Posted on 07/01/2008 9:46:23 PM PDT by LouD
UPDATE: Army shuts down warfare game
At the request of Summerfest officials, the U.S. Army on Tuesday removed a virtual urban warfare game that allowed fest-goers as young as 13 to hop into a Humvee simulator and fire machine guns at life-size people displayed on a computer screen.
"We're determining it's probably not something that we want to have shown at Summerfest," said John Boler, vice president of sales and marketing, said before the decision was made to request removal of the game, called Virtual Army Experience.
The game drew criticism from Peace Action Wisconsin, which called it "totally inappropriate and offensive." "War games should NOT be presented as entertainment," the group wrote in a press release.
"War is NOT a game. Summerfest is meant to bring people together for a good time in peace, not to present opportunities to practice shooting people."
Summerfest officials received a handful of complaints and first requested the Army raise the minimum age of the players to 18 and to stop giving out a DVD of a similar virtual experience. But officials later reconsidered the whole game.
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Earlier Article:
Summerfest may ban Army game
Organizers of Summerfest are in meetings to consider telling the Army to remove a virtual urban warfare game that allowed fest-goers as young as 13 to hop into a Humvee and fire machine guns at life-size people displayed on a computer screen.
"We're determining it's probably not something that we want to have shown at Summerfest," said John Boler, vice president of sales and marketing.
The game drew criticism from Peace Action Wisconsin, which called it "totally inappropriate and offensive."
"War games should NOT be presented as entertainment," the group wrote in a press release. "War is NOT a game. Summerfest is meant to bring people together for a good time in peace, not to present opportunities to practice shooting people."
Summerfest officials received a handful of complaints and first requested the Army raise the minimum age of the players to 18 and to stop giving out a DVD of a similar virtual experience. But officials later reconsidered the whole game.
"We don't have an issue with their physical presence," Boler said of the Army's full exhibit that includes a pull-up bar and recruiters gathering data and answering questions. "It's the digital content."
Boler said organizers thoroughly review and prescreen all exhibits but weren't aware of the details of the Army's digital game prior to the festival's opening.
An Army spokeswoman said the game, called Virtual Army Experience, isn't meant to teach people how to shoot, but rather educate them on the life of a soldier.
"It gives them a glimpse into what it's like to really be a soldier," said Pat Grobschmidt, a public affairs officer.
Grobschmidt said the game is one component of a larger game that is extremely popular with more than 8 million registered users. More than 500 Summerfest goers played the game on opening day, she said.
It was displayed at a concert in Madison and an air show in Janesville last year and did not get any complaints, she said.
The game drew criticism from Peace Action Wisconsin, which called it "totally inappropriate and offensive."
Since the kids are disallowed from playing soldier by this pack of worthless, gutless, feminized eunuch pussies, I suggest we give them with eggs, spray-paint, and a free ride to Peace Action Wisconsin's headquarters.
Bring it to Texas. Shoot, we will pay good money to try that out.
I did this at Digital Life in NYC last year. It was pretty fun.
Damn shame the kids over there won’t be able to experience it. Sensitive ninnies over there are, well, sissies.
I beg to differ. Give this thing a shot at the Western Idaho Fair this year and watch the line go from here to Pendleton.
I’d get two dozen eggs and a can for the kids.
This would be awesome! Bring it to Augusta, GA! I’ll play in it and I’m a grown man!
It would seem that some of the people of Wisconsin don’t wish to be reminded of the various activities and massive sacrifices necessary to the defense of the freedoms and pleasures they enjoy.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
Whats next, banning the game where you shoot the metal ducks with a peashooter? Next the Wisconsin State Fair will ban Cream Puffs because of the double meaning of the word.
Unfortunately we have our own supply of panty-waisted liberals, assorted Obamazombies and whackos. These wussies probably came to Milwaukee from the People’s Republic of Madison. I am calling the Summerfest management to let them know I will not be spending any money there this year or any year they give into these libtards
I wonder if it’s occurred to the peace creeps that their own kiddies spend their spare time decapitating people in WoW...
Summerfest (world Festivals) contact is 414-273-2680
Exactly. The People's Republik of Wiskonsin. That gun ban has done wonders for the crime rate in Milwaukee hasn't it? I think IL is the other.
Greetings from the (as of this writing) still free state of Tennessee.
And the Peace weenies haven’t made one complaint about the hundreds of people who leave Summerfest drunk on their arses and become lethal weapons in their cars on their way home or to the next bar.
These are probably some of the same whack jobs that complained about the air show a few years back. They were saddened by all the fuel used and the noise which disturbed them and the environment. Of course it was because it consisted mainly of military aircraft and the magnificent Thunderbirds along with some super stunt fliers.
Milwaukee is becoming a lib cesspool?? I hope not.
ping
I couldn't find the method used in the murder statistics, but you can bet many of them were with knives or no weapons at all. Of course not to mention the 1,000s of violent crimes that occur because the perp in under the influence of alcohol, or because some innocent citizen followed the law and didn't arm themselves.
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