Taking a class on social psychology and was amused to find a screenshot from Alpha Protocol, of all games, in the "video game violence" section depicting the main character punching a terrorist in the stomach.

Strange part for me is that it shares a caption with security tape footage of the Columbine shooting in Colorado. The text itself also pins the blame for the shooting on DOOM, and specifically the attacker's hobby of modding it so he could gun down "an array of helpless victims who could not fight back" (Gilovich 2011). Considering DOOM is set in Hell and the enemies, as originally designed, are anything but helpless or human, I think the blame is misplaced.

But without broaching that topic any further, why Alpha Protocol? It just strikes me as a very obscure game to zero in on for video game violence considering the much grander impact of other violent games like Call of Duty.

Because A is at the top of the alphabet. (Or so I've heard.)

Yeah, there's no reason why Alpha Protocol was used as an image reference. It's weird that you would think otherwise.

if i had to guess it would be a copyright issue, the cost of that picture was most likely cheaper then getting a screen grab of doom.

Alpha Protocol is a fantastic game.

It needed to be said.

Because of that bit where you put that plastic bag on that guys head and then beat... wait no I'm thinking of a different game.

Their marketing budget was spread real thin.

The funny thing is that I'm pretty sure you can play through most of Alpha Protocol without fighting dudes (or at least without killing them).

@DeeGee said:

Alpha Protocol is a fantastic game.

It needed to be said.

Also, this.

I think it's fairly safe to assume that the writers of said book, like most critics of video games, actually know next to nothing about video games.

@S0ndor said:

I think it's fairly safe to assume that the writers of said book, like most critics of video games, actually know next to nothing about video games.