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Mother Recognizes Her Murdered Toddler in Video Game! Game is Withdrawn.

Published on June 21st, 2007

LONDON June 20, 2007, 9:12 AM EDT – A video game based on the “Law and Order” TV series has been pulled off British shelves after the mother of a murdered toddler spotted an image of her son in the game, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday. The picture featured in “Law and Order: Double or Nothing” was similar to security camera footage of 2-year-old James Bulger being led away from his mother shortly before he was tortured and killed by two young boys in 1993, the BBC said.

The haunting video, which showed Bulger clasping the hand of one his 10-year-old killers as both left a shopping mall in 1993, has often been rebroadcast, but a spokesman for Bulger’s mother said the image should not be treated as if it were public property. The game’s distributor, Global Software Publishing Ltd., said in a (sic) that it had been made aware of an image “that may cause offense” and had withdrawn the game from sale.

Video games get a bad enough rep as it is without putting this kind of image in them. Probably not illegal but surely in poor taste. By the way, it’s still on sale in the U.S.

8 users responded in " Mother Recognizes Her Murdered Toddler in Video Game! Game is Withdrawn. "

# 1 moss said, on June 21st, 2007 at 1:14 pm

It is, in fact, the first time a video game has been ordered withdrawn by the British government. The other half of the equation is the sleazy heads of corporate game production – no, they ain’t just gamers who got successful.

They can prate all day about their artistic rights and freedoms; but, pandering to the lowest common denominator eventually results in backlash. Supporting freedoms is tough enough in the best of times. Watching our transatlantic race to the scuppers of morality – from Iraq on over – makes it even more difficult to defend these creeps and their opportunistic niche.

It might be easier if folks had sufficient political understanding to develop, say, a boycott of crud. But, I look around and see a couple of English-speaking nations barely up to figuring out why they shouldn’t vote for the evil of two lessers.

# 2 OhForTheLoveOf said, on June 21st, 2007 at 1:33 pm

That may cause offense

I understand why these guys use such freaking lame language, but wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear a company spokesman say, “Wow… We are so amazingly sorry we did this… We really screwed up… Please accept our heartfelt apology and know that we are doing everything we can to make sure a horrible mistake like this never happens again.”

You know… a little something my conservative friends like to call “personal responsibility”.

# 3 Janky-o said, on June 21st, 2007 at 1:55 pm

Wait. The headline says it was a picture of the kid. The text said it was “similar.” Which is it?

# 4 OhForTheLoveOf said, on June 21st, 2007 at 2:00 pm

#3 – Wait… Yes… Was it the actual child’s image… Or was it just an unfortunate coincidence that a fake image reminded this woman of something real… Because if the latter, I retract #2…

# 5 ChrisMac said, on June 21st, 2007 at 2:05 pm

Either way.. What the hell is she doing playing this stupid video game

# 6 Dan said, on June 22nd, 2007 at 7:04 am

#5 – let’s put some plausible pieces together:

“The haunting video [...] has often been rebroadcast”

Many people have seen it, including some who will be the sort to play this game. It doesn’t take a genuis to realize that someone spoke up, maybe to a TV station, maybe to a newspaper, and the woman, reading this, borrowed a copy of the game to verify the claim? C’mon, just *think* about it…

# 7 tallwookie said, on June 22nd, 2007 at 12:55 pm

haha pwned!!

# 8 ChrisMac said, on June 22nd, 2007 at 3:38 pm

#6 – I was going to make a remark about how this publicity might help sell a few copies of this horrendous excuse for a game. (see: Grand Theft Auto) But I thought I’d just keep it short and fire off a oneliner.

Nice try though.

I suppose if I had said what i really *thought* about this, we’d be further along than 8 msgs by now on this thread..