Berlin Wall 'Death Strip' Game Sparks Outrage In Germany

[wraggster]

According to Spiegel Online, 'A new computer game where players assume the roles of border guards and shoot people trying to escape from communist East Germany has unleashed a storm of controversy in Germany. The game's creator says he wanted to teach young people about history, but he has been accused of glorifying violence. ... The name of the multi-player FPS game, 1,378 (kilometers), was inspired by the length of the border between East and West Germany. ... [Players] choose between the roles of the border guards or would-be escapees: the escapee only has one goal — to get over the wall, but the border guard has more options, and can shoot or capture the escapee. He can also swap sides and try to clamber over the border defenses himself.' By choosing to play the border guard and kill the escapee, the player would win an in-game medal from the government of East Germany. But then the guard would time-travel forward to the year 2000, where he would have to stand trial. Jens Stober, 23, designed the game as a media art student at the University of Design, Media and Arts in Karlsruhe. He said that his intention was to teach young people about German history.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/1...age-In-Germany

[VampDude]

I see nothing wrong with such a game, there have been games that portray historical events quite accurately for quite some years... Though I think for Germany, they are trying to put what was left of the second world war behind them. It's been 21 years since the wall was torn down, but still quite a subject for those who lived nearby... But war and history sells.