At the end of December, Void Interactive, the makers of the upcoming tactical game Ready or Not, suddenly lost his publishing partner. Though not directly confirmed at the time, online speculation strongly suggested that the first-person shooter shock was due to a recent official fan-out in which a worker tastelessly repeated that the world “believe better” that the game would “include” the school’s previously announced shooting range. And now, a few days after the turmoil that broke out over this story, the studio has released a more measured statement about its general approach and philosophy behind the game.
Available in Early Access, the highly rated game on Steam Ready or Not puts you in the role of an elite SWAT team dispatched to high-stakes situations such as someone being taken hostage. Presumably, a level in which a school shooter terrorizes a classroom would fall under the jurisdiction of the game. Mechanically, and even conceptually, it’s an idea that’s pretty prevalent in video games, with military tactical games being a genre of their own. Games can trick you into playing both sides of a conflict like this one. Usually, however, video games represent situations that involve adults, not children. For example, you could be playing a video game in which you have to rob a bank – which then requires that you execute a careful plan that includes the hostage situation.
The problem is arguably not the subject itself, but a concern that this particular studio will be able to handle such a difficult subject with grace given the carelessness of some of the developers involved in the game work, sounded lately. Media for Ready or Not also failed to inspire confidence in some. A trailer for the game shows all of these elements: men bravely reaching down to save children, the flash of school desks, and a broken neon sign that reads ANAL.
And so, some people do not have complete confidence that Void Interactive will treat the proposed topic carefully enough, which may explain why the developers are doing it make a long statement on Christmas Eve.
The cliff notes version states that the team recognizes that the idea of a school shooting generates strong reactions, but they try their best to live up to the subject.
“Void Interactive is clearly committed to delivering high-quality, high-impact content that other mainstream software developers may shy away from due to cultural conventions and norms,” the press release said.
It goes on to say that while they value feedback, the public has no control over what they do. However, the studio will “honor the work of dedicated law enforcement officers around the world and in no way glorify cowardly criminal acts”.
It goes on:
We strive to promote a level of authenticity and realism in our video game. Ready or Notthat brings difficult topics with it. We understand that this requires a certain amount of responsibility – towards our fans and the community, yes, but also towards those affected by the traumatic events to which law enforcement all too often react. Rest assured, our goal is everyone Ready or Nots satisfied with the weight and respect it guarantees. We have recently had to remind some team members of the due diligence in discussing this material now and on an ongoing basis.
The note goes on to say that school is an important aspect of our daily life, which is why the game developer would like to try to honor those “who are affected by these real-world tragedies with a non-trivial representation”. their experiences. “
According to the game’s official Steam page, Void Interactive has consulted with police around the world to develop the game. In some of the largest school districts in the United StatesSince the protests against Black Lives Matter, concentrated efforts have been made to reduce the police presence in some schools. In a study of 25 school shootings‘Crises of this kind were not resolved by an officer, but by the general staff, who disarmed the attacker – or by the riflemen who decided to stop themselves.
.
