Counter-Strike Map Of School Causes Outrage
from the conflicted dept
On the heels of our last story about someone who raised the public's ire over a "real-world" Counter-Strike map, it seems these stories may only become more prevalent. This seems particularly likely given that the threat of legal action doesn't seem to serve much of a deterrance against those that wish to be creative with game maps in this respect. You had to know that this gaming envelope was only going to be pushed further. Such is the way of things. It's something of a one-up culture. In addition, I should note that I tend to think that punishing this kind of creation is generally wrong. It's a game map, nothing more.
However, I will admit to being heavily conflicted when I came across the story of another Counter-Strike map controversy, this one resulting from the creation of a map based on a local secondary school in Port Moody, British Columbia. The reaction from the locals upon discovering a video of the map on YouTube was, understandably, negative.
"We have rainbow-colored lockers, and it's our field of dreams... and then to watch the video game, and see people shooting up our field of dreams, it was just so disturbing," Alex Devlin, a teacher at Port Moody Secondary School, told CBC News. "I believe it's just a game, it's not reality... but a lot of kids don't live in reality, right," another local said.Let me start off by saying that I get it. Given recent tragedies suffered on the North American continent, I completely understand the discomfort locals, especially parents, might feel discovering a map of their school being built in a game that is all about shooting. I won't begrudge them their animosity. However, I am extremely pleased that cooler heads prevailed in this case.
The map's creators helped their causes greatly when they published their own website to respond to their critics. Far from antagonizing, they decided to explain why they had chosen the school to serve as inspiration for their game map.
The map was this because it's architecture and design is rather ideal for the game's tactics. Furthermore, this is a location we are quite familiar with already. Additionally, supporters and fellow alumni are also likely familiar with this location, which makes it an ideal common ground for this game and its intended audience.When you push the admittedly understandable emotional response to the side, their explanation makes a great deal of sense. Local gamers wanting to play a game they love in a fictional representation of a place they know. Once I took a deep breath, I realized that some of the games I love most, and some of those I'm looking forward to the most, feature real locations that I'm familiar with. Any game, for instance, that features the city of Chicago, regardless of the game's genre, is likely going to get a look from me, because I love the idea of playing out a fictional game in the city I love. This is no different, even if the game in question is one that involves weapons and shooting. More importantly, it certainly isn't something that should require legal action. Fortunately, the police in the area agree, saying so in what I would consider to be a surprisingly reasonable response.
Although the creation of such a video game is likely ill-conceived in the current climate, it does not constitute an offence. Investigators from the Port Moody Police Department have interviewed the developer of this game and have concluded that he does not pose a danger to the staff or students of Port Moody Secondary.In the end, that's all that matters. There is no safety concern in making a map of a school for a game. It's just a map.
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Filed Under: counter-strike, schools, shootings, students, worries
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Initial outrage over counter-strike map of school fizzles
from the I-guess-that's-not-a-big-deal-now-that-I-think-about-it department.
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Nice
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Re: Nice
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Re: Re: Nice
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If it's soldiers killing each other, and there are no kids or teachers involved, then who cares?
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Re:
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Map of Store
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The us versus them attitude fostered by party politics; people are expected to have a definite opinion.
Th paranoia fostered by governments to justify their intrusion into every-bodies life.
Press sensationalism, with reporters trying to create stories out of the slightest incident. The one or two people who react make the story, ignoring the hundreds that shrug and go so whats the story.
The increased visibility of actions wnen the Internet is used to circulate stuff,it allow minor things to become a trigger for pushing a political agenda.
An analysis of why this became a story would be more interesting.
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Really?
So let me get this straight, movies like Olympia Fallen and countless others depicting destruction of Americas infrastructure, buildings and history is OK? But all hell breaks loose from a map?
Sorry for double post
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Re: Really?
Yeah, I really don't get the people who don't even bat an eye at violent movies but completely flip out over violent games.
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In Spain during the Inquisition the authors would have experienced a very dynamic understanding before subs-crumbing to their own wildest desires for deliverance from the physical world.
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Nuclear Bomb Explodes during Football Game in Baltimore----you better duck
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Re: Nuclear Bomb Explodes during Football Game in Baltimore----you better duck
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It's our Independence Day!
Given the national character of the state of Texas, that kind of reaction is not surprising.
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Re: High School layout
https://maps.google.com/?ll=37.648163,-120.919073&spn=0.002508,0.002411&t=h&z=19
The older high schools in town were just rows of classrooms open to the outside, but the new school was designed to look more like a fortress (or prison).
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Re: Re: High School layout
I've always thought that high schools and college campuses would make the best places to play paintball or capture the flag or any games like that. It's also true for FPS computer games.
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Re: Re: Re: High School layout
'Course, these are all bogus myths, but one thing is for sure: architects for schools in the 90's had no originality.
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Be a moody pair of teens or an off-their-rocker gun nut, who is noticed by their community, but don't get a police visit to measure threat level.
Yep, let's just keep blaming games for the problem.
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I did the same in high school
As a side note, none of my friends or myself ever went on a rampage, nor are any of us in jail for any reason. Most are married, have families, and still play shooters online with each other.
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That there is simply a scenario of "better safe than sorry". Hell I'd be stoked to see Columbus or Cleveland mapped out for a game.
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The map of our work building is quite accurate.
Hasn't caused any of us to want to blow the building up. You know, outside of the feelings we have from working here ;)
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Better than paintball
Doesn't anybody remember playing whatever form of "shoot the guy on the other team with your cap gun" when they were young? Paintball is the modern extension of this and is quite accepted.
Would the school district, parents, etc., rather have the kids break into the school and have paintball games there?
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Cops & Robbers
Often.
Did anyone else play that as a kid? Y'know pointing your finger and screaming bang, and acting out death scenes as collateral to encourage your opponents to do the same?
Counter-Strike is essentially the best computer version of that very playground scenario.
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Name of map
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