The Top 5 Most Offensive Video Games
Torture. Sexism. Political assassination. Pedophilia. Mass murder. These five topics are explored in the videogames discussed here. All five games have raised hackles and ire among parent groups, watchdog organizations, politicians and the press. The games have been lambasted as being in poor taste at best to downright offensive at worse. Not all players find the games offensive, however, seeing them rather as venues to explore topics covered elsewhere under protections offered by freedom of speech. Therefore, “controversial” might be just as appropriate as “offensive” in describing these games.
From a researcher’s point of view, such titles might offer opportunities for exploring variations in value judgments, or how some topics receive different responses when they are explored through videogames rather than more traditional media.
1. Title: Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
Developer: Danny Ledonne
Commentary: Low-res graphics interspersed with footage from Harris and Klebold combine to offer players an opportunity to relive the Columbine shootings. The game has come under intense criticism. MSNBC’s Citizen Gamer columnist Winda Benedetti reports that independent developer Danny Ledonne, “has been called a ‘disgusting and sick individual,’ … His life has been threatened multiple times.” The controversy surrounding the game was too much for officials with the Sundance Film Festival, who banned it from their Guerrilla Gamemaking Competition last year.
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2. Title: JFK Reloaded
Developer: Traffic Games
Commentary: This historical first person shooter places players in a Lee Harvey Oswald role, seeking to assassinate President John F. Kennedy as his motorcade passes the Texas Schoolbook Depository in Dallas, ca. 1963. The Kennedy family has opined this game is particularly despicable, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, probably every US President from here on will see a videogame made involving their assassination. A Google search turns up several for President George W. Bush. One of the most recent controversial titles is Virtual Jihadi, which involves a terrorist plot to blow up W.
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3. Title: Operation Pedopriest
Developer: Molleindustria
Commentary: Players are tasked by the Vatican with covering up pedophilia among priests in this Flash-based production. The developers claim they were trying to make a point by developing an offensive game to highlight an offensive topic.
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4. Title: The Torture Game 2
Developer: Carl Havemann
Commentary: The original Torture Game is Flash-based, and involves inflicting pain on a lifeless dummy (the man figure is euphemistically called a rag doll by the developer), hanging by ropes on the screen. The Torture Game 2 adds adjustable ropes, gun damage, realistic sound effects from chainsaws, and additional health to the victim so the torture can last longer. Stress reliever? Anger venting outlet? Or simply, as the developer puts it, mindless entertainment? Media outlets like MSNBC and Fox News have featured pieces lambasting the game, and the Parents Television Council issued a parental alert. As Andy Chalk over at The Escapist notes, all the hullaballoo has only led to more downloads.
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5. Title: Miss Bimbo
Developer: Nicholas Jacquart
Commentary: Miss Bimbo is the English version of the French game Ma Bimbo. In both, players (typically young girls) are tasked with maintaining and enhancing their avatars’ good looks via virtual purchases for plastic surgery, breast enhancement, diet pills, etc. The players then ply their avatars with gifts and send them out to party with other players. Once the virtual money runs out, players can pay real money for additional Bimbo Dollars through PayPal to continue keeping up appearances. The economic plan behind the sites has led to threats of lawsuits by parents, and criticism by watchdog groups that the game sends entirely wrong messages about personal worth and self identity to its target audience of pre-teen and teen girls.
Tags: Andy Chalk, Bimbo Dollars, Carl Havemann, Citizen Gamer, Danny Ledonne, Guerrilla Gamemaking Competition, JFK Reloaded, Ma Bimbo, Miss Bimbo, Molleindustria, MSNBC, Nicholas Jacquart, offensive games, Sundance, super columbine massacre, Torture Game, Traffic Games, Virtual Jihadi, Winda Benedetti
Game Discussion, Game Writing, Making Video Games, Serious Games, Simulations, Virtual Worlds | John Rice | 
July 31, 2008 12:57 pm
6 Comments
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The Top 5 Most Offensive Video Games — July 31, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
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The Top 5 Most Offensive Video Games — July 31, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
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The Top 5 Most Offensive Video Games — July 31, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
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Uck: Top 5 Offensive Games « Izzy Neis — August 1, 2008 @ 10:29 am
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By creativesideburner1, August 26, 2008 @ 7:17 am
Very nice! Good collection!