Scandalous Games

Manhunt, Part Four: Jack Thompson...Rod Blagojevich...Dave Grossman...and the rest

December 19, 2023 Scandalous Games Episode 39
Scandalous Games
Manhunt, Part Four: Jack Thompson...Rod Blagojevich...Dave Grossman...and the rest
Show Notes

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,   Kayt Ahnberg , and Ryan Weaver. We wrap up our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As we close the book on Manhunt, we try to figure out what might have inspired people to think Manhunt caused a real-world murder in 2004 and how it (possibly) had more to do with the machinations of an old friend of the pod than Manhunt acting as a "murder simulator." We then go into the game's popular reception and how Manhunt as a game may be even more relevant today.

Topics discussed include: The machinations of a mature legal mind, thoughts on Manhunt from the self-proclaimed "killologist," and whether Manhunt was a harbinger of the current woes of the game industry.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.