[Slurmer]

http://designrampage.blogspot.com/20...lacksburg.html

The idea is from Manveer Heir, a VT alumnus.

He states: "I wish to explore that feeling of togetherness and understanding of what it is like to go through the grieving process. I present my design, titled Bereavement in Blacksburg, and hope that it is a step in the right direction to expressing such feelings in an interactive medium. I fully admit these thoughts aren't fully fleshed out, even after I attempted to build this game for months, due to the difficulty with exploring these emotions and the scope that I felt it would take."

The game will incorporate a "grief score" which tracks how the player deals with others following the shootings.


I just graduated from VT in the fall, and I see absolutely no appeal in reliving these events. People have already been able to attach themselves to the tragedy via mass-media coverage, and the outpouring of sympathy we all recieved was sufficient. This game idea is neither cathartic nor necessary.

[Count Dookkake]

Interesting idea. Good for him.

[ICallItFutile]

Not exactly on topic but how was your last months on campus like after the shooting?

[Cowie]

When i read this title, i was positive this was a shock game, like all those school shooting flash games after columbine. I thought it was awful odd that someone would give something like that a thread at GAF, though..

edit: from the site

Together, the community said “We will not let this be the defining moment in our lives or of our school.”

So you made a video game about it? I mean, a video game to study how people cope with grief is a really interesting concept, but it should be independent of actual disasters, right? This sort of limits your audience for this study.

[winnarps]

Not exactly on topic but how was your last months on campus like after the shooting?

I graduated from VT the year of the shootings. The last month or so was extremely numb. Everyone was in shock, they didn't require anyone to finish their classes, people randomly broke out crying a lot -- everything was just so upsetting.

However, on the bright side, I've never felt more together as a community (in any community I could call myself a part of) than I did in those following weeks. The support from all around was immense.

In regards to the game, I would agree with the OP. There's no point in revisiting this, even if it's a tribute of some kind. I can see how outsiders may be curious, but bleh. Video games are for entertainment, not for inducing depression/sadness.

[Count Dookkake]

Video games are for entertainment, not for inducing depression/sadness.

Well I guess that wraps up the "videogames as art" debate.

[winnarps]

Well I guess that wraps up the "videogames as art" debate.

I wasn't trying to make a statement of fact. I guess I did come across too bluntly though.

I myself would not use the VT shootings as an exploration point for the 'video games as art' thing. But then again, I went there, I experienced grief and depression from what happened, and I may have a sore spot with this game's material.

[Slurmer]

So you made a video game about it? I mean, a video game to study how people cope with grief is a really interesting concept, but it should be independent of actual disasters, right? This sort of limits your audience for this study.

100% agreed

Not exactly on topic but how was your last months on campus like after the shooting?

A lot of different emotions. At first it was pretty much a ghost town outside of reporters with cameras hounding anyone wearing VT paraphernalia walking on the drillfield. The media coverage was terrible for the most part.
I had a class with one of those killed. Very cool kid, and would not be surprised if he was a GAFfer. The shooter was also enrolled in the course, and everyone jumped on the class and the professor, essentially blaming us.

The worst part though, was kids taking unfair advantage of the the ability to make classes pass/fail, drop the class, or not taking the final. "I have a C?? LOL I will just make this pass/fail...*cough* because I like, just can't focus with all of this stuff in my head you know?"

edit: Not to say it was completely terrible though. As it was said, camaraderie was omnipresent. And the school made a conscious effort to have counselors in all classrooms for students that needed it.

[Count Dookkake]

I myself would not use the VT shootings as an exploration point for the 'video games as art' thing. But then again, I went there, I experienced grief and depression from what happened, and I may have a sore spot with this game's material.

A lot of people lived through, and lost loved ones in, World War 2. That hasn't stopped people from making entertainment based on it.

I do not feel that my experiences should stop others from making games about 9/11.

There is nothing wrong with attempting such a project, especially given the creator's statements. He sounds sincere. It all comes down to execution.

[Slurmer]

It all comes down to proximity and perception.

Between WWII and its popularization in video games, it had gained a glorified mythos through film and hyperbolic word-of-mouth. Now, 60+ years later, it is almost as we are desensitized to it, making for a simple transition to mindless shooter.
The VT shooting is barely a year old, and has already been defined by media and culture as a terrible tragedy. Transitioning it to a video game will be much more difficult.

