Of all the things to worry
about in the world, the ongoing controversy over Hunting videogames and
their parodies has to be one of the silliest.
A group of hunters is still
upset over Simon & Schuster’s Deer Avenger game which
gives animals guns and has them hunt down human beings. It’s a semi-amusing
parody, but nothing to get worked up about.
Several groups of hunters
including Hunting Trail, Safari Club International, the International
Hunting and Fishing Museum, and Bowhunting.net among others announced a
boycott of Simon & Schuster over the game. Boycotter David Parker
told Wired the boycott is needed “to uphold our reputation
– that we do care for the environment, we do care for children and family
morals.”
Several gay/lesbian groups
also complained about an effeminate character in the game with suggestion
that the character amounted to gay bashing.
Come on guys, it’s a parody
of a video game – get over it already.
Sources:
Hunters blast away at videogames. Pete Danko, Wired News, February 3, 1999.
Videogame’s cheap shot. Steve Friess, Wired News, January 28, 1999.