Following on the heels of intense controversy surrounding two recent action-oriented titles in the United Kingdom, another game has fallen under serious scrutiny for its content, as well.
The unlikely culprit is neither heavy on action nor detailed in its visual quality – nor is it even new. Law and Order: Double or Nothing, developed by Legacy Interactive in 2003, is being withdrawn from sale in the U.K. after the company received a letter from the mother of a murdered toddler who was protesting the child’s inclusion in the game as part of a clue sequence.
Denise Fergus, the mother of James Bulger, murdered by two 10-year-olds in a gruesome and shocking case 14 years ago, said she was furious that her son had been used as a gameplay device.
“Using that terrible picture of James as part of a game is sick,” Fergus said. “To know that he has been turned into a clue in a game makes me very angry.”
A CCTV image of the toddler – released in real-life by British detective to help find the culprit – is tacked on a wall behind an in-game detective during one sequence.
Fergus is demanding that all copies of the game be destroyed and is appealing for current owners to get rid of their copies.
Global Software Publishing, which distributes the game, has not yet decided what will happen with the U.S. version.
Original source: Thisislondon.co.uk
Secondary source: Next-gen.biz
