US parents boycott distasteful 'Active Shooter' video game
Parents in the United States are outraged by the online release of Active Shooter, a video game that encourages players to take on the role of a school shooter.
The release of Active Shooter, a video game that gives players the option to play a police officer responding to a school shooting, has left parents in the United States with a bad taste in their mouths.
Billed as a "swat team simulator", the game also allows players to take on the role of the shooter and of a civilian trying to escape the scene. The game comes in the wake of the Parkland school shooting tragedy in February.
Developers of the game plan to release on Steam, an online computer game store with more than 125-million users. Parents of victims of the Parkland shooting as well as their supporters are not happy with the company's apparent endorsement of violence.
I have seen and heard many horrific things over the past few months since my daughter was the victim of a school shooting and is now dead in real life. This game may be one of the worst.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 27, 2018
I am disgusted to see that @steam_games is selling an “Active Shooter” game due to be released on June 6 for download. I am requesting that you remove “Active Shooter” from the Steam website & stop selling products that glorify the gun violence killing America’s children.
— flamenco (@4goofballs) May 25, 2018
Ugh, this is awful. An "active shooter" game with levels set in a school. Why would Steam even allow something like this on its platform? https://t.co/v93hPZY9po
— Dan Ackerman (@danackerman) May 27, 2018
The developer of Active Shooter has noted the harsh criticism and released a statement saying they do not intend to promote violence.
They also said that the shooter simulation was not part of the original game, and they will look into removing it.
As yet, there is no confirmation on when or whether the changes will be made to the game.