[gatagato]

The NRA: Practice Range app, which is rated for children 4 and up, includes a 3-D shooting game. (screen grab from iTunes)

The National Rifle Association didn't pull its new target practice game, as a petition demanded, but it did raise the age rating from 4 years and older to 12 and up.

"NRA: Practice Range is an insult to the victims of gun violence," a group called the Courage Campaign wrote to Apple, asking it to revoke approval of the "shameless" new app that was released on iTunes a day shy of the one-month anniversary of the Newtown, Conn., school massacre.

The 3-D shooting game has nine different firearms and three "immersive" shooting ranges. Originally rated as 4+ -- described this way in the iTunes rating system: "Applications in this category contain no objectionable materials" -- the game's rating was changed late Tuesday to 12+, and a warning added: "Frequent/intense realistic violence."

An accompanying description says the game "instills safe and responsible ownership through fun challenges and realistic simulations."

The NRA, which was highly criticized for its silence in the immediate days after 20 children and six adult staffers were shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School, says the game "strikes the right balance of gaming and safety education."

In his statement a week after the tragedy, NRA executive VP Wayne LaPierre placed part of the blame for the proliferation of violence in America on "vicious, violent video games."

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/15...e-for-children
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id584567057?mt=8&src=af

At least one left-leaning group, the California-based Courage Campaign, launched an online petition Tuesday urging Apple to pull the NRA game from its App Store.

'NRA Shooting Video' Game Branded Outrageous
There are claims that a shooting app aimed at children as young as four may be a hoax against the NRA pro-gun lobby.

The National Rifle Association has provoked controversy after apparently releasing a shooting video game aimed at children as young as four.

Critics say the sale of the iPhone and iPad app, NRA: Practice Range, weeks after the Sandy Hook school massacre is insensitive.

The game features a series of shooting ranges and a choice of handguns, rifles and shotguns, including the assault rifle used in the Newtown killings.

Players have one minute to pick off as many targets - some coffin-shaped - as possible, then post their scores on a public leaderboard.

The game has been released three weeks after the NRA's executive vice president Wayne LaPierre blamed "vicious, violent, video games" and the wider entertainment industry for gun rampages.

Billed as "the NRA's new mobile nerve centre", the app also allows access to information about gun safety, legislation and news from the four million member US gun lobby.

According to the description on iTunes, the game is intended to instill "safe and responsible ownership through fun challenges and realistic simulations."

Because it contains "no objectionable material" according to iTunes' rating system, it is advertised as suitable for children as young as four.

Connecticut Democrat Senator Christopher Murphy has written an angry letter to Mr LaPierre and Aplple CEO, criticising the release.

He wrote: "The NRA seems intent on continuing to insult the families of the victims of Sandy Hook.

"How could they think it was a good idea to use the one month anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook to release a game that teaches four-year-olds to shoot assault weapons?

"No matter what outrageous new tool they use, the NRA cannot make a straight-faced case that sport shooters need military-style weapons to enjoy their hobby."

One angry visitor to the games App Store review page wrote: "Is this some kind of sick joke? The NRA complains about violent video games and then releases one a week later.

"Sure you're not shooting at humans... does it really matter?"

But in a reflection of how guns divide Americans, others gave the app five-star reviews.

"Freaking awesome," wrote one satisfied customer. "Better hurry and download this before they take it away from us," added another.

The game's release coincided with this week's SHOT show, an annual trade show for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry, organised in Las Vegas by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry trade group.

http://news.sky.com/story/1038594/nr...ded-outrageous

[Kanda444]

a game that promotes gun safety and target shooting.... i'd let my kids play it.

[chefbob09]

what the hell is a child doing playing a shooting game and even more worrying is the retard who thought this was a good idea

[kellyhound]

there are free shooting games and apps available for everyone so i don't see what the fuzz is all about.
It's weird to think that only american kids get influenced by violent games while kids from all over the planet play them and don't go out on a murder spree.
Released one month after the tragedy. Maybe they could have waited some longer but new shooting games appear almost daily so hard to put a timeline for releases after tragedies.

[rob666]

Fuck the NRA.

[AmericanIllusions]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

Fuck the NRA.

WHY?

[pbaj12]

Let's be honest, most people are only mad because it's the NRA.

Everyone knows shooting targets and playing video games are the real reason there's shootings..why would anyone think that it could be something like bullying, pressures of life or plain crazy people doing it

[rob666]

Originally Posted by AmericanIllusions ↗

WHY?

Because they promote a useless agenda that is killing your kids.
200 years ago a strong militia was needed because at any time the British or whoever could very well have sailed over and attacked. That threat doesn't exist today, except in the minds of some very deluded people who seem to think their elected federal government is intent on enslaving them and the first step to this is gun control.
Go ahead, don't change anything, just keep on wondering why so many people die from gunshots.

[Sharon]

Things are getting way over-sensitive.

[rob666]

Originally Posted by Sharon. ↗

Things are getting way over-sensitive.

There is no private handgun ownership in the UK at all is there?