Well, this is rich. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is releasing a video game centered on firing guns on the one-month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. This comes less than a month after claiming that video games shoulder most of the blame for acts of violence in the United States.
On Dec. 21, the NRA responded to the Sandy Hook tragedy with a vicious speech blaming anything and everything but guns for the death of 26 people. Notably, the NRA's Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre specifically pointed the finger at gaming, calling it "a callous, corrupt, and corrupting shadow industry that sells and sows violence against own people, through vicious violent video games."
Those are harsh words for an organization that has chosen the wrong time to roll out its latest game. "NRA: Practice Range" runs on iOS and consists of three different shooting range levels in which players can practice shooting targets. Different guns are available for $0.99, such as AK47s or sniper rifles. It's also been rated for ages four and up.
The game has come under harsh criticism from a number of people, including former Congressman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, who called the NRA "sick" for releasing the title.
Others who disagree mightily with the NRA, however, like game designer Ian Bogost, think the game falls in line with the organization's cloudy message.
"It's another specimen in the NRA's ongoing effort to present gun ownership and use as a part of a practice of sportsmanship and as participation in an existing community of 'responsible gun owners,'" he told Kotaku. "Contrary to immediate reaction among some of the game playing and development community, the NRA's presentation of the game as an educational tool fit for kids will read as consistent with their overall project and message among NRA supporters. It also serves a rhetorical function as a PR-baiting tool. For example, when game devs and critics call the game 'terrible,' as some have done, the NRA can simply respond that our community must only want to partake of the violent uses of firearms, and that's why we are unable to appreciate a firing range simulator."
Bogost may have a point here on the NRA's thinking. LaPierre previously condemned violent video games by saying they promote fantasies about killing people, calling them "the filthiest form of pornography." Since "NRA: Practice Range" doesn't involve shooting any living thing, the idea is that it falls in line with the game's stated intention to promote "critical safety and training tips."
This isn't even the first time the NRA has released a game. "NRA Gun Club" was released back in 2006 and was similarly panned.
