Stuttgart cancels CS tourney
In light of the March 11 shooting tragedy perpetrated by Tim Kretschmer, the city of Stuttgart has decided to cancel a gaming competition featuring Counter Strike. News outlets reported that Kretschmer was allegedly a huge fan of Counter Strike and may have drawn inspiration from the game. Kretschmer started his shooting rampage not far from Stuttgart.
In a statement, the mayor of Stuttgart based his decision to cancel citing the shooting and also out of concern for family and friends of shooting victims.
I applaud the mayor for his sensitivity. Having a tournament based on Counter Strike so soon after an allegedly video game inspired shooting would probably ignite more unnecessary controversy on a topic that has become explosive in Germany and elsewhere. Further, how can you fault his decision if it’s based on being sensitive to people who recently lost loved ones?
Via Game Politics.
Update: I’ve changed my opinion on the mayor’s decision. Read why here.
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>>I applaud the mayor for his sensitivity.
wtf? Would you also applaud if they had cancel a football match just because a stupid killer were a fan of those? And there isn’t even a proof yet, that his killing spree had something to do with CS (and there are even reports that he didn’t play CS but Far Cry 2).
I guess you have no clue what’s going on here in Germany. Our politicians are just stupid and every time some YOUNG guy kills other people they’re searching for a scapegoat. And they probably find it in video games. If it was an older guy, they would just call him crazy or something.
Do you know, that some of our politicians want to ban such games completely? They even put so-called “killergames” (what a fucked up word) on the same level as child pornography.
It’s just stupid, not sensitive…
Let me be clear I don’t think Kretschmer’s shooting is related to C-S in any way. However, not everyone apparently agrees with that viewpoint. Many in Germany, from what I’ve read, think completely opposite.
Is it so insensible to cancel a gaming tournament so close to the site of the shooting, especially if it will inflame emotions? I think not.
I do agree with you that German politicians have gone way overboard with the linkage between video games and shootings. One could make a strong case that the mayor may have not acted with sensitivity but with cowardice - afraid of bringing controversy. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I’ve changed my position on this issue. I’ll update this post within a few hours and tell you why.