I don't doubt his sincerity, but I feel he has misguided aims. I just don't feel like it is a good idea, and cannot see him achieving what he desires to achieve.

[Campster]

It all comes down to proximity and perception. Between WWII and its popularization in video games, it had gained a glorified mythos through film and hyperbolic word-of-mouth. Now, 60+ years later, it is almost as we are desensitized to it, making for a simple transition to mindless shooter. The VT shooting is barely a year old, and has already been defined by media and culture as a terrible tragedy. Transitioning it to a video game will be much more difficult. I don't doubt his sincerity, but I feel he has misguided aims. I just don't feel like it is a good idea, and cannot see him achieving what he desires to achieve.

I question whether you would have such hesitation if his medium of choice were film or books.

[perryfarrell]

Are you effin kidding me?

Videogames can't do that. They're for shooting. How misguided can you be?

[Slurmer]

I question whether you would have such hesitation if his medium of choice were film or books.

probably not, since they are more established and have shown repeatedly that they can handle this type of content with grace. A lot of people are going to see "grief points" as kitsch, not art.

That said, if he can pull it off...I am all for progressing/evolving the medium.

[Shockgamer]

Totally not what I was expecting...and for the better.

[Hero of Legend]

Honestly, this is a stupid idea.

Okay, so if my school ever went through the same thing, are we going to see a game about that?

In fact, there are already numerous school shootings happening every year, if games about them will come, they'll be pumped out more than Ubishit's Petz games and WWII games. :/

May as well make a game about ALL shootings from the past decade or something, or hell, a MOVIE.

Before anyone flames me, I do feel terrible about the lives that were lost due to the shooting, but come on, how is this a good idea again?

[Count Dookkake]

It all comes down to proximity and perception.

I have to restate that execution is the most important element.

One can make a good/bad, ethical/exploitative, innovative/superfluous project about anything. See any number of projects about WW2, Jesus, Batman, etc.

People will always say "Too soon." To some degree they are correct, in that it is too soon for them to see an artist's interpretation of (or commentary on) a tragedy. However it is never too soon for an artist to start working on a project, no matter the subject.

The paying audience (or the lack thereof) decides when it is too soon or too much, not the victims, survivors, heroes or rubber-neckers of tragedy.

"I was there" is a form of special pleading, as someone was "there" no matter where or when "there" was. It feels different when the tragedy affects you directly, but the facts to the rest of the world are the same. Many people have the thought "Wow, something terrible happened. I wonder what it was like to be there." Art and entertainment can help to address such thinking.

"I was there" also fails as an argument when you have an artist who can say the same thing as seems to be the case in the OP. See also BKV's excellent, award-winning "Ex Machina," a comic book that supposes only one plane hitting the WTC because of all things superhero intervention.

Your loss is no doubt great and I do not wish to appear argumentative, but most of human history is tragic. The massacre at your school, while horrific and senseless, was not an anomaly in the grand scheme and so its discussion, even by the lowly art-form of videogame, should not be abridged.

[Hero of Legend]

Hmm, alright, I take back what I said.

As in, he should try it if it means that much to him, more power to him! :)

He does sound like he would put a lot of heart and feeling into the game, we should encourage that, since many developers do the opposite (and thus, shovelware is born).

I do wish him good luck with it! :)

[Slurmer]

Good post Count, you make a lot of good points, but please realize that I never used "I was there" as an argument or reason for why this game should not be made. And I never stated that this particular tragedy transcends any others, just that the media, and therefore the consumers of media, has chosen to interperet this one in a different way than others such as WWII.

[Count Dookkake]

Good post Count, you make a lot of good points, but please realize that I never used "I was there" as an argument or reason for why this game should not be made. And I never stated that this particular tragedy transcends any others, just that the media has chosen to interperet in a different way than others such as WWII.

I misunderstood your use of "proximity" to refer to location instead of time. Sorry.

But there is no where in my post that I suggest you claim the massacre transcends all other tragedies. I'm not that much of an asshole.

[Slurmer]

But there is no where in my post that I suggest you claim the massacre transcends all other tragedies. I'm not that much of an asshole.

K, misunderstanding on my part.