Scandalous Games

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter and Kate Lynch. This time, we continue our deep dive into the wild horror themed point-and-click adventure game Harvester  (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). This time, we shift our focus to this game's troubled production and some of its pre-release hype.

Topics discussed include: Harvester's diverse cast and crew, a whole bunch of talk about Event Horizon, and comparing your computer game to one of the most racist films ever made.

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4

You can also check out the video "The Making of Harvester," which Kevin goes into detail during the episode, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75gb6IxpT-Y. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.   

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Elford Stephens. This month, we take another break from the "killologist" to take a closer look at the wildest 90s PC game you may have never heard of: Harvester (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). We start our deep dive into this cult piece of 90s PC weirdness by examining the impetus behind the game and what inspired its creators to try to make the most over-the-top video game ever.

Topics discussed include: Horny jigsaw puzzles, the politics of Roadrunner cartoons, and Harvester is "SAYING SOMETHING" about media violence,

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4

If you want to learn more about the ways networks have edited Warner Bros. cartoons, check out: "The Bugs Bunny Show Censorship," Looney Tunes Wiki, https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/The_Bugs_Bunny_Show_Censorship.  

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

 Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We've gone too far to turn back now, as we continue our long look into Dave Grossman and why people should not listen to him. Today we continue our deep dive into Dave's tactics by seeing how his "killological" philosophy made its way into the State House and the courthouse through anti-gaming legislation and wrongful death lawsuits against the games industry.

Topics discussed include:  The epic bromance that was Dave Grossman and Jack Thompson, the debut of a new segment called "Scandalous Games Theatre," and all the ways politicians uncritically parrot the ideas of a pretend academic.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman starting a deep dive into how exactly Dave waged war on video games. We start we Dave's information-based battle, the types of organizations Dave felt comfortable calling comrades-in-arms, and how Dave might have started making his own research.

Topics discussed include:  Dave's less than savory associates, a detour to look at the board game Stroop (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/212376/stroop), Phil makes a big announcement, and possible childhood trauma connected to Cooking Mama. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman seeing how he became a media-anointed expert on video game violence in the wake of a school shooting in his home town, and how Dave managed to insert himself into future violent video game conversations in the wake of mass shootings. 

Topics discussed include: Did a school shooter go from average teen to deadly marksman by playing too much DOOM? Andy tests Kevin and Kate's ability to distinguish between Pokémon and prescription medication, we show some love for mid-level evolution Pokémon, and we examine how we might all be to blame for Dave Grossman.

Content Warning:
4:03-4:27: Details of a school shooting
8:55-10:06: Discussion of mental illness, suicidal ideation, and self-harm
14:15-14:53: Discussion of mental illness
27:15-27:57: Details of a school shooting

Selected Resources:
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC):
https://ovc.ojp.gov/news/announcements/view-resources-victims-recent-mass-violence-incidents
Sandy Hook Promise: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
APA Resources for coping with shootings:
https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting-resources
Administration of Children and Families:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/victims-sexual-abuse
National Child Traumatic Stress Network:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/caring-kids-what-parents-need-know-about-sexual-abuse
Enough Abuse Campaign:
https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/
Mental Health First Aid:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/
SAMHSA resources for youth in the US:
https://www.samhsa.gov/school-campus-health/behavioral-health-resources-youth
AFSP for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255); text the Crisis Text Line (text CONNECT to 741741); or dial 988 for immediate help (Press 1 if you are a veteran of the armed services).

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. Whether you want it or not, we return to our long series on the self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman, and we finally get to Dave's entry into the violent video game fray as he peddled his killological wares in the wake of the March 24, 1998, Westside Middle School shooting, a less talked about school shooting that happened to take place in Dave's hometown and propel him from rando adjunct to media-anointed expert.

Topics discussed include: How Dave potentially used a school shooting to propel his brand, Kevin's pretty sure Wine for Dummies is a much better book than On Killing, Dave Grossman: crisis actor(?), and Andy continues to test our whether we can tell the difference between Pokémon and prescription medication

Content Warning:
9:57-10:57: Details of a school shooting
34:33-39:06: Discussion of child abuse, sexual abuse of children, suicidal ideation, self-harm, mental illness, and animal abuse

Selected Resources:
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC):
https://ovc.ojp.gov/news/announcements/view-resources-victims-recent-mass-violence-incidents 
Sandy Hook Promise: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
APA Resources for coping with shootings:
https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting-resources
Administration of Children and Families:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/victims-sexual-abuse
National Child Traumatic Stress Network:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/caring-kids-what-parents-need-know-about-sexual-abuse
Enough Abuse Campaign:
https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/
Mental Health First Aid:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/
SAMHSA resources for youth in the US:
https://www.samhsa.gov/school-campus-health/behavioral-health-resources-youth
AFSP for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255); text the Crisis Text Line (text CONNECT to 741741); or dial 988 for immediate help (Press 1 if you are a veteran of the armed services).

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,   Kayt Ahnberg , and Ryan Weaver. We wrap up our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As we close the book on Manhunt, we try to figure out what might have inspired people to think Manhunt caused a real-world murder in 2004 and how it (possibly) had more to do with the machinations of an old friend of the pod than Manhunt acting as a "murder simulator." We then go into the game's popular reception and how Manhunt as a game may be even more relevant today.

Topics discussed include: The machinations of a mature legal mind, thoughts on Manhunt from the self-proclaimed "killologist," and whether Manhunt was a harbinger of the current woes of the game industry.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Kayt Ahnberg, and Ryan Weaver. Today, some of us are still here and alive to cover part three of our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's brutal 2003 survival horror title. This time, we examine whether Manhunt caused a real-life murder (spoiler alert: it did not), and how the British tabloids gave us the infamous July 29, 2004, headline "Murder by PlayStation."

CONTENT WARNING: brief discussion of a murder (5:30-7:17)

Topics discussed include: The British papers have a wobbly over Manhunt,  a fun look at some Daily Mail headlines, the positive aspects of playing horror games, and how to "accidentally" turn a video game into a best seller.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,  Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We're back for part two of our four-part series on Rockstar Games' 2003 snuff film inspired stealth/horror game Manhunt. This time, we look at the moral backlash against Manhunt leading up to and following its 2003 and try to place that within the context of anxieties over video games as an art form during the early 2000s.

Topics discussed include: Manhunt gets banned in Germany and New Zealand, and Jack Thompson enters the fray!

For more on the challenge to Alan Moore's Neonomicon  in Greenville County, SC, see: Carolyn Kellogg, “Alan Moore graphic novel banned from South Carolina library,” Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2012, https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2012-dec-06-la-et-jc-alan-moore-graphic-novel-banned-from-south-carolina-library-20121206-story.html

 
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,  Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This month, we finally keep our promise and take a break from Dave Grossman for a four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's 2003 snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Today, we go into the game's inspirations and its early reception in the gaming press to set up the brouhaha that ensued following its release.

Topics discussed include: a (very) brief history of snuff films, whether Manhunt almost caused a mutiny at Rockstar, the Sadism Spectrum (TM), and the environmentally friendly uses of canvas bags for suffocations.

For more on the history of Rockstar during Manhunt's development and release, check out: David Kushner, Jacked: The Unauthorised Behind-the-Scenes Story of Grand Theft Auto (London: Collins, 2012), http://www.davidkushner.com/book/jacked/. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.