Another observation from Shooting.com.au
(Quote):
In yesterday's Weekend Australian

"Virtual classrooms of cold blooded killing

The link between the Norway killings and extreme video games cannot be ignored.

By Jim Wallace.

[Jim Wallace is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby and a former SAS commander]

Among other things he had this to say on Modern Warfare 2

" . . .I made the paint at the time that the game would never be used in SAS training because
it didn't demand restraint in the use of force, or mercy, both reuired of soldiers.

But the games industry maintains it's just a game.

It seems Breivik is smarter than that. In one of his blogs he saih "I see Modern Warfare 2 more as part of my training simulation than anything else."
Whatever may prove to be his state of mind, he seems to understand this issue better than not just the games industry that produces them but even Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor andsome of our state attorneys-general.
It's not a game it's a simulator.. . ."

Can't give a link 'cause I can't find it on the Australian's site, but it's on page 12 of Focus in the Weekend Australian (unuote)

Here's the link: http://www.theaustra...o-1226104582317

More spin-off as others climb onto the bandwagon:

The Sunday Times

WA Police will conduct random audits at gun clubs and shooting ranges across to catch unlicensed firearm owners.
The move comes after the recent Norway massacre in which a lone madman killed 77 people, shooting 69 in cold blood.

The Sunday Times can reveal that the spot checks at gun clubs and scrutiny of club members will start in August and will be performed by the Licensing Enforcement Unit of the WA Police.

Until now, firearms associations and shooting ranges have been self-regulated.

"Auditing of clubs and their members will ensure compliance and identify those persons who may be in breach, and as a consequence may be open to prosecution or the revocation of their licence," a spokeswoman for Police Minister Rob Johnson said.[We all know that criminals with unlicenced pistols go to their local gun clubs to draw unwanted attention to themselves.]

In March, The Sunday Times revealed that WA Police had lost track of thousands of guns and the firearms licensing system was in disarray.

Police admitted that the firearms infringement registry, which alerts police to unpaid gun licence renewals, had been deactivated in mid-2008 because of technical issues. The admission came 18 months after a review by Auditor-General Colin Murphy found WA Police did not adequately monitor the possession, use and dealing of firearms in the community. [Competence rules, OK?]

Canning Gun Club president Peter Watson, said the random audits were unnecessary.

"If you ask me, it's a waste of bloody resources because we are self-regulated," he said. "We don't allow anyone on the range without the proper registration and checks."

Mr Watson, who has been shooting recreationally for 18 years, said gun clubs and shooting ranges in WA were highly responsible.

"Safety is paramount to us," he said. "We do everything we can to make sure there isn't any incidents or accidents."

According to the Department of Sport and Recreation, there are 231 registered gun clubs across WA.

Opposition police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk said police resources could be better used.

Link to full story http://www.perthnow....3-1226104913792

Is mise.
Did I already post this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN1TBRhDg3s

There's something very wrong with a system that allows that through but attempts to ban a game like Fallout 3 or Risen 2 because they show simulated drug use.
I'm a keen gamer myself and those Call Of Duty games are too much for me, I returned Modern Warfare to the shop and exchanged it straight after playing the "No Russian" mission.
There are attempts to handle the subject responsibly in gaming, the game "First to Fight" actually used U.S Marine Corps R.O.E. The game was set in Lebanon in some future conflict and killing or wounding civilians would end the mission (if I remember it rightly) what's more it had a simulation of your unit's morale, civilian casualties lowered the morale and effectiveness of the AI soldiers under player command and made the game much harder.
Video games can be very sophisticated pieces of software,they can actually teach kids about planning, resource management, multitasking,timing and teamwork.
Modern Warfare is at the low end in terms of complexity, it's basically point and shoot,there's no real strategy or skill involved, among "serious" gamers it's regarded as a game for meatheads and little kids, which ,I suspect are it's target audiences.

Is Mise

The tragedy is that while gun registration does help reduce accidental shootings and those unpremeditated acts of rage, a nut-job like Breivik will always find what he wants (although I understand he held a legitimate gun license).

Games like Modern Warfare 2 will remain just games for the majority of players - again nutters will find ways to train whether such games are banned or not.

JoM, interesting to note that you can give assessments of so many warfare games - not really interested in the merits of any you have mentioned preferring puzzle/strategy to warfare type games myself - do try to stay on topic.

Ammonite,

"Games like Modern Warfare 2 will remain just games for the majority of players - again nutters will find ways to train whether such games are banned or not."

That was not Wallace's point but rather that such 'games' de-sensitize the players to killing and that they would not be used to train SAS personnel because of the removal of mercy and responsibility etc.
Remember this viewpoint is from an ex-serviceman who was training people to kill.

The answer to the uestion of how the murderer could have been stopped, once he started, is: with a gun; but nobody had one did they?

When the next massacre occurrs the answer, unfortunately, will still be the same.

We have no idea when the next one will be but the odds are that there will be one, even if it's only by a copycat out to set a new world record and achieve a place in the history books.

Meanwhile the Greens and their fellow travellers will push for more gun control and the further disarming of honest, law-abiding people.