Ben-DutkaI think we all know about the senseless shooting in Norway. But once again, gaming has fallen into the media cross-hairs.
And the reason is due to the fact that the murderer listed "training" in his "manifesto," and that training included Call of Duty: Modern Warfare . Therefore, according to a report in Norwegian newspaper Rogalands Avis (as cited by VG247 ), Coop Norway Retail director Geir Inge Stokke says the retail chain "is temporarily removing" video games "out of consideration for those affected" by last week's disaster. As he said:
"The decision to remove the games was made around the time we realized the scope of the attack. Others are better suited than us, to point to the negative effects of games like these. At the moment it’s [appropriate] for us to take them down. I wouldn’t be surprised if others do the same.
We have to think very carefully about when to bring these goods back. The economy involved is of no importance."
Toys that "look or function as weapons" have also been removed. You can bet that you'll hear more about CoD in relation to the shooting as time goes on. Of course, the anti-gaming activists are using this as ammunition, while those who defend the industry are once again working hard. We're sure you have opinions on the matter but please don't let those opinions erupt in a giant argument.
What happened is bad enough.
