V-Tech Rampage is a controversial computer game that re-creates the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. The game was created by 21-year old Australian Ryan Lambourn "because it's funny." The flash-based game first came to light when it was uploaded to popular gaming site newgrounds.com using Lambourn's screen name Master PiGPEN. The game is available free for play at Newgrounds.com and his personal website googumproduce.com. The game is 1.1 Megabytes.
Gameplay[ | ]
The game basically reenacts the events of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The player plays as Seung-Hui Cho and is armed with two pistols. There are 3 levels and cut scenes between each one of them. The game is similar to a RPG in which the player is able to talk with characters or shoot them.
In the first level the player must kill Emily and any witnesses to the murder. If the player fires massively killing people he will fail by scaring away Emily.
In the second level the player must avoid policemen and deliver a package to the mailbox then head to Norris Hall. The player walks faster than the policemen, but if he gets caught in the police's lights he fails.
In the third level the player must kill or Injure everyone in Norris hall within 1 minute and 30 seconds. If everyone is not kill the player will be tackled down by police.
The game ends with the player shooting himself and the screens shows Cho's hand with a carving that says Ismail Ax.
Keys[ | ]
A : Fire
S :Talk
A+X: Skip levels
RIAA Edition[ | ]
The "RIAA edition" was created, with the original tracks removed, due to copyright infringement with the RIAA. This has replaced the original version on Newgrounds, while both editions are available on Lambourn's site. The original version was later removed from Lambourn's site. The RIAA edition removed the music from level one and two which were repeated clips from "Shine" by Collective Soul and "Mr. Brownstone" by Guns N' Roses, Cho's favorite song. The music was replaced with MIDI versions of the songs.
The song for the third level is KEKEKE is by Ryan Lambourn which was kept in the RIAA Edition. A extended verision of the song is available for download on his site.
Controversy[ | ]
On May 14, 2007 V-Tech Rampage first appeared on Newgrounds.
On May 15, 2007 Lambourn wrote on his site:
- "Attention angry people: I will take this game down from newgrounds [the games website] if the donation amount reaches $1000 US. I'll take it down from here [his website] if it reaches $2000 US, and i will apologise if it reaches $3000 US."
Lambourn later retracted the offer to remove the game, stating:
Later Lambourn posted that "I will never make a pun again if the donation amount reaches $1000 US, i'll never make a sarcastic comment if it reaches $2000 US, and i will never push the ironic envelope again if it reaches $3000 US."
On May 17, 2007 New York Senator Andrew Lanza, chair of the Senate Task Force on Youth Violence and the Entertainment Industry requested that the gaming community boycott the game. He also compared the game to GTA IV
In response, video game publications wrote of concerns about backlashes against video games and wrote that this game was created by an individual, not the gaming industry.
On May 18, 2007 NBC in Washington DC interviews Lambourn who tell them the reason he made the game is "You do it for some negative reaction to laugh at."
Australian politician Minister Senator Helen Coonan also started to investigate Ryan Lambourn. She states that Lambourn should seek help, and that her agency will launch an official inquiry into V-Tech Rampage.
On May 22, 2007 Newgrounds reports that they will stands behind the decision to keep V-Tech Rampage Available on theirs site
On June 18, 2007 The original V-Tech Rampage game was pulled from Newgrounds because of a Cease and Desist letter from the RIAA. This caused Lambourn to replace the game with the RIAA edition.