting, they DID NOT leave the developer high and dry (the dev has their own website, yaknow). ModDB had no affiliation with the mod in the first place
E) NO ONE in connection with this mod is willing to put a REAL identity behind this project because they know it's nothing more than a massive troll. You're not going to see Pawnstick or any of his "anonymous" cronies on camera in order to support and defend this mod.

Now seriously, read these points (over and over again if you have to), and then try to tell me it's the same thing as Six Days in Fallujah. Just try.

Also, it's not "Let's put this mod on our site.."; it's more like, user fills out all sections, uploads a few images, and submits it. As long as it passes a quick spot-check (maybe) for porn images, it gets approved. No one at ModDB recruits mods to join..it's all user-submitted which means the bad comes with the good. The bad is dealt with by users and can be removed...pending on severity of ToS violations.

I understand that Mod DB wasn't giving this game financial backing and that his mod can still be created without Mod DB's support, my point was that they succumbed to pressure by the public to take this game off their site like Konami succumbed to pressure by the public to stop publishing Six Days in Fallujah. My other point is that you can't suppress freedom of speech, because you think the work in question is not a "serious effort" or that the developer is "a massive troll", which from his statements seems to be the case.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

I am glad this was taken down.

This is just as lame and pointless as Rapelay IMO.

Nah, rapelay is to videogames as porn is to movies. I don't agree with it, but if that's what you need to relive yourself, then go ahead.

This, on the otherhand, has no postive value I can think of.

 

[Nurb]

Creative freedom is all good and well until you offend someone.

I hope you're being sarcastic.

Not at all.

Anything can offend anyone for any reason, so there's the end of creative freedom right there.

Another interviewer at Beefjack.com [http://beefjack.com/features/interview-checkerboarded-studios-on-school-shooter/] asked Pawnstick who the intended audience of School Shooter is and he replied, "Anyone who wants to be a school shooter, but is too big of a pussy to actually do anything."

I think that sentiment is downright frightening and has no place in the videogame industry.

Truer words have never been spoken, Mr. Tito.

Ya I'll have to join both of ya on this one. I'll be shocked if this mod creator can keep himself out of jail over the next 10 years of his life.

I'd be more shocked if the guy doesn't end up on some kind of federal watch-list, or something.

So he has to be monitored and/or punished for something he created because the mod and his words were offensive? Way to validate muslim anger towards the Dainish cartoonsit. Western society is turning into a bunch of pussies that want hurt feelings to be a jailable offense.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Anything can offend anyone for any reason, so there's the end of creative freedom right there.

That was sarcasm. I'm against removing forms of art just because they're offensive to certain people.

 

[Nurb]

Anything can offend anyone for any reason, so there's the end of creative freedom right there.

That was sarcasm. I'm against removing forms of art just because they're offensive to certain people.

Ah, well when I asked and you replied again, I assumed you were serious. Text is a bit difficult to pick up tone

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

I support this, because as I've said before I don't believe in the Right to Freedom of Speech (please don't ask again) and I think this crossed a line.

And to people saying now everyone will be arguing about where the line is etc, that's a lot better than there not being a line. Everyone has lines they think shouldn't be crossed, and part of developing as a medium is finding where the lines are.

Films and television and books do have lines, and they don't get crossed. 9/11 references, Columbine references, child rape references. They don't get glorified in public media (Even films like Elephant are not exactly 'yeah, go school shooters'), and often they don't get released or distributed. There are a lot of reports of films, tv episodes and books which have never been released or even developed because of the way they depicted the events, we just usually don't here about them.

This mod wasn't just a school shooter mod, it glorified school shooters, and the creator talking about people who were too pussy to shoot up their school? That should tell you everything you need to know.

 

[mighty_wambat]

this is bull. freedom does not come in bits and parts. either you support everyone right to free speech or you don't, freedom of speech is not the right to agree with people, its the right to disagree, free from reprisal. i now hate mod db. that sucks for the dev's

 

[moppop]

this is bull. freedom does not come in bits and parts. either you support everyone right to free speech or you don't, freedom of speech is not the right to agree with people, its the right to disagree, free from reprisal. i now hate mod db. that sucks for the dev's

So you hate ModDB for exercising their rights as owners? It's not suppression if it's on private webspace.

Here's an idea for you, why don't YOU host the mod since you so deeply care about their freedom.

If you actually hate ModDB, then I hope you won't be a hypocrite and go to the website and download any of the 12,000+ popular mods for hundreds of games. No one should ever go to a website they where they so despise what the owners stand for that they "hate" them.

 

[vivster]

And ModDB crumbles under pressure.

yeah that
well some sites just don't have the balls for neutrality

Neutrality != not enforcing their ToS.

--> ToS = not neutral

(before you now say child porn.... this mod in question is not illegal in any way)

 

[BoogieManFL]

The guy making that is an idiot. It's obviously in bad taste and is completely pointless. It doesn't provide anything interesting or wanted.

If ModDB decides not to host something, that's their right. It's their website and their bandwidth. I wouldn't host garbage like that. I'm all for free speech - but just because you can say or do something doesn't mean you should. It's just pure idiocy.

Just like those horrible people that protest at soldier's funerals. Free speech or not, someone lost a loved one and it trying to say goodbye and share stories with family. Go do your protesting elsewhere you heartless pricks.

 

[moppop]

[

And ModDB crumbles under pressure.

yeah that
well some sites just don't have the balls for neutrality

Neutrality != not enforcing their ToS.

--> ToS = not neutral

(before you now say child porn.... this mod in question is not illegal in any way)

Actually, I never was going to mention child porn...guess what happens when you assume?

So, why aren't you complaining about the Escapist for also not being "neutral"? Why aren't you complaining about every other site that not only has a ToS, but also enforces that ToS? Why are you singling out ModDB for being a hypocrite when they actually aren't?

No one is questioning the legality of the mod here. No one. Get that strawman shit outta here.