Firm's school attack video game 'Active Shooter' slammed by next of kin of real-life victims

WASHINGTON – An upcoming video game that lets players simulate a school shooting is coming in for criticism from parents of shooting victims and from politicians. The game, "Active Shooter," is to be released by Valve Corp. of Bellevue, Washington, on June 6 for between $5 and $10. A trailer on the website of Valve's digital distributor Steam opens with the player's character as a SWAT team member entering a school to tackle a shooter, before switching over to the perspective of the attacker, with the action set to a pounding heavy metal score. It ends with a trail of students' bodies littering an auditorium room as a stats box keeps count of the numbers of police and civilians killed. In addition to allowing players to pick sides, the game boasts a multiplayer mode and the ability to play as an unarmed student trying to survive.