Ever since it came to light that Anders Behring Breivik, the psychotic killer who murdered more than 70 innocent people in Norway last week, happened to have a penchant for video games--chief among them World of Warcraft and Modern Warfare 2, which he ludicrously claimed helped "train" him for the attack--the games press has been on perpetual night watch for the first sign of some kind of knee-jerk legislative attack on video games. Let's face it: we've been conditioned to react with defensive aplomb every time someone thinks video games are to blame for anything. I suppose we can all thank the Jack Thompsons, Keith Vazs, and Fox News' of the world for our constant, Pavlovian "Come at me, bro!" reactions to these sorts of things.
Thankfully, despite a bit of blowhard lobbying from reactionary political groups, no governments have made any significant moves to try and curtail violent game sales to those who are of the proper age to purchase them. However, that hasn't stopped one retailer in Norway from pulling 51 'violent' titles from their store shelves, including all Call of Duty titles still in circulation, Homefront, Counter-Strike Source, and World of Warcraft.
Coop Norway's decision to remove the games was purely at the behest of the company itself, and done in "consideration for those affected" by the attacks, according to an interview with a company spokesman in the Norwegian newspaper Rogalands Avis (as reported by VG24/7).
"The decision to remove the games was made around the time we realised the scope of the attack," he said. "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."
While this company's decision to do what it feels is respectful to the victims and their families is entirely within their rights, the fact that a title as generally benign as World of Warcraft is being pulled off shelves solely because of Brevik's apparent fondness for it strikes as a slightly reactionary measure. World of Warcraft currently commands a T-rating on North America's ESRB scale, as well as a 12 rating on Europe's PEGI ratings board.
Still, Coop Norway seems resolute in their desire to keep these games off shelves for the foreseeable future.
"We have to think very carefully about when to bring these goods back. The economy involved is of no importance."
Seems shortsighted, but expected.
Sure, because this is a rational response. Nice job Norway.
Note that they aren't blaming video games for the killings, merely don't want people shooting people for a while in videogames.
I think the Norwegian Government has reacted as sensibly as any government could under the circumstances. Coop stores are run with the idea that the customers are the shareholders, I'm sure if management thought there was enough demand it was worth doing but I doubt it will be a widespread decision
it's not even a electronic shop. they sell stuff like tomato sauce. why are we caring again?
Edit:
http://coop.no/ Here take a look. had something like Elkjøp or expert stopped selling games I would care but Coop? I've never bought a single game. this is just a charade to stop their game selling, because they're not earning any money on it. It's all economically motivated.
@Disease said:
Are they pretty big or something or are they trying to get their name in the media?
Argh, lets hope it stops with this. ignorant people. he would have done what he did regardless of videogames
This will only encourage piracy.
[Citation Needed]
I can't remember the last time I saw Counter-Strike: Source on a store shelf.
As a norwegian I don't think this will resort to any ban. This is just temporary. The CD/DVD seller "Platekompaniet" may have pulled the games off their shelves, but still sell them online. The business Coop govern over are not the places most norwegians get their games. The pulled games will be back soon enough.
As a Norwegian I sort of get why they did it, but victims and killer played these kinds of games. It's just silly of them to do this. Who buys games at these stores anyway?
Especially concidering a Norwegian expert (I can't provide a link, it's been lost in all the terrorism stories) said that games actually can get people to be less violent, because they take their anger out on polygons, and not people.
I guess I'll go down to the local record store and ask them to remove all CD's by Helene Bøkslo, because the madman used her Age of Conan-songs to rile himself up.
Edit: Also, it's temporary, as Marnox said.
And if they don't care about economy, they're terrible at being capitalists.
@Kyreo said:
Uhm..quite a leap in logic huh?