Hey dear reader! Welcome!

In this article I’d like to respond to some ludicrous commentary my crummy little indie game received back in the day. I already responded to that in 2011 and to my surprise, some bloggers went through the trouble to acually reference this.

Now, to prefice this, everything on here is entirely insignificant. However, I still find it interesting how something we create and put out on the internet for others to enjoy can gain an odd traction and end up being used in an intelectually dishonest political debate.

Euthanasia, the game, has gained very mild popularity in italy all these years back and some far right political zealots used it as fuel to show how far society has degenerated that there are now videogames “promoting” Euthanasia and the “culture of death”.Well, naturally my game does none of that and has no hidden political message but it goes to show how even something as harmless as a haunted house type corridor shooter can get pulled in an misrepresented to bolster someones argument.

This goes to show that you should always fact check whenever anyone in the political sphere spouts anything about games or other media. They tend to have an agenda and they never appear to be honest in the methods they use to generate an emotional response from their voters.

What you can read below has been published in several articles of minor blogs and news sites (sadly none of which survived the sands of time. So much for the whole “whats on the internet stays there forever” rhetoric. Bullshit!)

Here is what has been discussed in that radio show all these years back. For archival purposes and because no one bothered to contact me about it, I am not taking the high road about it.

 The “mediaexpert” (according to his statement, I find this title highly debatable) Klaus Davi had a chat with the doctor and politician Paola Binetti about my game”Euthanasia“. You can probably already guess the tone these people have when they talk about videogames… nothing but well educated and objective folks!, I’m sure.
This “Expert” states my rather harmless game to be “harassment for all kids and teenagers”. Now, the fact taken aside that I clearly stated numerous times that the game is not intended for kids, I am sure that any teenager these days can handle a creepy little indie game in good fun. Just check what kind of content the average kid has in its steam or console library.

The 68 year old conservative politician has been interviewed about the game and found its “Will to violence” and “culture of death” disturbing. (Well, apparently, these fellas are member of a party named “opus dei” which have extreme points of views on everything including “the sims” supporting homosexuality).
Now here I can only speculate if one of these actually bothered to look at the game itself or if they just watched 20 seconds of a yotube video. I’d still like to know what exactly “culture of death” is supposed to mean. Sounds like a death metal album title.

A reporter for one of these articles had enough class to add in that it was indeed just a hobby project of a single person. He also stated that “its just a first person shooter like many others” He is right, it is.

The undersecretary of state, Carlo Giovanardi, also takes a position “I ask the Left-wing supporters and the anti-prohibitionists at every cost: after the videogame on euthanasia will there be a follow up with a videogame on racism? On anti-semitism?”

I gotta admit, back in the day I was might proud that apparently some undersecretary of state was pissed off about my game. You also gotta love how loaded that question is. First of all my game isn’t really about Euthanasia and there are indeed games about racism and anti-semitism… and naturally I don’t support those.

“These videogames should not be permitted in the hands of children”, explains the undersecretary of the Department of Health, Eugenia Roccella, who believes that “this videogame is a product of a subtle and sneaky marketing operation that tends to advertise a pro-euthanasia culture in a very dangerous manner”. Don’t you just love that statment? Its so delightfully dramatic. And yet another “undersecretary” gave off a statement. Lets break this down: 1. the game is not pro euthanasia, if you followed its (thin) storyline its only message is against suicide. 2. The way this is phrased does not only imply that I had  sinister agenda with this release but that person also just decided that I am part of some mini-conspiracy to corrupt the italian youth! Precious 🙂

It also calls for rejection on behalf of Aiart, the Association of Catholic Viewers. “How can we put a videogame like ‘Euthanasia’ that explicitly promotes an illegal practice on the market? Self-regulation is false and undependable” affirms Luca Borgomeo, president of Aiart. “the videogames- he concludes – is no man’s land. It’s not enough just to not sell ‘Euthanasia’ to minors, we have to open their minds to reason regarding this situation. We cannot allow the culture of death to be promoted through fun”.

Well, the game has never been available on any shelves nor does it promote any illegal practice. Its a remarkably insignificant hobby-thing I did when I was barely 18. I guess that is the punchline to this. That was what made this pseudo outrage so hilarious to me.

Thank you for reading!

Translation of a similar article for the archive:

Quote: ”
In these hours the Italian political life is literally turned upside down by a new video game. You read that right, a way of gaming is sweeping the wings more conservative, and not only to Parliament and Government of Italy.

The title in question is “Euthanasia” and the name of good will understand why all this fuss: the delicate issue of euthanasia triggers the minds whenever it is uttered. The game in question is a 3D shooter for the PC in which the protagonist, Shaun Randall, is a former marine who had to leave his job following an accident during a mission that has made him paralyzed on a wheelchair. Just this new state, groped the man decides to commit suicide, but not succeeding remains in a coma and is thus treated in a military psychiatric hospital where a doctor, the thought of sharing Shaun injects him the fatal solution.

For Binetti, this is a typical video game violence of those “that aim to introduce the culture of death, relying on ever-younger consumers of video games,” adding that in his opinion “Euthanasia promotes inner aggression of children. I am not surprised that such a game encouraging forms of bullying. ” And then go down into specific in more detail: “This game like the recent referendum in Switzerland, shows that there is an offensive of certain lobbies. Beyond the ‘forms of self-producers, it must be said explicitly that certain video games are harmful “.

But Binetti was not the only one to take a position on the title. Also, Carlo Giovanardi, Minister to the Prime Minister with responsibility for the family, tells her about: “My question to libertarians and anti-prohibitionists at all costs: euthanasia will do after the game ‘after a video game that promotes racism? Anti-Semitism? “. He adds Eugenia Roccella, Undersecretary of Health, said that”It ‘totally inappropriate to entrust this kind of game in the hands of a child “, adding that”this game and’ devious son of a marketing operation that tends to propagate a culture of pro euthanasia in a dangerous way. “

Needless to say what was the reaction dell’Aiart, the Association of Catholic viewers, who have condemned the very explicit game with a sentence issued by its president: “The culture of death can not be easily ground through entertainment.” He adds: “How do you put on sale as a video game that explicitly Euthanasia Propaganda an illegal practice? Self-regulation and ‘fallacious and, as you can see, it leaves too many holes “

Opponents of the title, therefore, are based not only in the last analysis MOIG, that 1 in 4 children in videogames begins at age 3, and hence the possibility that children will soon get too close to sensitive issues such as , in fact, euthanasia, but also on the regulation of the gaming market.

And what do you think? Political exploitation of a security, or agreed?”