The Video Game Obsession of an Alleged Mass Murderer

Oftentimes the unhindered thirst to kill spreads gradually from a psychologically paralyzing event, like the tragic loss of a parent for instance. In mass murderers, the trigger event is so mentally damaging that their morals and judgment are clouded, and they convince themselves killing innocent people is justified. This is what happened with Anders Behring Breivik, the man alleged to have committed those mass shootings in Norway last year.

He saw himself as a martyr, publishing a manifesto claiming Norway was the victim of rampant Islamic terrorism, and perpetrating his spree was the means to publicize his beliefs. Seventy-seven people lost their lives, mostly teenagers, after a shooting rampage that killed sixty-nine; a bomb exploded two hours previous near the Prime Minister's office killing eight and injuring over 200.

While his trial is ongoing, receiving significant face time are World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, supposedly where he hatched a deep hatred for Islam and "practiced" his shooting skills. The accused played Blizzard's MMO upward of sixteen hours a day, after moving back in with his mother, and stated the game was only a "hobby". Also, he called Call of Duty "a war simulator" that "gives you an impression of how targeting systems work."

Yesterday, Kotaku posted a rather disturbing article delving into Mr. Breivik's World of Warcraft career, showcasing responses of disbelief from guild-mates and online friends alike. Most unsettling was his collection of forum posts, ranging from congratulatory to insensitive. Kotaku cites one particular post where Breivik, using his level 85 mage "Conservatism" says: "Better hated than forgotten, or what?"

Furthermore, Breivik admitted to using Call of Duty 4 to hone his shooting skills. Utilizing a "holographic aiming device" he explained the precision was so correct that "...it's built up in such a way that you could have given it to your grandmother and she would have been a super marksman." 

It's common fodder to associate video gaming with obscene violence, in turn trivializing a cultured industry, but there are other points major media is missing. According to The Vancouver Sun, Mr. Breivik also used meditation and steroids to prepare himself, and somehow that tidbit is omitted from most news reports I read. The media world is built on sensationalistic headlines, and claiming a video game responsible is more buzzworthy than "Man used meditation and steroids to commit mass murder".

(The proof is everywhere. After editing this piece this morning, conveniently, I had CBS This Morning on. Featuring international stories, they cited a New York Times article highlighting the role Call of Duty played, and not mentioning other things Breivik did to prepare.)

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