RE: [HOE] Gamers Beware! A word of warning!!!

["Clint Black" <cblack@ohtinc.com>]

You know, maybe it's just the cynic in me, but this sounds like a set-up by
White Wolf to sell their product.  I'm not saying the game was specifically
designed to be offensive to extreme religious groups, but I think it's
possible the marketing of it is.  Think about it, what better way to market
a book to gamers than to put a sticker on it that says, "The game THEY don't
want you to have."  How many of us at least looked at a copy of GURPS
Cyberpunk because of the "raided by the Secret Service" label.

The difference here though is that I think it is possible White Wolf is
trying to instigate the situation.  Just look at their Father Ramos site.  I
found it offensive to Christians, and I'm supposedly the target audience (a
gamer) for this "satire" website.  To me, it just looked like an attempt to
set someone off so they *would* protest the book by mocking them.

The truth is no death or felony crimes have ever been linked to role-playing
as a cause.  The Tom Hank's movie, "Mazes and Monsters" (which no one died
in) was based off of Rona Jaffe's *fiction* novel.  (I find it humorous that
some people quote "facts" from this book to dispute gaming.)  Over the
years, it's become apparent that drugs, abuse, or some other cause were
truly at the heart of crimes blamed on rpg's, and those who said otherwise
faded away or became the target of ridicule.  But it's taken a long time to
wipe away the stigma associated with role-playing, and it's an ongoing
process.  If White Wolf's actions, deliberate or not, succeed in reawakening
opposition to gaming once more, it will be sad day for our hobby.

I'll tell you I hope I'm mistaken about White Wolf.  To deliberately provoke
a protest against role-playing just to increase sales would be the height of
irresponsibility and an injustice to the entire gaming community.  To think
that one of our own might do this purposefully sickens me.

I guess it's rather ironic that I'm praying I'm wrong.



Clint Black

"You smell that? Do you smell that? ...Ghost Rock, son. Nothing else in the
world smells like that. I love the smell of ghost rock in the morning. You
know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over
I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' Yank body. The
smell, you know that sulphurous smell, the whole hill. Smelled like...
victory. Someday this war's gonna end..."

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hoe@gamerz.net [mailto:owner-hoe@gamerz.net]On Behalf Of James
Smith
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:39 AM
To: hoe@gamerz.net
Subject: [HOE] Gamers Beware! A word of warning!!!

Hey everyone!

    I don't know how many of you have picked up on this yet, but, being a
gamer from the rocky time of the early 80's, I felt a word of warning was in
order.
    In the none too distant future, White Wolf is going to release their new
line, Demon: The Fallen.  Now, for us gamers, that's not a big deal.
However, the church groups have already latched onto this and are beginning
their anti-gaming campaign once more.  Already, my local gamestores are
being flooded with anti-RPG literature.  I know some of you are probably
going to say big deal, they have been doing that for years.  But, this is a
possible powder keg looking for a place to happen.  Those of you in Dayton
who are old enough already know how bad it can get.  For the rest of you,
back in 80 or 81, a couple of college kids killed themselves over a game of
D&D and managed to make national news.  Heck, there was even an old Tom
Hanks movie about them.  Within days, the church groups rose up in arms and
pretty soon, you couldn't find a game other than Milton-Bradley stuff
anywhere in South-Western Ohio.
    I am hoping it doesn't happen again, because the industry we all love so
much will take another major hit.  All it takes is one incident big enough
to make the news.  I don't mean to scare anyone, just put out the word that
we all need to keep an eye out and be aware that trouble may be on the
horizon with White Wolf's upcoming products.

James in Dayton


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