Video Games Dragged Into Norwegian Terror Attacks

Video Games just can’t catch a break. Not only are gamers stereotyped as fat, lazy shy geeks, but since a while now politicians have been slandering games comparing them to murder simulators that give birth to serial killers, arsonists and mentally unstable people who embark on random shooting sprees. Last week, the world reeled in shock and disgust as a clearly deranged individual went on a killing spree in Norway slaughtering 76 innocent individuals. In a matter of days, or hours the blame somehow fell on video games as it was found out that Anders Behring Breivik, said nut job, was an avid WoW (World of Warcraft) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare player.

The blame game

Now Coop stores all across Norway are removing certain games from shelves to avoid being dragged into any sort of controversy. According to vg24/7, these games include “Homefront, Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2, World at War, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Sniper Ghost Warrior, and Counter-Strike Source.” When contacted by a Norwegian newspaper, here’s what Rogalands Avis, Geir Inge Stokke director of the retail chain had to say, “The decision to remove the games was made around the time we realized the scope of the attack. 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.”

But hey, ignorance always triumphs, all right?