JFK Assassination Game Stirs Up Controversy

Scottish game developer Traffic, led by the former creative director for Scottish developer VIS Interactive (State Of Emergency, Earthworm Jim 3D) has announced the release of an already controversial PC shooting sim called JFK Reloaded. The game has players recreating the assassination of John F Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22nd, 1963, released to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the assassination, and has already drawn the ire of the Kennedy family. According to the official site, the game, which is downloadable via the site for a fee, makes use of information from the Warren Commission report, setting players the task of pulling off the same sequence of shots as Oswald allegedly did. JFK Reloaded offers a cash prize of up to $100,000 for the player that can come closest to replication. Kirk Ewing, managing director of Traffic and the creator of JFKReloaded.com commented: "This new form of interactive entertainment brings history to life and will stimulate a younger generation of players to take an interest in this fascinating episode of American history." He added: "We've created the game in the belief that Oswald was the only person that fired the shots on that day, although this recreation proves how immensely difficult his task was." Of course, not all share his sentiments about the game. While Traffic states that the game’s objective is to re-ignite people’s passion for history, letting a new generation experience the Kennedy assassination, the cash prize and general approach to the subject aren’t sitting well with many observers. In particular, BBC News is covering a comment on the title from a spokesman for Senator Ted Kennedy, JFK's brother, who commented by simply saying, "It’s despicable." Nonetheless, the JFK Reloaded website is planned to be online for the next three months.