
Last week's big story, of course, was the
hurly-burly surrounding V-Tech Rampage, an amateurish Flash game based on the recent massacre.
While Australian creator
Ryan Lambourn bore the brunt of the public outcry over the game, Philadelphia area portal site Newgrounds.com came in for its share of criticism over hosting V-Tech Rampage.
In a
message posted yesterday afternoon, Newgrounds programmer Ross Snyder defended the decision the keep the game online and available:
This is a good time to reflect on what Newgrounds is all about. When Tom (Fulp) first started the site many years ago, it was a place for his personal creations, some of which were too "edgy" for the mainstream...
Many of his productions pushed (and occasionally pole vaulted over) the limits of "good taste", but he published them nevertheless, and they found an audience...
It turned out that a lot of people didn't really have an outlet for their not-fit-for-the-mainstream creativity - and Newgrounds evolved from a showcase for Tom's work into a showcase for everyone's work, free of the usual moral judgement and censorship...
Speaking only for myself, I think V-Tech Rampage is in poor taste. In terms of gameplay, it's decent, but tying it to this recent tragedy is a bad idea, in my opinion.
Still, it's not any one person's job to judge the Flash that people submit to The Portal... As the saying goes, I may disagree with what [Lambourn is] doing, but I'll forever defend his right to do it. Telling him that his game should not be allowed on Newgrounds goes against the principles upon which this site was founded...
Comments
Things have been removed from Newgrounds in the past for far less significant offenses.
I find it sad that one of the last bastions of true free speech is on a website covered in Hentai ads and dating games. Shows how much we are slipping as a nation.
Still doesn't change the fact that the guy who made it is your average troll who got his "lulz." And it still doesn't explain why some people are treating him like the second coming of Christ or whatnot.
Probably the same kinda public that loved the Jerry Springer show (Is that show still on ?).
i believe that, , like many others, that Vtech rampage is a fine example of bad taste, but by taking it down, we give up not just on principles that new grounds was founded on, but western society as well.
Back in the 1960s people used to write songs, books, etc.. on actual events that have taken place.
Today its not even possible, then someone publishes a book on the V-Tech massacre, intending to gain profit.
@ John
I was under the impression that the guys at Newgrounds were attempting to get away from the Hentai ads, and that it would be a very slow process. Maybe I'm wrong, though.
@ Keroton
I don't think people meant freedom of speech only applied if you had something to say. Rather they meant don't abuse it. In the V-Tech Rampage case, he only made the game to make it. It had no real political value and is quite tasteless.
Yes it will be (and is currently) used as ammo against the 'industry.' And that sucks, but really, this is the fault of the scapegoating politicians for lying to the public.
The game is offensive on many levels, and was made with the sole point of offending. Let it find its own level in the community, and I have little doubt it will sink into obscurity in short order.
"see this is what the main industry should do!if you dont like what we produce/create then fuck off!…well at least in a sense that is."
"Fuck off" In a more dignified way that is. Newgrounds did the right thing by letting it stay. It'd just some moron looking for his 15 minutes, nothing to abandon your principles over.
ps:also i never sand bag if I met JT or random official X the first thing I would do is flip him the bird and im sure most would do the same.
Heh. While I can't deny that I would have the urge to flip JT or one of the other censorcrats the bird, it would be counter productive. They'd just use it as evidence that games are evil and creating monsters. But, oh, it would feel so right.
@Diceman, Gameboy
I agree that flippin' the bird to JT isn't a great idea, but would make us feel great that we hate the Censorcrats.
That would not work. A submission can only be blammed due to low scores if it's still under judgement (i.e. when it has less than 200 votes). Once it hits past the holy 200 votes if it has less than a certain score it is automatically blammed. After it passes judgement it can't be removed unless the author or the site admins want it to be removed.
@Gameboy
Yes they are trying to get rid of hentai ads, in fact the only reason they had them in the first place was to keep themselves afloat when the internet's bubble burst. They have made progress though.
Anyway I am not surprised by this at all, they kept the suicide bobmber game online for the exact same reason.
The problem is that while the game industry shouldn't be accountable to Congress for their content, they are and should be accountable to the retailers they're asking to carry their products. And those retailers are accountable to their customers, who let them know what they want to buy.
If the studios protest that, then they can just go the Postal route. Use an online distribution system without bothering with the ESRB.
So telling people to F-off isn't really going to work.
No action will do nothing to help us.
Now that you watched it, your angry with yourself at what was depicted and you claim you have the right to scream for its removal? No. You have the right to say "This is tasteless and I do not agree with it, thus I will not view it as it offends me."
If you view it anyway, knowing it will piss you off? Well your the idiot now. Its cries for censorship that make morons like Jack Thompson keep trying. Use your brains, learn to moderate yourself. The government wasnt set up to protect you from your own stupidity, it was set up to give everyone equal voice, and tasteless as this Flash Game maker's voice is, it was his right to show his work.
Your choice is whether or not to view. Choose wisely.
Your experience points gave you a voting power of 5.76 votes. Your blam and protection points gave you an additional 20% of your experience power, meaning that your total vote power was worth 6.92 votes!
The more experience points you have combined with BLAM and PROTECTION points, the more your vote is worth!
You gave this entry a 5, raising its score from 3.0088 to 3.0096!
Your experience points have been deposited already today. Thanks for doing the overtime!
I dont like how the RIAA targets him just because they don't like the game. There are thousands of copyrighted songs used on Newgrounds. And I heard AOL users can't see it because it is marked as a "phishing" page on NG. I will continue to support him simply because free speech is being attacked by authorities only enforcing rules on stuff they dont like.
I agree completely, this is America
one point I would like to make, though, is that because of all the media coverage of this game, it makes me WANT to check it out. if anything it is the politcians and the people making this game a big deal that makes it popular and provokes children and adults alike into playing. The same thing for the suicide bomber game, the reason i checked it out was because it made media coverage.
"don't do drugs, they'll give you a feeling of escape" o i've never even thougth about drugs before, now i'll try it! (similar concept)
good show, Newgrounds. good show.
Well, he's a jackass.
Hope he enjoys the great firewall of austrailia. He could have spent all that time doing useful political commentary on his own country's politics.
Too bad for him. I'd hate to have that brought up at a job resume.